I prefer seafood chowder with halibut, salmon, shrimp, etc. Like New England, but better.
I was unaware there was an Outer Banks version of clam chowder. From the description, it’s a further confirmation that there is nothing to eat on the Outer Banks.
No argument there.
Sounds good to me. But what kind of cheese? We may need to take this to GD ;).
So many choices! I voted for New England, though I’m confused by the Delaware. Doesn’t white clam chowder have bacon or salt pork in it by default?
I usually get my chowder at Pike Place Chowder. Menu. I go for the ‘sampler’, 5 oz servings of any four chowders. I normally choose the New England clam chowder, seared scallop chowder (with lime), smoked salmon chowder, and Market Chowder, which is a clear chowder made from what they get across the street that day (usually crab and shrimp).
I voted for the classic New England. To me, if it was Manhattan, I’d rather have minestrone instead.
New England. Actually, I prefer fish chowder, because they usually skimp on the clam meat. I made a Louisiana batch with Crawdads and Catfish. It was yummy.
I’d better spoil this cannibal joke.
Two cannibals are standing in front of a large cooking pot that contains a captured woman explorer. The cannibal cook says, ‘It’s going to have to be Manhattan style. She’s on her period.’
There are other kinds of Clam Chowder other than New England?
I’m very fond of Clam Chowder, but until this thread I thought it only came in one kind (New England).
Because “clams” aren’t exactly a common seafood item here, I’ve tried making my own substituting with Mussels and Oysters, but it’s just not the same.
Clam chowder is something I don’t like, so it is not on my menu (and I didn’t vote). But I still recall being with friends in New York City some years ago; and going out to dinner where “clam chowder” was on the menu.
A friend asked the waiter about the clam chowder: “Is it Manhattan or New England style?”
The waiter, obviously unaccustomed to being asked such a question, pointed to the floor, and said in a broad accent, “Noo Yawk style.”
It turned out to be Manhattan, and my friend liked it. He had only had New England before, but said he would order Manhattan in the future. Serendipity works.
I’ve heard ‘surf clams’ or ‘pippies’ are a good substitute. Of course we don’t have them up here, so I couldn’t tell you.
I can’t see oysters as a substitute; though dad liked oyster stew, which is a white soup.
I’ve never seem them at the supermarket or fishmongers, but you can get “scallops” and things like that from some delicatessens.
Most seafood seems to work fairly well as far as creating a white, creamy chowder-like soup; I just happen to like Clam Chowder the best.
I mentioned the seared scallop chowder. Try making scallop chowder, and adding a squeeze of lime juice in it. Quite tasty. I admit that I do like the clam chowder with the bacon in it (hey, add bacon to the scallop chowder!), but the scallops are a close second. I think I like scallop chowder even more than smoked salmon chowder.
It varies, actually.
Often I like a nice mild Colby but sometimes, I want a very sharp cheddar. However, I am open to suggestion. 
Quoth Leaper:
Likewise. Actually, I always figured it was ham, but there’s little enough difference between ham and salt pork that I’m not sure it matters.
To the crux of the question, tomato soup is yummy, but adding clams to it does no service to the tomatoes nor the clams. The total is less than the sum of its parts. The white base, however, complements clam very well, such that the total is greater than the sum of parts. If I’m served Manhattan clam chowder, I’ll eat it without complaint, since it’s not disgusting or anything like that, but I’ll be disappointed that it isn’t the real stuff.
I like all clam choders-except : DO NOT put celery in white clam chowder-it destroys the delicate taste of the clams.
For some reason, restaurants in California are prone to this grevious sin.
It does as far as I’m concerned. When I lived in WA, I used to make chowder from cockles instead of clams, which was very good. Cockles don’t seem to be as tough as clam meat. For sheer deliciosity, though, there is nothing like mussels provencale made with fresh Penn Cove mussels.
There ca be only one True Chowder, and that Chowder is New England clam chowder, all other clam-based-soups/chowders are Abominations unto Nuggan
I love Rhode Island. Clear and briney. Very light and refreshing. You can really taste the clams and the sea.
New England clam chowder is good as long as it isn’t too thick. A lot of restaurants seem to think “Thick good, thicker better” and serve what is basically clam gravy.
But I urge everyone who has never tried it to seek out a good Rhode Island clam chowder. That is my favorite every time.