This NFL city has the country's best chowder, restaurant owner proclaims
Even fans of opposing teams think warmly of Pike Place Chowder, with 2 locations near Seahawks stadium
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New England residents stand by their clam chowder, saying theirs is the greatest. New Yorkers in Manhattan do, too, with equal passion and fervor.
But is America's best chowder actually in Seattle, Washington?
Larry Mellum, founder and owner of Pike Place Chowder, thinks so. He told Fox News Digital that his chowder is so good, it has even converted rival fans from New York who come to see the Giants or Jets play the Seahawks.
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"At Pike Place Chowder, we believe chowder should be a celebration of pure, fresh flavors, which is why we use only the highest quality ingredients, with no preservatives or shortcuts," Mellum told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Mellum opened the first Pike Place Chowder location 21 years ago. There are now two locations, only a few blocks apart and a little more than a mile from Lumen Field, where the Seahawks play.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pike Place Chowder's award-winning New England Clam Chowder recipe has "been lovingly safeguarded and unchanged from day one," said owner and founder Larry Mellum. (Pike Place Chowder)
The original is in Pike Place Market, a nine-acre food market that has operated in Seattle for more than 100 years.
Pike Place Chowder's recipe has "been lovingly safeguarded and unchanged from day one," Mellum said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It contains a "secret blend of herbs and spices" that makes it unique, he said.
Today, Pike Place Chowder serves more than just New England clam chowder.
The restaurant offers eight varieties each day, including a seafood bisque, a Pacific Northwest-inspired smoked salmon chowder, a vegan "Lime & Coconut Chowder," as well as a chef's choice "Market Chowder."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Seattle is probably better known for the Seahawks than for its clam chowder, but is it the best NFL city when it comes to the seafood dish? (Steph Chambers/Getty Images; iStock)
Chowders are available both hot and frozen and can be shipped nationwide, its website said.
The consistent nature of his products is reportedly part of the reason the chowder is so beloved, both by Seattleites and those who are just in town for a Seahawks game.
Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is among those NFL players to enjoy Pike Place Chowder.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (left) is one of the many fans of Seattle's Pike Place Chowder. (Pike Place Chowder)
Pike Place Chowder's products have emerged victorious at chowder competitions across the country and have even been inducted into several chowder halls of fame, Mellum said.
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"From Seattle and Seaside [Oregon] to Newport [Rhode Island]," Mellum said, noting that Pike Place Chowder won the "Great Chowder Cook-Off" in Newport three times and captured the "Chowdafest" crown in Westport, Connecticut, five times.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We even captured the title twice in Monterey [California]," he said.
Pike Place Market is "a chowder lover's haven — even for a few Jets fans," said Mellum. (Pike Place Market)
In 2018, the website Yelp named the chowder at Pike Place Chowder "the No. 1 Most Popular Dish in America," Mellum said — something he felt was "a true honor from among their 155 million reviews."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"With fans from all over the world and over 3.5 million customers served, Pike Place Chowder is more than a destination," said Mellum.
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"It's a chowder lover's haven — even for a few Jets fans."