Best Clam chowder and Best Cioppino

[MariaLND]

hi guys,
is the best Clam Chowder in Boudin? And what about the Best Cioppino?
Thanks!
M

[ML8000]

Surprised no has mentioned Hog Island's clam chowder. The Chron picked as SF's best a few years ago. I'm not a CC affectionado but I know people who really like it.

[Robert Lauriston]

I thought Hog Island's clam chowder was delicious, but it's really more like oyster stew made with clams.

[Hughlipton]

Mywife and I for auld lang syne just had dinner at Alioto's and loved the clam chowder there. It is a brothier version and more in the style of Massachusset's then the chowders that have a white roux incorporated. The chowder could have been hotter but the clams in the broth were large and delicious.

[Calvinist]

If you go the Warf -- Boudin is fine for what it is. A tourist place. But there are many better places (see the rest of this thread).

[little big al]

As an old yankee chowdah head I can enthusiastically second or third Sotto Mare's version of the white. (Red chowder is not part of my universe. Even though I have embraced cioppino wholeheartedly, real clam chowder is white, thickened with potatoes, and lies flat in the bowl.) The whole notion of the sourdough bowl is an abomination and a crime against both chowder and bread. Most wharf chowder is straight from the can. I took a picture of a dumpster full of empty cans once near Alioto's #9.

[servpro8912]

I second Sotto Mare for both Cioppino AND Clam Chowder. And their sand dabs if they have em!

[Cynsa]

We tasted sand dabs, black cod, and the petrale sole - all were top notch and the petrale sole was the fave of the table.

[Calvinist]

Yes Sotto Mare is my favorite for all these dishes. No reservations, informal, often a line out the door during busy times.

Tadich also does good renditions of the above. Search the board and you will see many reports of both.

[EileenPearl]

YES! I went there for the first time today and ordered both the chowder and Cioppino. The food was so great and the folks there were so friendly! I saw a plate of sand dabs and veggies go by and I will definitely get that next time. No wait to sit down at 11:30 a.m,. on a warm Saturday morning. Just fabulous. As the marking on my parking spot in the North Beach Garage promised, "You will have an enjoyable experience today", it was accurate + !

[moto]

Sotto Mare on Green St., North Beach, has very good versions of both. bear in mind, the crab will be coming from fairly far north (Ore/Was/B.C.?) at this time of year ; have only had it in winter, and their seafood's quality is consistently high. the chowder is balanced, not overly thickened, no excess of cream or potato. "best" is for each individual to determine, no ? there's probably plenty of folks who like their chowder creamy, for example, but dairy can obscure the flavour of shellfish.

[MariaLND]

Thanks everyone!!!!
I am looking forward to eating my way through all of the amazing places I have been recommended to go!

[Nopa]

Bar Crudo has the best clam chowder ever!!!

[goldangl95]

I like Bar Crudo's, very rich and smoky. Also would not, Hog Island does clams in a creamy broth with chunks of bacon and celery that is very nice (though not a traditional clam chowder).

[rebeccakinney]

I never really liked seafood chowder all that much until I had it at Bar Crudo. They made me realize what I had been missing all these years.

[Cynsa]

Bar Crudo has chowder for $5 at Happy Hour
Tuesday to Sunday
5pm to 6:30pm
Select $1 Oysters
Chowder $5
Steamed Manila Clams $5
Fish Tacos 2 for $10
Beer and Wine Specials

Hog Island has the best oyster stew.

[Llamalicious]

Duarte's in Pescadero (south of Half Moon Bay) has been featured on Food Network for their chioppino it is the best chioppino I have ever had. The owners have a garden in the back of the tavern and they use the garden fresh tomatoes for the sauce.

[majordanby]

agree that chowder is not a local specialty, but i do like spud point's up in bodega bay - which may be quite a trek if you're limited to the city. here's a useful review

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/765410

[Kathleen M]

I love clam chowder, and I've tasted it at many places all along the coast, and I definitely agree that Spud Point's is absolutely the best.

[Robert Lauriston]

Clam chowder's not a local specialty. Boudin came up with the chowder in a bread bowl gimmick to attract tourists relatively recently, I think in the 90s when they switched from commercial baking to running cafes.

For cioppino, see some of the links below.