Monthly Archives: May 2009

Sage American Grill – New Haven, CT

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Woo hoo! Great Connecticut style New England Clam Chowder was finally found!

ChowderBoy celebrated his 5th birthday recently so his Auntie met us at the mall to buy 2000 Star Wars things and then we went to Sage American Grill.

What follows is the Tweet-review as it happened from a gorgeous deck overlooking the sound. Perfect weather. Just fantastic.

  1. So far so good. Sunday afternoons, reggae on the sun deck. Only problem – have to go inside for a Bloody and cannot abandon kids.
  2. ChowderBoy says it is 50,000. ChowderGirl says it is thin but good. We’ve charmed the waitress. Still no Bloody Mary.
  3. Also, we ordered mini-lobster rolls which were tasty but I prefer my lobster recently yanked from the sea.
  4. There will be a next time for sure. Tons of clams, nice deck, and great chowder.
  5. Our waitress Carolyn was sweet.

Now that we’re home and I have a bloody mary, I can discuss the whole thing more thoroughly. The deck was great – the only thing is that you must bring cash for drinks and if you want a Bloody, you have to go upstairs. Which is fine unless you plan to leave a 5 and 7 year old unattended. I managed to survive without one – though next time I will certainly try it.

The chowder came in pewter pots! With freshly made croutons instead of oyster crackers from Vermont. We ordered 2 cups and our waitress brought the kids their own (more than half full).

Seriously? Pewter? WOO.

ChowderGirl immediately noted how thin it was. I suppose this is part of our introduction to the concept – drive south and the chowder gets thin. Not that it means BAD CHOWDER…but as New Englanders, we like things to stay the same. Always.

So the chowder was thin. And it had a LOT of celery in it (common in CT, I am learning). And…it wasn’t as flavorful as I usually like. But the clams were just INSANE. Perfect. Gobs of them. With perfectly cooked potatoes.

We didn’t rank it officially – I think perhaps our old system is outdated already.

Chowder Today?

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I have a huge urge to take the kids to Sage American Bar and Grill in New Haven for their well reviewed chowder. We’re struggling just to get started moving though…

How many New Englanders does it take to change a light bulb?

What was wrong with the old one?

Graziella’s – Pocasset, MA

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Well well well. Last year, Graziella’s changed hands.

Previously, Graziella’s was the source of my thinking that we should reconsider this notion that we have to eat chowder whenever it is offered. I believe we said it was the worst chowder in the history of the free world.

I have changed my mind. The new owners, aside from putting in new floors and a fresh coat of paint, also managed to make a chowder worthy of review and possibly even a repeat purchase.

Thickness: 8
Quantity of Clams: 7
Quality of Clams: 8
Seasonings: 7
Temperature: 8
Potato: 8
Freshness: 8
Buttery: 6

60/80 = C

We may have to re-evaluate our grading methods. The kids are starting to rank chowder on a scale of 0 to 56,000.

In other news, the house is open, we’ve been swimming (well, ChowderGirl has), we’ve had a bonfire, and I am on my second bloody mary of the day. As they say, Life is Good.

The Chart Room – Cataumet, MA

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A Classic, Anytime

It’s always worth confirming long-held opinions about places like the Chart Room and their chowder. The last time we had chowder there, we were exhausted, starving, and had just finished a race. The chowder was great.

And this time. Well, it was solid. It is fine. It’s always fine. But the place is packed, overpriced, and filled with yahoos drinking mudslides and shrieking about their party boat.

Thickness: 7
Quantity of Clams: 7
Quality of Clams: 9
Buttery: 7
Temperature: 9
Seasonings: Rankings ranged from 0 to 6. Split the difference, 4.
Potato: 4 (too big and overcooked)
Freshness: 9

56/80 = C

It's that good.

ChowderDad and ChowderGrandpa are taking their job as “Fringe Chowder experts” seriously and ordered the haddock chowder. They both enjoyed it and it certainly hit the spot on a chilly Memorial Day weekend.

One thing I will never argue with the Chart Room is this. Their bloody marys are great. Always great. And always welcome. They can rip people off with $26 lobster rolls and merely acceptable mudslides. But the bloodies are great.

The Beach Cafe Chowder in Fairfield CT – Paprika? Ack!

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ChowderGrandma took us on a Ladies Who Lunch day. We tried a new place in Fairfield.

Paprika

Thickness: 5
Clam Quantity: 4
Quality: 4
Buttery: 3
Seasoning: 5
Temperature: 9
Potatoes: 10
Freshness: 5
45/80 = F

Debating the merits

Chowder Grandma said it was very good, different from New England Chowder and she is okay with that because she lived in Newport for 12 years. It’s more like RI chowder. But that is not our gold standard, Grandma. So no go. Not classic, not good.

So much paprika!

It was barely worth taking leftovers to the house for the rest of the gang.

Oh and it had PAPRIKA? WHAT THE????

UPDATE: The Beach Cafe has closed. No need to fear the paprika.

The Mansion Clam House, Westport, CT, Mother’s Day

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Pretty picture, pretty okay chowder.

We were all over the place with this ranking. Chowder Girl complained that the potatoes were mushy. ChowderBoy thought it wasn’t hot enough. Chowder Mom was cranky about the quantity of clams. And Chowder Dad…well. Strangely, he thought $50 for 4 cups of chowder and a few bloody marys was too much. Strange, that.

I’m going to average the scores.

Freshness: 7.75
Quantity of clams: 6.25
Quality of Clams: 6
Potato: 5
Seasonings: 9
Butttery: 8
Temperature: 6.5
Thickness: 10
58.5/80 = C-

As a side note. When the bloody marys arrived, we were both giddy. Horseradish! Tons of it! At first taste it was great! Then second taste was a bit overwhelming. By the time we finished, we were both sad.

The Mermaid, Fairhaven, MA

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Buttery: 8
Thickness: 10
Quantity of clams: 8
Quality of clams: 7
Potato: 6
Seasonings: 9
Temperature: 8
Freshness: 9
65/80 = B-

We liked it quite a bit – the place was great and the chowder was very very solidly good. However, ChowderGrandma won’t stop talking about it. AND, one major thing that is a big sell for everyone – it is a PERFECT location for a pre-bridge traffic jam. Stop in, rest from the first leg of the trip, soldier onward.

Also, the people who own the place were so damned nice it almost hurt.

A review of the rest of their menu is here, along with directions.