In an episode of The Simpsons called “The Boy Who Knew Too Much,” writer John Swartzwelder introduces a character named Freddy Quimby, the nephew of bumbling Springfield mayor Joe Quimby. Like his uncle, Freddy Quimby speaks with a thick Boston accent — the Quimbys are modeled after the Kennedys — and when he asks a server at a dinner party for some chowder, he pronounces it as “chowda.” When the server, who is French, pronounces it otherwise, Quimby mocks him and then becomes enraged, eventually following the server into the kitchen to, we assume, assault him.
Freddy Quimby winds up in court, but he beats all the charges and is set free to do whatever it is rich people do after they beat assault and battery charges. Presumably, he continues calling chowder “chowda” at the very least (but he probably also winds up in the US Senate, where he eventually votes against a $15 minimum wage because he despises Springfield’s working class).
All of this is to say that many Bostonians pronounce chowder humorously, which is especially humorous because the city is lousy with the stuff, and so opportunities to hear a Bostonian say “chowda” are manifold.
Here are 12 of the best places in Boston proper to eat clam chowder — and also to inevitably hear someone say “chowda.”
Please note that a number of Massachusetts restaurants have resumed dine-in service, and the level of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: For updated information on coronavirus cases in the area, please visit the Massachusetts coronavirus website.
Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.
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