Battle of the Chowders !!! Vacation Edition

   So this is the first day of my 14 day vacation.  Yes, I did kinda rub that in your face a bit.  And yeah, it probably was a not-so-cool thing to do, but hey I'm sure there are going to be times where your travels will be spoken of and referred to as the stuff of legend, so give me my time. :)   I find myself in Boston, Massachusetts during my first leg of my cross country exploits.  I need to be completely honest with y'all, the main reason why I chose to visit the city of the Boston Tea Party was for the pure fact that I craved New England Clam Chowder.  There it is, I said it and I'm not ashamed (well maybe a little).  I hopped on a plane, flew from Austin to Houston, endured 3 hours sitting next to a guy who probably thought deodorant was only a suggestion in junior high during PE class and flew 1848.7 miles to the home of the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins just to have an authentic cup/bowl or several of my favorite type of soup, New England Style Clam Chowder.  I want to preface this by saying that I woke up at 3:30am and probably subconsciously suspended consuming anything until 6:45pm local time (5:45pm Central/Standard time in case you were wondering), just to make sure that the flavors, of which I could only assume was the epitome of deliciousness in liquid form, were met with eagerly awaiting Filiform, Fungiform, Foliate and Vallate papilla (taste buds, I really gotta stop doing that, I'm sorry).
    I asked some of the locals and ended up at Quincy Market, which is located just across Faneuil Hall.

Within this gildedly labeled market were wall to wall vendors of edibles ... the fat kid inside of me (and the not so skinny kid externally for that matter) was just elated to see the plethora of choices of hunger pain satiating items that laid before me...and the picture below was only a quarter of the options.

 This is where the battle of the Chowders begin.  The Boston and Maine Fish Company vs Boston Chowda Co. I think I've already given y'all enough nonsensical babble and I'll spare you this time around from any more.  

I sadly have to report that the first New England Clam Chowder and Cold Lobster Roll that I had the opportunity to experience was not as epic as I was anticipating, actually it was a down right let down.  Let me start by stating that I should have known something was up when the seasonal special was a "Cold lobster roll with a small chowder for only $19.63 plus tax."  I guess I was thinking, maybe seafood is cheaper here because its more readily available and more commercial in the New England area so the prices are lower.  In my mind, I was comparing it to the lower fuel prices in Texas to the rest of the country.  Texas (if there happen to be persons reading this blog and don't happen to live in the Lone Star State), because it has the refineries, oil deposits and more companies in oil that the competition ultimately drop prices at the pump more so than the other states in the union.  I. Was. Wrong.
   Let's start with the Cold Lobster Roll.  There was no description as to what it was comprised, which should have been clue number 2 that should've warned me that it wasn't so much a quality product, but anyway... As I sank my teeth into the rubbery and soggy hoggie roll topped with what tasted like a mayonnaise based potato salad (and not good potato salad) with a few "large" pieces of, unseasoned, lobster meat thrown in.  The lobster was overcooked, chewy and basically covered with an equally "impressive" mixture of what I assume was what they considered sandwich filling.  I know I've made better flavored lobster rolls, without actually ever having used lobster.  What I'm saying folks is that if you happen to be in the Boston, MA area and see a cheap, cold lobster roll being offered, just turn around and look somewhere else.
    The chowder.  Such. A. Disappointment!  Chowders are suppose to be hearty, as in not runny and with a good amount of hearty vegetables.  Suppose to be.  Well, Boston & Maine Fish Company apparently never got that memo.  The "chowder" and I used that term very loosely, was watery, lacked salt and barely had any vegetables (I think I only had the equivalent of half of a red potato in the portion that I was given).  I don't even want to describe how poorly seasoned, flavored and thin anymore.

   I guess the only real good thing about having tasted and finished such an insulting meal was to follow it up was one that exceeded expectations.  This was the place I should have had to be my first introduction to the local cuisine, Boston Chowda Co.

The lobster roll was vastly superior to its B&M counterpart.  First difference, the lobster filling wasn't served on a hoggie roll...but rather buttered Texas Toast.  Secondly the filling was seasoned well with salt, pepper, garlic, butter, and even seasoned bread crumbs.  Third difference, the abundance of lobster meat.  My roll had three whole claws of lobster meat shoved between the Texas Toast along with the rest of the filling.  I admit that the lobster was also a bit overcooked and ended up being chewy, but nonetheless, overall seasoned well and tasty.

It wasn't runny!  The chowder WASN'T effin' thin and runny! The chowder would support my empty spoon sitting atop the surface where as its cousin's version, the soup dropped straight to the bottom of the bowl.  The chowder was flavorful, had a great umami flavor along with just the right amount of salty and savory tones that just leave you with nothing to complain. It WAS that good. 

 I know I'm cutting this description short, but for good reason.  I'm tired and need to get some sleep and I still have one final item to talk about...

The lobster mac n' cheese.  Just like the roll, plenty of lobster, seasoned well and delicious.  The only critique would be that the macaroni elbows were dry and overcooked, otherwise the dish had a nice amount of cheese, lobster and of course flavor.

    Alright, that's it...I've been up for 20 hours now...time for bed, lots to do, lots to see and lots of food to try tomorrow.  So until then, I bid y'all happy eating.

-Henry