Clam Chowder & The Silver Lounge

Growing up, I never ate seafood.  I assumed I wouldn't like it because my mom didn't.  I know, I know.  I can still hear my siblings taunting me, "Anything to be like mom," they'd say.  (Actually, they still say that, but I digress.)

Now I absolutely love seafood and I eat it almost every chance I get.  And I deeply regret that although I grew up in California (near the Bay Area no less), I missed out on the super fresh, super delicious seafood that area is known for, just because I thought I wouldn't like it.  Glad those days are behind me.  So anyway, I was really excited when, during a recent trip to Boston, Jared promised to take me to a restaurant where we could enjoy some authentic New England Clam Chowder.  He took me to The Silver Lounge, a restaurant he had been going to with his family since he was a little boy.  When we arrived at the restaurant, Jared said the place hadn't changed a bit since as far back as he could remember.  We knew right then that we were about to have a great meal.

The Silver Lounge is in Falmouth, MA, not far from the house that Jared's family used to own near "New Silver Beach" on Cape Cod.  To call the restaurant charming would not do it any justice.  The Silver Lounge is like a character in a novel.  Walking into the restaurant, I felt transported but right at home at the same time.  The decor, the dimly lit dining room, the friendly waitstaff, the antique piano right next to the booth they seated us in.  By the time I had a menu in front of me, I knew this was going to be a memorable experience.

The menu states: "We encourage you to wander around and view the authentic nautical artifacts, most of which are antiques.  Our decorations have all been collected by the owner, Bill Weaner, even the wall paneling which is driftwood picked up board by board from our local beaches."

We didn't really need menu's, we already knew exactly what we wanted to order...

Two bowls of New England Clam Chowder
 I willfully complied when Jared instructed me to unwrap a small pat of butter and drop it into my steaming hot bowl of chowder.  (As if it needed to be any richer, right?!)  The chunks of potatoes and tender clams fell apart in my mouth.  Rich and creamy like pudding.  It was heaven.  Comforting, savory, and better than I could have imagined.  It sent a warm feeling from my head to my toes.  It was like experiencing some sort of Clam Chowder nirvana.

A Stuffed Quahog 
Not being from New England, I wasn't familiar with a Quahog.  Jared explained that it's kinda like a giant clam stuffed with breadcrumbs, red bell pepper and fresh herbs.  I was definitely on-board to try one.  We ate it with some Tabasco sauce sprinkled on top which gave it an extra kick.  The Quahog was chewier than a clam but the texture didn't bother me and I enjoyed the distinct flavor.  I'd order one again for sure.

A Reuben Sandwich
Served with chips and a homemade pickle on the side.  This was definitely the best Reuben I have ever eaten.  The bread was toasted just right, the meat was tender, juicy, sliced super thin and perfectly seasoned.  The sauerkraut and thousand island were evenly distributed.  Nothing overpowered.  The flavors complimented one another perfectly.  The pickle was a very pleasant surprise.  That had to be the first time I had ever tasted a pickle that didn't originate from a big-name processing plant.  I mean, I was actually able to detect a subtle hint of cucumber flavor still left in that pickle!  What an awesomely delightful thing for a restaurant to do, make their own pickles.  More restaurants should take note of such behaviors.  It's the little things like homemade pickles, that up the satisfaction meter and bring people back to the restaurant, right?  Whatever, the Reuben was incredible.  Enough said.

Before departing from The Silver Lounge, Jared and I walked over to the little store/gift shop right next door to pick up the final item that would allow us to fully re-live Jared's childhood memory.  That item: Penuche fudge.  Good God that stuff is incredible.

It was the perfect end to a meal that I will never forget.  It was definitely cool to share in a childhood memory of Jared's.  Especially one that involved such delicious food!

The rest of that day was relaxing and equally as memorable.  We walked around downtown Hyannis, did some shopping, and even took a nap on the beach.  We even saw the Kennedy compound from across the water.  I thought that was especially cool.  The weather was beautiful and I took a ton of pictures.  I plan to frame a few and place them around as reminders of what a great time we had that day.  I can't wait to go back and have another bowl of that Clam Chowder!