Pike place chowder

So I made the mistake of thinking that getting chowder on the weekend would be a simple thing. And hence the chowdhaaa adventure. I got to the market at 2pm on a Saturday, and decided to go to the world famous Pike Place Chowder after failing to go after work during the week because they close when the rest of the market does (5pm). The line was huge!!! It wrapped down the store and around the corner. And when one has a hungry stomach it only makes for a cranky experience. But I was hoping this "world famous" chowdhaaa would be worth the wait and hold its own against my Boston favorite. A word to to the wise, this is a food stand, yup that means barely anywhere to sit! Maybe 4 tables, most sitting is outside an let's be honest in Seattle that means there's no seating. Even with that long line it only took about 20 min to get my food they have mass service down to an art, it's impressive.

I got their famous "Traditional New England Clam Chowder" in a bread bowl the first time (if you're a real adventurous person try the 4 bowl sampler). I paid 11 for the bread bowl, which I don't think was worth it. Get a large bowl for 3 dollars cheaper, you get a huge hunk of sour dough bread anyway. And also you don't want to fill up on bread, because you're going to want to devour the whole bowl of chowder.Yup that's right, it's THAT good.

All those awards are well deserved. My only complaint if I had to have one would be too many potato pieces and not enough of that amazing broth. In this chowder you get hug hunk of clams, basically whole clams, so you know they came from the famous fish market just a couple of steps away. But in each bite I was getting more potato than clam,  and by the end I was fishing around the potatoes trying for just the clams and broth. But enough negativity, that broth. O MAN. It was creamy perfection, there were subtle hints of bacon, but not too over powering, it had the right texture, creamy but not chunky. It was down right perfection, and I could eat more than a large bowl of that soup. There was something else about this soup that I just could not pin point, some other main ingredient that just added to it. Also, the broth did not over power the delicate clams when you got one on your spoon, they were able to handle their own. This really was the best chowder I've ever had. Kudos!

So "Pike Place" Chowder, yup thats right the best thing to do around this shop is explore the world famous Pike Place Market. This is an intricate labyrinth of levels of indoor markets, which include seafood stands, fresh farm produce, flowers, and local Seattle artists. You can spend the whole day exploring the many hidden treasures located in Pike Place/Post Alley. The lower levels (below street have many interesting craft and hobby shops, where the locals are extremely nice and helpful, you can come out of here with not only a unique experience but gifts and treasures. Pike Place is my favorite spot in Seattle, and is the great start place to explore downtown Seattle. There are so many great food options here that this is a hot spot in Seattle not to be missed!

So on those inevitable cold and rainy Seattle days, grab a cup of chowder and see what mysteries the Pike Place Market has to offer. 

Adventure On!
-Amanda