Soup Friday: Bacco Pizzeria & Wine Bar - Clams Casino Chowder
As this Soup Friday season rolls on, I’m continuing my concerted effort of trying a greater variety of soups this year. One category of soups that has been significantly underrepresented in past seasons is seafood-related soups. I promise that today’s soup will not be a token selection that is just used to display its picture for diversity purposes in a Soup Friday brochure. In fact, my best soup experience this year was a seafood gumbo. Now that I’ve established myself as an ally and supporter of seafood-related soups, please enjoy this week’s review!
Earlier this week, while on one of my signature lunchtime strolls around the city, I spotted a Specials sign on a 2nd Street window. This sign belonging to Bacco Pizzeria & Wine Bar (Bacco) caught my attention easily by placing their soup special in a large font on the center of the page.
Clams Casino Chowder
I developed a craving for a bowl of clam chowder after not consuming any in the past 14 months. The last clam chowder experience of my life, also the first and only clam chowder experience of my life, happened in October of 2024 during my trip to Boston. During a walking history tour led by a guide named Jeremiah Poop, our group unexpectedly had the feathers of dead pigeon cascade onto us in a cemetery as a hawk ripped its Pigeon Friday meal apart in the branches above us. With this evident reminder of how short life is, I decided to finally try clam chowder after the conclusion of the tour. I discovered a popular seafood stand at the Quincy Market that sold all of the traditional New England essentials. On top of the bowl of chowder, my Beantown lunch also included a lobster roll and Dunkin’ coffee, the official drink of Massholes. Each item contributed equally to a produce a delectable melody that made the price tag of 40 clams feel like a bargain. The only downside of this incredible meal was the high bar it set for future chowders. Every time in the last year that clam chowder appeared as an option on my menu, I feared that my next order would fail to meet my lofty chowder standards. Today, this mollusk of a reviewer was ready to get out of his shell and take a gamble on a bowl of clams casino chowder.
New England Chowder and Lobster Roll in Boston, MA. I swear the guy’s last name was literally Poop.
The Bacco Christmas decorations and Christmas-themed window marker art created a warm, festive atmosphere. I sat at the bar and pulled out my phone. According to WineDeals.com, the third search result on Google, chardonnay pairs well with clam chowder. I typically avoid chardonnay due to its abrasive finish, but I put my trust in the experts at WineDeals.com and order Bacco’s house chardonnay. To my surprise, it was actually quite smooth while still retaining a flavorful punch. My wine selection increased my belief in today’s chowder as I confidently ordered it in a combo meal that also included an Italian wrap.
Various forms of entertainment kept me amused while I waited on my food. There’s nothing as exhilarating as 2 PM cable television. Fortunately for me, Bacco had 3 screens for my viewing experience. On TV #1, a love triangle was starting to take shape in an inaudible soap opera. On TV #2, a thrilling Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester City was in the sixtieth minute of play. The match’s final whistle was blown two days ago. On TV #3, the high-octane NCAA women’s volleyball quarterfinals raged on as the scrappy Lady Badgers of Wisconsin looked to upset the dominate Lady Longhorns of Texas. From everyone at the Ev Dog Blog, we’d like to congratulate the Lady Badgers on their monumental victory over the Lady Longhorns and punching their ticket to this year’s final four! My focus quickly turned to my meal as it was brought out to me.
At first site, the chowder appeared yellower than I was originally expecting. My first few spoonfuls consisted primarily of potato and not much clam whatsoever. I took a quick break from the chowder and tried the Italian wrap portion of the combo meal. After chomping down on it, I questioned my decision of ordering the wrap in the first place. Mainly because I despise wraps. There’s always too much tortilla in each bite and the tortilla itself is always thick with an unsatisfactory taste. The Italian’s interior contents on their own were fine, but unlike a glass of chardonnay, they struggled to pair well with the chowder.
Clams Casino Chowder featuring the house chardonnay in Harrisburg, PA. Please show love to our new friends at WineDeals.com!
I returned to the chowder and with each spoonful, I finally got to taste the hidden clams. They were cooked well and had a strong flavor that wasn’t too overbearing for its own good. These clam-filled spoonfuls were ephemeral as the potato came back and completed its heist of the clams casino to reclaim its spot as the central focus of the chowder. After already eating a superior potato soup a week ago at Hofbräuhaus, I found myself slightly frustrated with today’s inconsistent clam performance. If the Lady Badgers went missing in action as often as these clams, they would have been handily defeated in the first round of the tournament. On a positive note, like an actual clams casino dish, this chowder subtlety also featured bacon and peppers. These elements both did splendidly in their smaller roles to enhance the chowder’s flavor.
In the end, it was the second-best clam chowder I’ve ever had, but it’s also technically the worst clam chowder I’ve ever had.
As I exit through Bacco’s doors, a pun emerges in my mind.
Who does Vin Diesel eat seafood with?
Photo courtesy of Shellfish Pictures
Clamily
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