Ordered Chowder, Got Glue

Here is Bay City, clam chowder is a big deal. We have only the white kind. None of that 'hide the flavor in tomato sauce' Manhattan style for us. It isn't the runny white 'New England' stuff like you find canned on the grocery shelves either. Bellingham Bay Clam Chowder is unique in that it is thick enough to set a fence post in.
Many restaurants have their own special recipes which include clam nectar, smoked bacon, or secret seasonings. Unfortunately, some places just boil potatoes and add a can of clams and flour. That is the kind I ended up with on Friday night. The flavor was more like glue than food. I couldn't really complain because it was the right consistency in that it could have been served in a pile instead of a bowl. Come to think of it, the bowl was heaping.
Last night we went out for a hamburger at a famous chain that I'm sure you have eaten at and should standardize food, but I had to send my sandwich back for a new one. The hamburger in the bacon cheeseburger was raw proving at least that the meat didn't arrive precooked and frozen. As soon as my teeth pierced the outer char-broiled surface into the mushy pink slab, I knew something was wrong.
After mopping my mouth out with a napkin, I took it back to the counter. Funny fact, when they gave me a new one the apologetic teenager told me that it was an accident. I reassured her that I didn't think they made a practice of serving raw meat.
If I was going to make an issue out of anything, it would have been that my milkshake, although not melted, wasn't cold. I think a strawberry shake should be icy rather than room temperature, but it maintained the consistency of good clam chowder, so I let it go.
Nancy Sherer