The Chowdah Head Rules: Picking the best made our expert feel a little clammy When my editor asked me to write an article about the best clam cakes and New England clam chowder in Rhode Island, my first question was, “Will you provide me with a group of security guards to protect me from the violent mobs when the article comes out?” To put it gently, Rhode Islanders are rabid about their chowder. Each individual feels like whatever the chowder they grew up on is the best chowder in the state, hands down, without question. And you’d be an idiot to feel differently. This became an issue for me. “I know chowder,” I stupidly thought to myself as I accepted the assignment. “I love going to seafood restaurants. I get chowder wherever it’s available. I am a creamy, clammy connoisseur. This will be nice and easy.” I was so, so, so wrong. After jotting down my thoughts, I decided get other peoples’ opinions from some RI restaurant Facebook groups hoping to hear about some places I never tried. A few hours later, I found myself making an extensive, intimidating spreadsheet to catalog the 700-plus unexpected responses. It shocked me that there were so many places I hadn’t tried — some I hadn’t even heard of — and it hit me like a ton of clams; I was in trouble. I couldn’t comfortably write the article with only my casual knowledge. These people cared too much about the title for me to treat it so informally. I recorded all of the restaurants suggested and how many times each was suggested. Based on this and my existing local seafood knowledge, I made a list of all the places that must be considered, then planned to gain an intimate knowledge of the chowder and clam cakes from every spot on the list — no matter how much fried, creamy food I need to consume. To be safe, I consulted with my doctor. He dropped me as a patient. Free from those annoying health warnings, I spent a week driving across the entire state no fewer than four times. I’ve been eating clam cake after clam cake, and slurping chowder after chowder. My seafood tour resulted in this: My personal opinions on the best clam cakes and New England clam chowder in the state. I understand that everybody has different priorities and feelings about what exactly makes these staples perfect. These are the opinions of but one man. Best Clam Cake: Aunt Carrie’s, Narragansett Among the dozens of clam cakes I ate during my seafood tour, Aunt Carrie’s grabbed my attention the most. The dough is perfect, the clams are plentiful, the fry is exactly as thick as it should be, with a nice crunch and a complete lack of grease. Other top clam cakes include: Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown, Blount Clam Shack in Warren, Flo’s Clam Shack in Middletown, and Quito’s in Bristol. Best New England Clam Chowder: Crossroads Pub, Warren The offering of this surprising contender has exactly the right blend of clamminess and creaminess. The potatoes are the perfect consistency. It has just the right amount of pepper. Other top contenders are Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown, Quito’s in Bristol (if you like it a little bit clammier), and Weekapaug Inn in Westerly (with a little bit of an alternative, smoky taste). The real takeaway for me was that locally there are a ton of great places serving up their own takes on these Rhode Island favorites. I love that the chowder and clam cakes vary from place to place, and picking a favorite was extremely difficult. I’m not sure I’ll accept the burden of choosing “the best” of Rhode Island seafood ever again. Until I’m forced to judge the best lobster roll. Silver Screen Scene: These film screening sites leave traditional theaters behind Rhode Island is no stranger to big film events. But if you do a little digging, there are several off-the- beaten-path options where local cinephiles can celebrate celluloid on a consistent basis. From Hollywood to Hope Street, mainstream movies and local films alike can be found screening around the state on the regular with these organizations and venues: Cocktails & Screens Short Film Showcase: AS220, PVD; First Thursday of the month (with occasional exceptions); facebook.com/cocktailsnscreens “Cocktails & Screens is a monthly local film showcase where we screen local filmmakers’ short films, trailers or music videos,” says Briana Gonsalves, host and producer of C&S. “After screening each piece, we open up the floor for the audience to ask questions or provide feedback to the creators. Typically we will screen six short films, but sometimes we have more or less, depending on how long each film is. It’s a great night for people to network and market themselves. The event is free, there is free popcorn, there are no submission fees and AS220 has a full bar that adults may go to to purchase drinks.” Courtland Club Cinema: Courtland Club, PVD; Every Monday night; facebook.com/courtlandclub Courtland Club Cinema hosts a movie night every Monday, with mysterious event pages that offer hints at the planned movies without explicitly naming them. Throughout February they hosted double features for movies from directors Gus Van Sant and Todd Solondz. But on March 2, the “mystery” movie description was “Starring Pee-Wee Herman and Directed by Tim Burton.” Okay, maybe the listings aren’t ALL mysterious… newportFILM Screenings: Various venues across Aquidneck Island; Every Thursday night from Jun 18 to Sep 3; newportfilm.com Kathryn Sheehan, marketing director for newportFILM, tells us, “newportFILM is a year-round, non- profit documentary film series that features established and emerging filmmakers and their current films. Founders Andrea van Beuren and Nancy Donahoe wanted to keep film alive in Newport and felt documentaries specifically help drive meaningful dialogue and inspire, motivate and entertain people on issues that matter in our community.” Bonus Event: newportFILM is hosting an intimate screening of The Booksellers at the Redwood Library and Athenæum on Thursday, March 26. Dreadphile Cinema: The Columbus Theatre, Rustic Drive-In, Revival Brewing, Avon Cinema, and more!; check facebook.com/dreadfile for screening dates “Dreadphile Cinema is a film retrospective with focus on cult horror films,” Beau Ouellette, cult curator for Dreadphile says. “Some bad, some great, all good. We range from B-movie schlock like Brain Damage and Re-Animator to classics of the genre like Night of the Living Dead and The Thing. Dreadphile got started because I moved to Rhode Island and away from most of my friends who watched weird movies with me. These movies are better with friends and best with a crowd, so I figured I’d try and make some new friends. We grew from 60 people in attendance to nearly 400 for our last show at the Avon.” Galactic Theatre: Nightly Screenings in Warren; facebook.com/galactictheatre David Podsnap, owner of the Galactic Theatre is a straight-up weirdo. We were messaging at 3:30am after one of his nightly runs to Cumberland Farms for unhealthy snacks when he feverishly told me, “The selection of films we have on nightly (constantly) is an unorganized collection of silent films from the years 1896 to 1921, mostly. Many are from the amazing Georges Méliès from France, Segundo de Chomón from Spain, Edison, Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Chaplin and many other unknowns. We show them on constant loop. Galactic Theatre is a time machine where yesteryear is somewhat preserved with almost no trace of modern society. It’s just for you to spiritually escape when you feel the need to.” Acoustic Java’s films also are worth checking out when you find yourself in PVD. Unfortunately, they weren’t available for an interview by press time. Rhode Island Animators Unite!: Rhode Island Independent Animators Shorts to be screened in Jamestown On February 6, the first screening of Rhode Island Independent Animators Shorts will take place at the Jamestown Arts Center, and according to curator Brian O’Malley, it’s “going to be epic!” “The screen is of a cinematic scale — big!” exclaims O’Malley. “The focus of this series of screenings is to bring short animated films made by Rhode Island animators to a broader audience in the state. This isn’t a film festival. I see it as a gathering of artists who happen to work with the medium of animation. All the filmmakers live and work in Rhode Island.” At its inaugural event, the RIIA Shorts will screen animated films from six animators, with the length of the films ranging from one minute to 10 minutes. The theme of RIIA Shorts’ first event? “Transcendence.” An animator himself, O’Malley admits, “Sometimes I need a good kick to get going.” O’Malley was unsatisfied with the landscape of independent film festivals as an avenue to showcase film work. “I decided to start this up because it’s tedious and expensive to find festivals to show your work. Some festivals are between $25 and $50 dollars [to submit your film]. This series brings it home for people, and if you miss one venue; no worries — it’s coming around again in another part of the state.” The Rhode Island Independent Animators Shorts already have two more events in the books for the future — one screening at the Hera Gallery in Wakefield on March 27, as well as one at the Bristol Art Museum on April 30. But right now, O’Malley’s focus is solely on the RIIA’s first event at the Jamestown Arts Center.