Old Fisherman’s Grotto
39 Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey
(831) 375-4606, oldfishermansgrotto.com
Manhattan style? It’s OK. New England style? Yeah, it’s fine. But Monterey-style clam chowder from Old Fisherman’s Grotto is so special that they ship it to customers all over the country. Sure, it resembles New England’s favorite, but the venerable restaurant takes things up a notch. The chowder is richer, for one. And there is a little undercurrent of a secret ingredient (spoiler: garlic) to give it more depth. A game company created Hot Pot in part to teach children culinary creativity. But if they are well-behaved (the Grotto has rules), kids could learn a lot more from a pot of this chowder. They’d be happier, too.
