I love New England but have a hard time finding it without bacon in it. There is an Irish Pub/restaurant that has it without bacon a couple blocks from my work and I LOVE their chowder.

Love the NE but only if it's not too starchy/gloppy. We have a chain of restaurants here in Canada called Earls and they have a fantastic one. I googled and found a recipe that claims to be the original and I now make that one (only kick it up with a bit of sherry) and my husband and kids claim it's better than Earls.

I prefer the New England. I've only had the Manhattan once.
Onion rings would sure tempt me too though. I love them.

I will eat any clam chowder with gusto....unless it is too thick and gloppy.
I am making trout chowder tonight for my dinner.

We went to Landry's seafood, and the NE clam chowder was just perfect.

Took gs to WalMart and bought him two cans of Campbell's that he can fix himself. Told him only use half a can of liquid.

I love NE clam chowder. (note to self=pick up makings for it tomorrow) Any Manhattan I have.....I drink. LOL

NE only. I don't care for Manhattan. Oh, I like the city fine, just not their recipe for chowder. My DH has had Rhode Island Chowder, it's another version.

I like them both. It's getting really hard to find Manhattan around here. There's on place on the wharf at Santa Cruz that still does it.

When I was a child my favorite lunch was a bowl of Campbell's Manhattan Calm Chowder and a liverwurst sandwich on a small sourdough roll.

I am very discriminating when it comes to New England chowder. The West Coast has had to import their clams for years so the really good chowders made with fresh clams are gone. My new favorite is almost 200 hundred miles away. My second best is about an hours drive.

I love them both but make a mean Manhattan chowder if I must say so myself.

Georgysmom - Would you be so kind as to post your recipe?

I like them both. And I love onion rings!!

Wildchild, I love to share recipes, but soups are the one thing I have difficulty with because I taste as I go along and the pot starts to grow. Sometimes I even have to start on a second pot because it grew too much. I tried to write down what I did as I went along because my son wanted the recipe but he said it didn't turn out like mine. I will write a guide but please taste and change as you go. When I began to make this we got fresh clams, but now I use the canned. This makes a big stock pot of chowder, I make many containers and freeze them.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

5 28 oz cans peeled tomatoes, hand crushed
2 51 oz cans clams (Costco or Sams)
1 lb. carrots (4C) diced
8 C. finely chopped celery, including leaves
8 C. finely chopped onions
2 1/2 - 3 lb. bacon, diced
1 T. salt 12 C. water
1/3 C. sugar
3 T. dried thyme leaves20 or more shakes hot sauce

In large frying pan partially cook bacon. Add celery and onion. Cook until tender (may need to do in several batches) In large stock pot drain tomatoes. Squeeze juice from tomatoes over pot and cut up tomatoes or crush with hands and add to pot. (Crushed tomatoes in the can do not give the same texture or taste to the soup) I cook the potatoes and carrots in a separate pot in 12 C water about 15 min. or until tender then add the veggies and water to stock pot with tomatoes. Add bacon, onion and celery. Drain clams adding juice to stock pot and reserving clams until later. Add salt, thyme and hot sauce according to taste. Bring to boil over med. high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 - 3 min. Adjust seasonings, add clams and heat through. Add clams at end so they don't become too tough. I like to cook potatoes and carrots separately so I can control the tenderness. Makes a lot but I freeze in Zip Loc or Glad containers and stack in freezer.

Clam chowder--Texas--HA! The only clam chowder we get is out of a can. Dichotomy--my husband likes the New England, I like the Manhattan, so--we get two cans!
Georgeysmom, your recipe caused me to drool.

Aw, Glenda - should'a just bought him his own bowl! :-)

Without any question N.E. clam chowder.
R.I. clam chowder does not have any cream in it, they use the clam broth ..they call it gray chowder I do believe.
Every winter I say I am going to make clam chowder from scratch..well you know what they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions.Hasn't happened yet.
The best and easiet method I found from a TV cooking show went like this
1 can of Snows clam chowder
1. can of minced clams
1 bottle of clam juice
1 container of heavy cream.

Add everything to a sauce pan cook gently till heated through and a few pats of butter, salt and pepper and there you have a very simple but delicious clam chowder.
Of course you must sprinkle the top wwith oysterette crackers.
Absolutely delicious and easy.

june

New England

My Manhattan Clam Chowder is similar to georgysmom's recipe & technique.....
I render 1lb of bacon until almost crisp-remove and crumble the bacon, set aside. In the bacon fat, I add chopped onions & thinly sliced celery & 2 heaping TBS of oregano, basil, parsley and Old Bay...saute until veggies are translucent. I then add 3 small bottles of clam juice & the juice from a tall can of chopped clams (Sam's), as well as 3 heaping Tbs of seafood base. Stir to mix and add 1 lg bottle of Clamato juice. I break up 2 lg cans of tomatoes-minus the juice-in my food processor-just until the tomatoes are somewhat chopped, then add to the soup pot w/the juice from the tomatoes as well. Add S&P to taste. Add thinly sliced carrot coins (I quarter the coins from the larger end of each carrot)-simmer until they're half done, then add potatoes in small bite size pieces and simmer until potatoes are just almost done. Add crumbled bacon, more chopped fresh parsley and turrn off the heat. Potatoes will continue to cook until tender. I always make this chowder the day before serving.
I have yet-to find ONE restaurant in the Clearwater/St Pete area that even offers Manhattan Clam. It's always NE style-most are so thick it could be used for wallpaper paste! When I make it-I prefer the thinner version and add some dry vermouth to the chowder.

Don't make me choose. I just won't do it. Love them both.

New England, definitely. My favorite is from the Barnacle restaurant in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Manhattan, of course. Sharon, I make mine similar to yours. DH loves New England, raves about it but I find it just a few clams over my favorite restaurant's gravy for bisquits and gravy which he won't eat. Can you figure? I like colorful foods and shy away from creamed soups or take a very small serving. Unfortunately, I can count on one hand the restaurants I've come across that have Manhattan CC on the menu and most have been disappointing so I make my own when I get the urge. Canned clams, of course. We used to gather clams when I was a kid but don't hear anyone doing that anymore.

I love a good bowl of NE clam chowder ,and seafood chowder,crab soup,and anything seafood mmmm

Doris's Original Fish Chowder
1/2 pound bacon- sliced in 1/2 inch peices
2 med. red onions - diced
1/2 pound red snapper or fish of your choice cut in small pieces
1 cup fresh oysters - cut in small pieces
2 cans baby clams
1 large can clam necter
1 small tray of fresh cooked shrimp or more if you wish.
4 medium potatoes - diced in small pieces
2 heaping tablespoons margarine
2 large cans evaporated Milk..... not condensed
1/2 teaspoon powdered sage
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Put bacon in a large pot with the margarine & fry until almost crispy.
Add onions and fry until a bit browned
Add diced potatoes & fry them along with bacon & onions.
When bacon, onions and potatoes are browned add the clams with the juice.
Add Necter, oysters, shrimp and snapper.
Add sage.
Cover and let simmer until potatoes are tender.
Move off burner until it cools a bit.
Add milk, salt & Pepper

Enjoy!

Great recipes everyone. Thanks. I'm saving them.