You voted for your favorite stuffies: We tried them all
By LAURA
COLANTONIO Valley Breeze Managing Editor laura@valleybreeze.com
Ask any native Rhode Islander to list the foods that are
“quintessential Rhode Island” and it’s likely they’ll be quick to rattle off
the hits: coffee milk, pizza strips (and chips), hot wieners, calamari, Del’s,
Mr. Lemon, Johnnycakes, Awful Awfuls … and, of course, stuffies.
Rhode Islanders are serious about their stuffies.
The locally famous staple consists of quahogs mixed with varying
recipes of seasonings, clam juice, breadcrumbs, bread cubes, cracker crumbs,
peppers, onions, celery – all depending on the chef – baked in their
half-shells.
While I’ve heard them more than once jokingly referred to as
“clam meatloaf in an ashtray,” the flavor packed into well-made Rhode Island
stuffies is no laughing matter.
It’s obvious that South County and the state’s coastal areas
would be home to some top-tier stuffies, but it turns out that northern Rhode
Island also has some highly recommended contenders in the category.
For this year's Voices of the Valley Community Awards, readers
voted Dave’s Fresh Marketplace into first place in the stuffies category for
the Breeze coverage area, followed by Lindy’s Tavern, Captain’s Catch Seafood,
Kay’s Restaurant, and Angelo’s Palace Pizza.
I tried all of the top-five stuffies, and here’s my take on each
selection.
Dave’s Fresh Marketplace - First place winner
Susan Budlong, director of marketing and communications at
Dave’s, said, “We are very proud of our Portuguese stuffies – they are a true
Rhode Island tradition. Made with chopped clams, authentic Portuguese chouriço,
seasoned breads, and savory herbs and spices, they’re baked until golden and
packed with the bold flavors our customers have loved for over 40 years – since
Dave perfected the recipe!”
The first thing I noticed about Dave’s Portuguese-style stuffies
is how much stuffing is packed into the shell. Piled high with filling, they’d
definitely get the “tallest stuffie” award if that were up for grabs. The clams
were very tender, not tough at all, something that bumped this one up higher on
my list. The recipe was very flavorful without being overpowering. There was
also a nice ratio of chouriço, breading, clams, and seasonings. I’d never
thought of Dave’s for stuffies before this taste test, but will definitely stop
at the prepared foods counter again to grab these.
Lindy’s Tavern, 98 School St, Slatersville - Finalist
Lindy’s Tavern’s menu offers both New England-style stuffies and
Portuguese stuffies. For this test, the classic, house-made stuffies were
chosen.
Restaurant Manager Rich Keene said, “Lindy’s Tavern is proud to
say that we have been using the same recipe for our New England stuffies for
over 18 years now.”
He said Lindy’s usually sells about 300-400 on any given week of
the year.
If there were a “biggest shell” award, it would go to Lindy’s,
with the filling served in an oversized shell that dominated the plate. The
stuffing was moist with a smooth texture, with nice chunks of the other
ingredients throughout. The recipe packed a lot of flavor and still let the
clams shine through. The mixture was well-seasoned and had a unique peppery
taste that was different from the others, in a good way. Honorable mention to
the noticeable little celery bits that somehow added something extra to these
stuffies.
Captain’s Catch Seafood, 1702 Mineral Spring Ave., North
Providence - Finalist
This is a readers’ choice section, and the readers have spoken –
but in the spirit of trying out all of the competition, if there was an
editor’s choice option for this category, Captain’s Catch would have my vote.
Captain’s Catch offers several styles of stuffies, including
original, spicy, Portuguese, and gourmet (a mixture of shrimp, scallop, chopped
clams, and crab flake stuffing). Stuffies are “bake and serve,” recommended to
be cooked in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
I tried the original. Manager Dylan Castle said these stuffies
are as Rhode Island as it gets – made with Rhode Island minced quahogs, Rhode
Island clam juice, and the shells are from the Rhode Island quahogs that are
used to make the mixture.
These stuffies have that classic New England seafood feel. The
mixture is moist, and the flavorful seasoning stands out right away. The clams
are minced and tender, and their flavor is just the right amount of noticeable
in the mix.
Kay’s Restaurant, 1013
Cass Ave., Woonsocket - Finalist
Owner David Lahousse said Kay’s uses fresh quahogs for their
stuffies. He said the quahogs are boiled with spices, chopped, and mixed
together with traditional seasonings and blended breadcrumbs.
The simple recipe lets the taste of the clams shine through in
the Kay’s version of stuffies. The stuffies are served with a liberal topping
of herbs. The generous filling also had a good consistency, and these stuffies
definitely have a classic seafood taste.
Angelo’s Palace Pizza, 133 Mendon Road, Cumberland - Finalist
Angelo’s Palace Pizza’s Alex Kitsilis asked her mom, Christine
Kitsilis, about the restaurant’s recipe for stuffies. Christine reported that
the stuffies are homemade, with all ingredients made from scratch using a
unique recipe.
“Chef Tony years ago was feeling creative and wanted to make a
summer seasonal special,” she said. The stuffies were originally a seasonal
special that now is a staple all year round.
“Customers would call to find out the last day of the season
we’d sell them and would buy a dozen to keep in the freezer.”
“My mom thought of the sea scallop shell in order to have more
filling and allow it to brown on top but remain nice and moist inside,” Alex
said.
The scallop shell was definitely a unique presentation, and the
filling was more spread out than in a traditional quahog shell. The top was
crisp and browned, and the filling was chock-full of clams. These stuffies also
had a nice hint of pepper flavor that complemented the seafood notes.
Having tried all five of the top-voted contenders, I’d say that
our readers did not disappoint in this category. If you’re a fan of Rhode
Island stuffies, add these spots to your go-to list and let us know of any
other hidden gems for Rhode Island food staples that you come across.