Classic Clam Chowder

Name: Classic Clam Chowder
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon, chopped; Olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, smashed; 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1/2 cup white wine; 3 cups water; 2 tablespoons butter; Extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups heavy cream; 2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; Common Crackers, recipe follows; 2 to 3 cups crushed saltine crackers (crackers wrapped in a tea towel and smashed with a rolling pin; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons butter, melted