NEWPORT, R.I. — On a sunny day in Newport, I decided lunch would be clam chowder. And chowder, and chowder.
I would sample Newport chowders, a cup at a time.
New England clam chowder is well known: clams, broth, potatoes, onion, maybe a little bacon or salt pork, and milk or cream.
Manhattan chowder is typically broth, clams, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, celery, and maybe bacon, the tomatoes a distinguishing feature.
And then there is Rhode Island chowder: broth, clams, potatoes, maybe some onion, maybe bacon or salt pork. That’s pretty much it.
In Newport, you can find them all, though the Rhode Island chowder seems to dominate, with New England chowder close behind.
I stopped at Flo’s Clam Shack, located across the street from Easton’s Beach, one of the most popular beaches in the Newport area. Flo’s is the kind of place where you can walk in right off the beach, and order anything from a hamburger to lobster roll to fish and chips.
As for chowder, Flo’s sells them all, though I ordered the Ocean State favorite.
A failing of many restaurants is soup that is meant to be hot and isn’t. Flo’s chowder was hot. It had a good, rich tasty broth, and potatoes that were not overcooked, as they can be. Clams in the soup were fine, but scarce.
At the Black Pearl, a fine-dining hot spot in the harbor, the chowder is New England style, rich and creamy, with a judicious touch of fresh dill. Excellent, and plenty of clam meat. Very popular.
I also had to try the chowder at the White Horse Tavern, said to be the oldest surviving tavern in the U. S. It was, as you might expect, Rhode Island style. Very simple, very traditional, Yankee-like clear chowder. Very simple. And good.
IF YOU GO: Flo’s Clam Shack, 4 Wave Ave., Middletown, RI, across from Easton’s Beach (401-847-8141). For other locations and information: flosclamshacks.com; The Black Pearl, 1 Bannister’s Wharf, Newport, RI, blackpearlnewport.com, 401-846-5264; White Horse Tavern, 26 Marlborough St, Newport, RI, whitehorsenewport.com, 401-849-3600.
