Chowder Day In Bodega Bay, One Taster's Experience

Hi everyone! I’m Kathlene’s daughter and I’ll be doing a guest post today. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of management (ie: my mom) but she DID raise me for 21 years so I suppose she can’t be free from ALL blame.

Last weekend my mom and I had the fun of taking part in Bodega Bay’s famous Chowder Day, where local restaurants give out free samples of their clam chowder, and we the public vote on who we think has the best. Let’s do a blow by blow of each one!

Map of participating restaurants

The Sandpiper
Most Bodega Bay residents are familiar with the tragic tale of the Sandpiper. After more than fifty years as one of the town’s most beloved restaurants, the Sandpiper’s corporate landlords forced them to pack up and move to a new location up the hill. The whole thing was very sad- you kind of expected Jimmy Stewart to show up and deliver an impassioned speech, melting the heart of a bitter old judge who didn’t believe in Santa Claus, and forcing him to overturn the eviction. Unfortunately, despite more than 6,000 signatures and an overwhelming amount of community support, the Sandpiper was still forced to move.



Their new location (which is actually the old location for Claudio’s Trattoria, another fantastic restaurant) seems to be working out pretty well, however. The place was hopping by the time we arrived. As mom and I walked up to the door, I smiled and waved at an elderly couple that were leaving. They scowled and let the door slam in my face. Thanks, elderly couple! Now the entire internet knows what you did.


My mood improved a lot by the time we made it inside. The employees were warm, friendly, and bearing cups of clam chowder! Yummy! The soup itself was herby and thick with vegetables. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I thought it was fantastic!

The owner was nice enough to answer all of our questions about the chowder and the new restaurant location. I wished I had the guts to ask for another sample, but I chickened out. Overall, the service was lovely, and the chowder was great. I highly recommend it.

Terrapin Creek Café
By the time we made it to the Terrapin Creek Café, there was a line out into the parking lot. A handwritten sign told Chowder Day visitors to park along the street, probably as a courtesy to the nearby shops.



I was saving a place in line as mama parked the car, when all of a sudden an elderly couple (different one than before) wearing matching Costco parkas just shoved right in front of me, stealing my spot. I wanted to tap them on the shoulder and ask, “Excuse me, is this Chowder Day or Rude Old People Day? Because I’m here for some soup, not sass,” but by this point mom was walking up and I thought better of it.



The soup itself was, well, orange! Mom asked if it was New England or Manhattan, and the man who served it to us insisted that it was New England, despite the fact that it was reddish-orange. Now, I’m not usually a fan of spicy foods, but this chowder was fantastic. I found it EXTREMELY spicy, and many patrons were completely stumped while trying to figure out exactly what was in it. The general consensus was that it included garlic and wine. Honestly, I’d be more inclined to call it a gourmet stew than a soup. Even though the spice was almost too much for me, I’m definitely coming back on another night to try a whole bowl.



As we were leaving, a group of teenagers walked by holding some clam chowder ballots. I overheard one of them say, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we just wrote down that all of them suck?” Yeah, that’d be hilaaaarious! Wouldn’t it be even FUNNIER if I splashed piping hot spicy clam chowder right in your face? Teenagers these days!

Spud Point Crab Company
It’s really, really, really hard to compete with the Spud Point Crab Company. Their chowder is unlike any other kind in the world- it’s more of a garlic chowder than a clam chowder, honestly. After I had my first bowl, shortly after moving to Bodega Bay, it was a long time before I could order clam chowder anywhere else.


Mom and I parked up the street. I heard her say, “Uh oh, compact? This isn’t a compact car,” followed by a loud crash, which was more funny than scary. While walking to the restaurant, we heard an even louder crash as another car made the same mistake we did. Oops!

Spud Point is a family-run operation, and they all appeared to be there. An adorable and unforgettable addition to the usual crew was a little girl wearing a giant hat that looked like a cartoon crab. Fabulous!



Tony Anello, co-owner, was there overseeing the operation. We went up with our little cups of soup and told him what big fans we were- he was very gracious and kind.


The Boathouse
I’m sorry to admit that I had never been to The Boathouse before. They definitely came in first place for presentation- each sample of clam chowder came garnished with paprika in a little dish along with some crackers, bright red napkins and a real spoon. A lot of care and planning seemed to go into their setup; there was even a big gazebo-style tent outside.




The clam chowder itself wasn’t the best. It really bums me out to have to say that, but it’s true. However, The Boathouse isn’t known for its clam chowder. What it IS known for, however, are its fish & chips.

Mama let it slip in the car that she hadn’t had fish & chips since she was a little kid. After sampling the chowder, she and I went inside and ordered some up to share. I took one bite and…OH MY GOD! It was SO good. Like, soooo good! Hands-down the best fish and chips I’d ever had in my life. And their FRIES were fantastic too.



So, I highly recommend going to The Boathouse for lunch or dinner or the next time you get a chance. You may not be particularly enthused by the clam chowder, but boy oh boy you will just LOVE the fish & chips.


Island Style Deli
A few months ago, my mom made an offhand remark in reply to one of the comments on this site expressing her concern that the Island Style Deli seemed, well, out of style for Bodega Bay. Hawaiian food is very tropical, and this is a cool coastal fishing town. It just seemed kind of out of place. Well, she has since received a number of letters totally ragging on the post, defending the Island Style Deli with the fire of a thousand suns.



Let me just say this. Bodega Bay has a lot of awesome restaurants, but they essentially serve the same sorts of food. Seafood, burgers, and chicken/steak/generic restaurant fare. That’s fine though, as they all do it differently and with a particular flare unique to the restaurant itself.

I think it’s nice to have some variety, and that’s all I will say on THAT topic before we get flooded with another 50,000 e-mails about it.


The Island Style Deli’s clam chowder was pretty herby, although in a completely different way than the Sandpiper’s. It was almost sort of exotic. I liked it a lot, and they included a coupon for two FREE cups of chowder with purchase of two lunches or dinners for future visits which I thought was very nice!

The Tides

I saw a guy who looked just like Truman Capote at The Tides while waiting for my sample. As much as I love The Tides, it’s totally depressing to stare at a tank full of live crabs, staring back at you with tiny, sad eyes as you order food. Kind of put a damper on my chowder experience!





Tides’ chowder is super rich and creamy. Unfortunately, I dropped my cup on the pavement shortly after leaving the building. This was a total bummer since I was really enjoying it! I didn’t remember The Tides having such good chowder- maybe they have a new recipe now? Mom insists it’s the same and she loves it, hmm . . . Either way, it was awesome while it lasted, and I apologize to the janitor who had to clean up my spilled soup.



Bluewater Bistro
We just love the Bluewater Bistro. Their chowder was especially unique in that it had salmon as well as clams and the usual clam chowder fare like potatoes, celery etc. It may even be tied with Spud Point Crab Co. as my favorite for this year!



The Bluewater Bistro has a whole new menu that I encourage you to check out. The brand new pizza oven that never seemed to get used (only available upstairs in the bar and only on some nights? Whaaaat?) finally gets to shine on the regular menu! You can order the pizzas to go now, too, so I expect to gain 5-10 lbs in the coming weeks. Yay!

The votes are in, and the official winners are as follows: For the 6th year in a row, Spud Point came in first, with the Tides a very close second, and Bluewater Bistro not far behind. The other four restaurants came within a few votes of each other.

All in all, mom and I had a blast at Chowder Day! Good job everyone!

Sandpiper Will Move in November

Photo credit: Christopher Chung / Press Democrat

The Sandpiper restaurant owner's two-year battle with his landlord has come to an end and he has agreed to move. This November, Steve Weissman will move the Sandpiper from Porto Bodega to the Pelican Plaza shopping center here in Bodega Bay, where it will replace his other restaurant Cioppino’s (known as Claudio’s until just recently).

You can read the full story in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and some background in my previous post. The Save the Sandpiper website has been taken down.

This settlement is quite a blow to the owners, staff and 6,000+ people who signed a petition asking developer Richard Battaglia to allow the Sandpiper to remain at its current historic location.

I’ll keep you posted on their move. I actually love the new Cioppino’s menu and décor and wonder if they will change it all again or perhaps integrate the two restaurants. I’ll also watch to see what becomes of their vacated building in Porto Bodega. The County is demanding the owners fix code violations and bring it up to current earthquake standards, but others speculate the developer plans to tear it down. In fact, in a joint press release, the two sides said “the cost could be prohibitive for the building to be improved to meet the earthquake codes.” Stay tuned.

More on Sandpiper Restaurant in Bodega Bay

Our friend Norm Levin just sent me these cool night photos taken outside the Sandpiper Restaurant, after seeing my last post. Norm and his family recently visited Bodega Bay for vacation, he's the portrait photographer I mentioned in a previous post.

Here are his comments about the Sandpiper: "We stopped here to sample the Clam Chowder for a take-out snack. Mixed reviews from our crew, some thought it too salty. Anyway we empathize with their landlord plight. I cannot understand why 'developers' have so little regard to local sentiment. Preservation of local landmarks is something taken for granted in most parts of the world.... except here!

"My photos of the harbor were coincidentally taken across the parking lot from the Sandpiper. The scene takes on an otherworldly view at night. These and others are in my Fine Arts Gallery."





Photo copyright for all three images: Norm Levin, Natural Portraits

The Sandpiper Restaurant in Bodega Bay

The Sandpiper is a popular Bodega Bay restaurant that's been serving locals and visitors for more than 50 years. It has been through several incarnations but through the decades many menu items have stayed the same, from the famous clam chowder (one of our favorites in the Clam Chowder Contest) to the open face crab and shrimp sandwich, or the beer battered fish and chips.

We stopped by for lunch recently. I ordered their clam chowder (delicious, creamy and herby) and my husband had the grilled chicken sandwich with sun-dried tomato pesto and roasted red peppers, which came with fries and cole slaw. The employees wear t-shirts that say "Please don't eat the chowder." Since we went there specifically for that dish, I asked about the warning. Our waitress replied that they want you to "savor it."



The service is very friendly and attentive (I was thrilled when they refilled my ice tea several times without having to ask) and the atmosphere is reminiscent of an old-fashioned, no-frills, comfortable family restaurant.



It's located down by the water, across a narrow wooden bridge, near the Porto Bodega Marina, with beautiful views over the water toward Spud Point Marina on the other side of the harbor.



The Sandpiper owners are in a battle with a developer who purchased the 15 acre, harbor-front strip known as Porto Bodega, including the restaurant, two years ago. The developer has been threatening to evict them and the community has rallied to their defense. They're getting amazing support and now have Save the Sandpiper t-shirts, pins, a petition, and a website. They ask supporters to help protect small business in Sonoma County and keep 25 local jobs. If not an official landmark, the Sandpiper is certainly a significant part of Bodega Bay's history and community.

Sandpiper Restaurant
1410 Bay Flat Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
(707) 875-2278
Open Daily
For breakfast, lunch and dinner

This google map isn't very accurate. Click "view larger map," zoom in, then scroll over to the intersection of Eastshore and Bay Flat roads for the Sandpiper's true location.


View Larger Map

Clam Chowder Contest Winners

Spud Point Crab Company won first place in the Bodega Bay Clam Chowder Contest for the fourth year in a row!

The 6th annual free event took place on Sat., Feb. 7, and we had a blast. Our friends Karen and Jim came from Petaluma, and Robin and Jeffrey from Oakland, and together we visited each of the seven participating restaurants to sample their special clam chowder recipes. Jeffrey developed an elaborate rating system that judged by creaminess, texture, "spiciness," number of clams, and overall flavor, but I preferred the Forrest Gump method, "I like it a lot."

Participating Restaurants:

• Spud Point Crab Company

• Bluewater Bistro

• Sandpiper Restaurant

• Claudio’s Trattoria

• Brisas del Mar

• The Boat House

• The Tides

It’s no surprise that Spud Point won first place, we all agreed their bold, creamy, garlicky recipe was our #1 favorite. Opened in 2004 by locals Carol and Tony Anello, their distinctive clam chowder quickly became famous and garnered tons of publicity from near and far. (Coastal Living Magazine recently said they serve the “world’s best clam chowder.”) Tony has been commercial fishing for 35 years and he provides all the fresh fish from his own boat and that of his son and brother. Carol and daughter Lisa run the mostly-outdoor restaurant. (A granddaughter and employee are pictured.) Our family loves this place and we often bring out-of-town guests here. Once I brought a huge batch home for some lunch guests and Carol explained how to carefully reheat it without ruining it. No, I didn't try to take credit for it, I admitted to my guests that it was from the famous Spud Point!

The Visitor’s Center said all six of the other restaurants tied for second place (what?), so allow me to share our second and third place favorites.


Several of us felt that Bluewater Bistro in Bodega Harbour and the Sandpiper Restaurant tied for second place. In fact, in last year’s contest they tied for second along with The Tides Wharf. Bluewater Bistro’s chowder was very gourmet, perfectly seasoned, and had generous chunks of salmon in addition to clams. It was refreshingly light, not as thick and creamy as some of the others.


The Sandpiper’s chowder was deliciously traditional, creamy, and had the perfect blend of herbs. I wanted seconds of this one! The Sandpiper has been getting a lot of press lately due to a dispute with their landlord—apparently he’s been threatening to evict them. They have a big “Save the Sandpiper” banner across the roof, and many locals wear buttons sporting the same slogan.


Karen and Jeffrey really liked the only Manhattan-style chowder on the list, served at Claudio's Trattoria. Maybe because their restaurant is Italian, their chowder had vegetables making it almost like a minestrone. Karen said whenever she craves a perfect bowl of soup, this is exactly what she pictures.

All of the other chowders were tasty too, and it was especially nice to meet and greet the local restaurateurs and thank them for participating in this wonderful annual event. (At The Boat House, the owner’s delightful school-age daughter helped check in tasters who were waiting patiently in long lines, while her mother brought out endless trays of chowder and crackers.) Just imagine how many pots of clam chowder they all served so generously for free that day.

Fortunately we got an early start, the Visitor’s Center said they were overwhelmed with people who came out for this event. They were expecting around 300 people but by noon 400 had shown up and by 2:00 p.m. they had to shut down because they ran out of maps and clam chowder. They ended up counting nearly 800 ballots!

The weather couldn’t have been more inviting. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with no wind. And talk about lucky, the very next day was overcast, chilly and windy, and of course it seems like it has been raining ever since. In fact, I sure could go for some more clam chowder about now. Decisions, decisions…