Creamy clam chowder and the broke life: a love story
CHUNKY. White. Cubes of potatoes. Green specs of who-knows-what-spice and only-God-knows what herb. Warm. Thick. It slides down my throat like a heavenly plush pillow. One spoonful is not enough. Nope, I’ve gotta go for two, wrapping my entire mouth around the spoon as I let the creamy goodness satisfy my hunger.
That’s right. I’m talking about clam chowder. Not just any clam chowder, though. Specifically, clam chowder in a bread bowl from BJ’s restaurant. That’s right. Call me bougie.
You see, BJ’s used to be the single place to be on a Friday night in Sacramento, California. It’s that central spot that you can’t go to without seeing someone you know. The place for birthday dinners, valentine’s day dates, and pre-homecoming dance festivities. There was just one problem. BJ’s was pricey.
I would sit there surrounded by my friends and scan the menu. $15 for some pasta. $3 for a drink. $3.50 to tip the cute waiter. And let’s not even talk about the appetizers. Spending a couple of hours at BJ’s meant you would walk out of the restaurant about $20 lighter and about 2 pounds heavier.
I found myself there so often I decided that I needed a plan. A plan to be able to enjoy my time at BJ’s and accept any invitation to go there that came my way without breaking the bank. With my sad paychecks going to hair products, makeup and the occasional night on the town, I really needed to get in control of my spending.
That’s how I discovered BJ’s clam chowder in a bread bowl. Everybody knows if you’re trying to save money at a restaurant, get a side salad! But you won’t catch me spending $5 on some leafy greens. Nope. If I’m going to spend $5 on some food it better be something with some meat on it. Am I right?
So, I opted for soup instead. It seemed right. Relatively inexpensive. More than one ingredient. Sounded good enough to me. I’ll never forget taking that first bite. I closed my eyes in bliss and did a low, sustained grunt. My friends looked at me like I was crazy. Are you having a moment?, they asked. Yes, I am, I replied.
After that fateful evening I was hooked.
When I found myself at BJ’s I didn’t even glance at the other menu options. Nope, I had to be loyal to my good ol’ faithful, clam chowder.
When the server introduced herself and introduced the day or season’s specials, I didn’t listen. I smiled politely of course, but there was no love in my eyes. No interest in my gaze. No way. I already knew just what I needed, just what I wanted.
But, you know that feeling when you start to wonder if the grass is greener on the other side? Well, I had one of those moments lately and let me tell ya’ll something. The grass is greener where you water it. Thank you Justin Beiber for those wise words.
I was in town for my sister’s college graduation ceremony and of course, when in Sacramento, BJ’s is the prime spot to celebrate. Sitting amongst 10 other family members and friends, I waited patiently as our server brought menus to our table.
For whatever reason, that night I was feeling wild. I was feeling like I wanted to try something new. I was craving a new taste. I was willing to cheat on the clam chowder that had been so good to me all those years. I flipped past the salad page. Past the soup page. Past the burger page. And landed on the pasta page. Ah, yes I thought. This is it.
I ordered a shrimp scampi pasta dish complete with white sauce and sautéed shrimp cooked to pinkish-white perfection. When my plate came out I flinched a little bit. I was so used to seeing the golden brown edges of my steaming bread bowl full of clam chowder. But now, instead, I found myself staring at a plate of pasta, sweet smelling as it may have been, that didn’t quite get my juices flowing (if you know what I mean).
I gulped, smiled tentatively and proceeded to eat my entire plate of pasta. It was tasty, I’ll admit. But, it was no clam chowder. I couldn’t believe myself. Couldn’t believe that I’d betrayed my one true BJ’s-menu-item love. And for pasta! Pasta, folks. Pasta. Something I could’ve bought for 88 cents at Wal Mart.
I sat in silence as the server took care of our check. Taking a deep breath, I knew that I would never make that mistake again. Clam chowder had my heart. Clam chowder has my heart. And if you ever find yourself in a BJ’s in Sacramento, California… well, you’ll know what to do.
