Making NE fresh chowder for fam/pals while in Chicago. Thoughts on NE sides, veg or apps to compliment?

I thought some rstd. asparagus, something with mushrooms or a brussels or spinach, salad with bacon and some maple cranberry vinaigrette. I love living in NE but I'm not originally from here so want some tips.

csheago
  • Posted by: csheago
  • October 23, 2014
  • 1433 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

Greenstuff
Greenstuff October 24, 2014
Chowder is a great first course for something like a lobster roll. But if it's your main course, I agree with HalfPint that a salad is the way to go. Assuming your chowder has bacon or salt pork in it, I wouldn't repeat that with bacon in the salad. But a few dried cranberries in the salad would be great. I wouldn't go a vegetable side, though you could have a composed salad with the asparagus (in the spring) or the Brussels sprouts (in the fall). If you're going all-out old New England, you might want to think about Indian pudding for dessert.
 
spiffypaws
spiffypaws October 24, 2014
Oyster crackers!
 
HalfPint
HalfPint October 23, 2014
Usually with a clam chowder (I'm just assuming that you are making the milky NE-style chowder and not the Rhode Island-style), I just serve warm bread and a simple salad. The chowder is so rich and starchy (from the potatoes) that I need the sides to be more acidic to cut the richness. Roasted asparagus sounds great and how about roasted brussel sprouts with bacon?
 
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