The Impatient Chef Clam Chowder (and Fish & Chips) Review: Gracie's Sea Hag in Depoe Bay, Oregon

In this episode, we set out to find New England Clam Chowder in its natural habitat: The Oregon Coast.  

Really, why the Oregon Coast? Why not, say, New England?  

The simple answer is that The Impatient Chef does not have that much rocket fuel, but the best reason is that The Impatient Chef really likes the Oregon Coast.  

You may ask why The Impatient Chef reviews specific foods in a restaurant instead of reviewing the whole restaurant.  First, (why do you ask so many questions?) The Impatient Chef doesn't pretend to be able to deduce the entire menu with a few visits.  Second, and more importantly, The Impatient Chef really likes certain foods, and quests after the finest versions within striking distance of home.  

These foods include:

• The Ruben Sandwich
• New England Clam Chowder
• Fish and Chips
• Sushi 
• Tempura
• Any dish containing shrimp (extra points for also including garlic).  

Which leads us to the main course of this review:

Chowder

(And a few other things)

Gracie's Chowder Rules the Oregon Coast from On High

The Impatient Chef was rudely interrupted in his review of Gracie's Sea Hag by a pandemic.  I'm certain that the details are superfluous, but let's just say here was a 2-year gap in visits that should have been just a few months.  

As readers of this blog already know, I use rating scales based on the best example of the food.  For fish and chips, it’s called the Rose & Thistle Scale, because that establishment (in Portland, Oregon) has the best ones I have ever had.  I felt that it was time create a scale for clam chowder.  After all, most places that serve fish and chips also serve clam chowder.  In getting ready for this quest, I tried a number of clam chowders throughout Oregon, and southern Washington.

Some notable chowders:

• Rogue Public House - Astoria, Oregon 
• The Baldwin Saloon - The Dalles Oregon 
• Tippy Canoe - Troutdale, Oregon (burned down in 2020 (insert sad, droopy emoji))
• The Local Grille - Cannon Beach - Oregon
• Bridge Water Bistro - Astoria, Oregon 

Some not so notable:

• McMenamins Highland Pub - Portland, Oregon 
• The Mesquitery - Hood River, Oregon (great flavor, but it was %$&#! tepid)

The quest took me to Depoe Bay, Oregon, home of the world’s smallest harbor, gray whales, orcas, and most importantly, Gracie’s Sea Hag. 

Gracie's Sea Hag has a reputation for serving excellent seafood with an atmosphere that has changed little since the 1970's.  You will find dark wooden paneling, stained glass, and sea themed photographs on the walls that have gone blue from exposure to light from the windows.

Like its decor, the Sea Hag serves no frills food that also has not changed very much over the years.  There is a nod to current trends like coconut prawns, or La Bouillabaisse, but the core is the traditional fish, and shellfish meals - chowder, deep fried everything, and salmon - that you remember from your childhood.  They do a really good job of it, though.

In the Spring of 2019, my wife and I drove to Depoe Bay, for the specific purpose of reviewing the Sea Hag's chowder, of which, I am happy to say, we were not strangers to.   

The soup comes with oyster crackers, as all must, and with melted butter on top along with a sprinkle of paprika.  The melted butter really is a special touch. You DO NOT eat New England Clam Chowder to lose weight, so stir the butter in, and enjoy it.  The texture is thick and creamy.  The taste has just the right amount of clam flavor.  You can tell that this stuff does not come from a carton or a can.  Soups thickened with a roux have that luxurious mouth feel, as this one does.  You can see other diners occasionally give that look - you know, eyes mostly closed, or rolled up in joy - like tasting a fine chocolate.   It's the real deal.  You could have bought it 50 years ago, and you're likely to be able to buy it 50 years from now.

One of the marks of a successful chowder is not needing to add salt or pepper.  The Sea Hag's chowder does not need anything.  It really hits all of the high notes.  The Impatient Chef highly recommends it, and hereby proclaims that the benchmark for clam chowders in future reviews will be the Sea Hag scale.  

The rest of the meal consisted of Shrimp & Chips, and Fish & Chips.

The shrimp, again, was very good.  The breading was crispy, with very little fryer oil taste, and the shrimp was not overdone.  If I had one complaint, it was that the cocktail sauce needed more horseradish.  

The Impatient Chef had the Fish & Chips.  Note that we got smaller portions on purpose.  Their normal serving is larger.  Like the shrimp, the breading was excellent, and the flavor was good.  The tarter sauce was very good, and not too sweet.

The fries were average.  They started out somewhat crispy, but did not fare well as they cooled.  They did not pass the salt test, which is that the fries are good enough to not require ketchup even as they cool, and the only seasoning necessary is salt.  

All and all, I gave it an 8 on the Rose & Thistle Scale. 

We traveled back to the Sea Hag in May, 2021, and the results were less consistent.  This was a little disappointing.  

We ordered the combination platter.  There was no change in the fries, tarter sauce, or shrimp, but the fish had changed, and not for the better.  The breading was light, and not crisp, and fell off easily.  The fish (cod) tasted very good, but it was let down by the breading.  This was odd, because the breading on the other items, shrimp, oysters, and scallops was very good.  I'm not sure how it happened.  The Fish & Chips part of the platter rated a 6 on the Rose & Thistle Scale.  The oysters were their usual, gamey selves.  The Impatient Chef refers to them as "Mutton of the Sea".  They are an acquired taste as long as you don't think about what you are eating.  The scallops were much cleaner tasting, and rather divine in the cocktail sauce (which could still use a little more horseradish), and the shrimp, well, the shrimp was as always excellent.  

Next, however, was a real treat: Deep Fried Pickles.

 

And these really were a treat. There was crunch on the pickle and crisp on the breading. The pickle was flavorful, tart, but not vinegary. The Ranch dressing not overpowering. The breading was crispy, and with very little oil flavor. The portion was just right. They were the best deep fried pickles I’ve had. If the fish had been given the same treatment, it would have maintained its rating of 8 on the Rose & Thistle Scale.  

If you are within striking distance, give Gracie's a try.  A 6 on the Rose & Thistle Scale is still not bad, but it's the chowder that wins the day.  It's the best on the Oregon Coast.