The 10 Best Dishes on Earth and Where to Get Them Locally (Part 1)

4. Cioppino
Living in New England means most of us are experts on seafood and devour it on a regular basis. We eat seafood more often than most of the other states. We love our seafood and living in the world’s highest grossing seafood port surely contributes. While most people equate Italian food with pasta, there is a dish that many Americans -unless they are Italian – haven’t heard of: Cioppino. Fortunately, I grew up in an Italian household so have had the pleasure of eating this aplenty. Cioppino could be said to be the Italian version of the French bouillabaisse. Some restaurants call it by its alternate name: Zuppa Di Pesce.

Picture all of your favorite seafood – lobster, shrimp, Dungeness crab, clams, squid, mussels, scallops, and fish – stewed in a broth of tomato and wine yumminess with a slice of toasted Italian bread in the corner. Because this dish is considered an ethnic specialty, restaurants seem to feel that they can charge the proverbial arm and a leg for it. For that reason I say the best place to get Cioppino is at home. It’s SIMPLE to make. If you don’t want to take the chance or have the odor of seafood stuck to the walls of your house then the next best thing (outside of heading of Federal Hill) is to head to the Pasta House or Cafe Italia. If you like seafood and like Italian food, then you’ll love the collision of the two!