It takes some courage to confess this on the North Coast, but for the first 18 years of my life, the only “seafood” I consumed was fish sticks.

The rectangles of processed mystery fish from the freezer aisle are a childhood staple in my Iowan hometown – the exotic cousin to chicken nuggets. The Midwest is hundreds of miles away from any saltwater, and we can be squeamish about fresh shellfish.

Now that I’ve lived in six states, I have made some serious strides in recovering from that fear of eating things that live under the sea. While I’ve tackled my phobia of oysters and crawfish, I never had the chance to try clams until moving to the North Coast this summer.

So when United Way of Clatsop County unveiled their new fundraiser, the 2022 North Coast Chowder Crawl, I couldn’t resist. The fundraising organization partnered with 21 coastal restaurants from Long Beach to Cannon Beach to offer Crawl Cards for $30 that allowed participants to try a cup of chowder from each restaurant during January. They also asked participants to crown the 2022 King or Queen of the Crawl by rating each bowl by scanning a QR code.

“A lot of events have been canceled in the last two years, so we had to get a little bit more creative about fundraising,” said United Way board member Rachel Schack. The new crawl sparked a good amount of interest, and United Way almost sold out of tickets. By the event’s start, 160 tickets were sold, and $7,000 was raised for local nonprofits.

With potentially 3,300 cups of clam chowder consumed, there’s bound to be a lot of different opinions on who makes it best. I’m sure locals believe an Iowan has no business ranking who makes this dish best. Still, I think I can offer a genuinely neutral take on chowder. After all, I don’t have a family recipe to unfairly compare all others to, and this was my first time visiting most of the restaurants.

I ate more chowder than I ever imagined possible in January, visiting nearly every stop on the list. Now that I’ve tasted 18 bowls of clam chowder from the North Coast, here’s my list of the stand-outs that are worthy of a visit by residents and tourists alike.

Dundee’s Bar and Grill, Seaside

This gluten-free chowder comes with a generous amount of clams and features a creamy and buttery smooth texture. During my visit, the bar was busy with other dinners ordering theirs in a heaping bread bowl. I could see the Dundee’s clam chowder as the perfect feel-better recipe on a sick day.

Bills Tavern and Brewhouse, Cannon Beach

This microbrewery serves up a cream-based chowder that includes a sprinkle of bacon.

When I sat down for my cup of chowder, the bartender couldn’t hide his excitement about the fundraiser, exclaiming, “this will end the debate about who has the best chowder!” They have a lot of pride in their food and beer here, and the chowder had a great depth in flavor with the inclusion of some spice and celery.

Maggie’s on the Prom, Seaside

This fine-dining establishment puts its own twist on clam chowder, including bacon, leek, celery, dill and parsley in their recipe. The consistency was thinner than most other versions, and the flavor stood out as truly unique and savory. The view from the table easily was one of the best of the Chowder Crawl. Diners get to enjoy their meals and watch the crashing waves on the beach through big glass windows next to a fireplace at their table.

Norma’s Seafood & Steak, Seaside

The blue and white lighthouse that houses Norma’s Seafood & Steak is easy to spot in Seaside. The restaurant has been cranking out clam chowder for 44 years and has built a reputation for excellence. Their pork-free chowder is served with freshly baked bread. The consistency was thick and creamy, and I found this the most comforting bowl of chowder. There’s some kind of secret ingredient that created a warming sensation perfect for a cold Seaside day.

The Chowder Stop, Long Beach

Once you enter The Chowder Stop in Long Beach, it’s evident that the owners have a solid connection to the community. The tables feature authentic and candid photos of family moments on the coast.

The homemade, gluten-free chowder is thick and traditional, filled with potatoes cooked to a perfect texture and cut to enjoy an ideal amount in every bite. It’s easy to see why the Chowder Stop is a local favorite and even won the top spot in Coast Weekend Reader’s Choice awards last year. It’s worth noting that a cup of soup isn’t the only way to enjoy chowder here; they also offer chowder fries which are precisely what they sound like. French fries with chowder, sprinkled with cheese and bacon bits.

Lost Roo, Long Beach

This Washington restaurant serves up a fisherman’s chowder, including clams, cod, Columbia River Steelhead trout and bacon. The consistency is thinner than traditional chowder, and there was a good amount of flavor in every bite. The taste was incredibly fresh, and the spice made each bite even more enjoyable than the last. The family-friendly dining room was a fun and exciting atmosphere that stood out.

After eating chowder nearly every day this month, I’ve gained a genuine love for it. I know I’ll be craving this once foreign dish the next time I’m in search of comfort food on a cold and rainy North Coast day.

Those who missed out on this year’s fundraiser will likely have a chance to crawl next year. According to United Way of Clatsop County, they’re already getting requests from more restaurants to be part of a future event. “We’ve been flooded, a bunch of restaurants was like ‘oh my gosh, when are you going to do this again? Can we be involved?” Schack said. The $7,000 raised from the crawl will go directly to area nonprofits. United Way says the success of this fundraiser is a silver lining to a rough couple of years.

“We probably wouldn’t have been thinking outside the box to create this if it wasn’t for COVID-19,” said Schack. “Some positive things come out of a really negative situation, and this is one of those things.”