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A look at Boston's best, traditional and top restaurants and where to find great chowder, lobsters and seafood.

Dining in Boston!

The old oyster bar at the Union Oyster House is a Boston tradition.

Where's the chawdah?

In Boston, it's as easy to find as a historical building. Or a tavern.

Much like gumbo in New Orleans, it's everywhere and to experience the culture of Boston it's the must-do dish of the city.

It's far from the only dish served here; there is, of course, lobster, crabs, a local dish called scrod, even great burgers (see below), but it's the place to start our dining and restaurant guide to Boston. See below for addresses and phone numbers for all restaurants in this article. And a bit of a warning: chowder is served tongue-burning hot. Resist the temptation to dive right in and let it sit and cool for a couple of minutes.

New England clam chowder – a thick, white soup with clams, minced onions and potatoes, NOT to be confused with the red stuff from much-despised Manhattan – is a mainstay of Massachusetts. Finding the best of this chowder – or "chawdah" as they say it here – can be an interesting adventure because everyone has it and they all claim fame. Again, just like gumbo in Nawlens.

The Best Chowder we found is at Parker's Restaurant, the legendary Boston restaurant in the equally-legendary Omni Parker House hotel. It is thick, full of clams and potatoes and bursting with flavor. But it's over the top because it is served with those delicious Parker House rolls. For the main dish, the scrod (cod and haddock) is the restaurant's own creation and has become a Boston seafood specialty. Dessert calls for the Boston Cream Pie, yet another item invented here. Considering the old wood wall panels and elegant decor, prices are moderate; mid-teens to upper $20s for many dishes.

Missing only the Parker House rolls is the Barking Crab. A rustic seafood house in South Boston on the water, it shows the range of places chowder is available in this city. About a 15-minute walk south of Quincy Market at Fort Point Landing, this oddly-named place with picnic tables and plastic utensils makes a full-flavor chowder swimming with clams and potatoes. This can be followed up other seafood dishes (we recommend the sauteed shrimp but the crab, at $15 and up, is a bit overpriced considering the atmosphere) and a cold draft beer. In good weather, the covered patio is a popular gathering spot in the afternoons and early evenings, often featuring live music. Sunsets can be viewed from the water toward the financial district.

It would be impossible to visit Boston and not at least get a bowl of chowder at the Union Oyster House. This legendary landmark, in the heart of the historic Faneuil Hall area, is the oldest continuous restaurant in the U.S., having opened in 1826 (there's a lot of "oldest in the US" in Boston). The building has been around since the 1770s. In the restaurant's original days, the boats would practically dock at the rear entrance to bring in the day's catch. Today, the decor hardly seems to have changed as the red brick walls and thick wood floors seem to have been here forever. The chowder is served with cornbread 3-4 inches high. But of course it's the oysters that made this place famous, and they shuck 'em frequently ($10 a half-dozen). Hey, it worked for Daniel Webster, who reportedly slurped down about three dozen during his frequent visits (they say he washed 'em down with brandy).

Other dishes include live lobster, fresh fish and specialty dishes like lobster newberg and pan seared haddock. Prices are mid-teens to uppers-$20s, with market price on some items. For sides, there are the famous Boston Baked Beans (ya know, it's Beantown).

The best place to experience the Union Oyster House is at the oyster bar overlooking the street. The "oystertenders" can also be quite entertaining. There's only about 10 seats, though, around this famous horseshoe. Expect long dinner waits, especially on weekends.

Back to the chowder, tourists are bound to be hunting for it in Quincy Market; the best is at Boston Chowda Co. Don't shy away from the lobster bisque.

Odd as it may seem, top steakhouses have some of the city's best chowder. Capitol Grille leads the way. This business-expense restaurant at the far end of Newberry Street has chowder as satisfying as, say, its Dry Aged Steak Au Poivre with a Courvoisier Cream Sauce, dry-aged sirloin or veal chops. It has an extensive wine list and the bar is known to get lively at times.

Clams cannot claim to be the only chowder in Boston. Seafood chowder has a place in the heart (and belly), as well. Many locals in the know brag about the No Name Cafe, and for good reason. Every spoonful is like dipping a fishing net in the ocean; you'll come up with something from the sea (crab, lobster, shrimp) It's served with heavily-buttered toast. At just $3.95 a bowl, it's the best deal in town. Frankly, it's lacking a bit in flavor, but it's hard to argue the point with a mouthful of seafood. Main dishes include scrod, sole, claims shrimp and daily specials; many entrees are as low at $7.

The No Name is located on Boston Fish Pier, a 10-minute cab ride or hearty 20-minute walk South of Faneuil Hall. This is where many of Boston's fresh seafood hauls are brought in for processing and distribution. The restaurant is halfway down on the right; look for the No Name live preserver in the window and head upstairs. The decor is wood and simple.

A couple of other notable seafood restaurants are also in this out-of-the-way area. Anthony's has lobsters caught by its own lobstering company. Jimmy's has been a local tradition since 1924.

Speaking of seafood, Legal Sea Foods is renowned for its freshness. Locations are in Copley Square and the Prudential Center, as well as other places up and down the East Coast. The Seaport District on State Street by the Long Wharf offers the best view. Don't have its chowder in Fenway Park, by the way; too milky. As they like to say here, "All the clams jumped out!"

In Quincy Market, the folks at Kingfish Hall know their fish and the chefs know how to cook it. On nice days the patio is the place to be; otherwise go upstairs as downstairs gets noisy.

Speaking of Quincy Market, this old-time marketplace is Boston's tourism center. It's in the heart of the Freedom Trail, a three-mile self-walking "tour" of the city that goes past all the major historic landmarks. This includes Faneuil Hall, the original town's main meeting place that still stands today steps from the marketplace. Quincy Market is one of three long buildings in this primarily pedestrian area. Built in 1826 it houses many mini-restaurants in an indoor mall-type area, somewhat similar Seattle's Pike Place In the Colonnade, one can get a cup of chowder (see above), a slice from Pizzeria Regina (see below) sandwiches and sweets. Chocolate-chip cookie lovers should walk outside to Boston Chipyard; wait for them to come fresh out of the oven. This Boston tradition was started by ... people from Newport Beach, CA!

Italian/The North End

Boston's oldest residential district – Paul Revere's house is here as is the famed Old North Church where two lanterns were hung signifying the British were coming by sea – is the North End.

Today, it's Boston's Italian district. And Italian means pizza, and the meanest pizza is town is at Pizzeria Regina (Thacher at N. Margin). This is not only Boston's finest pizza, but can challenge any place for best in the USA. That includes Chicago and New York. It is thin-crust, is baked in a brick oven, the vegetables are fresh (word has it the place has its own garden) the sausage is from an old family recipe and the taste lasts for days. Prices are $10-16. Any local's mouth waters with the words: "Pizzeria Regina in the North End!" It has good range of draft and bottled beer (does anyone really order the Schaffer?) to accompany the meal. The place is old and small – less than 20 tables comprise the "dining" area and the small wooden bar holds a half-dozen, tops. Reservations are not accepted so it's first-come, first-serve. Go early and be patient; it's worth the wait.

Weekend Brunch

Newberry Street patios are popular on weekends. In good weather, of course.

Mixed among the upscale furniture stores, clothing shops, boutiques and occasional CD/record store on Newberry Street are several cafes where Boston's trendy professionals can be found having lunch and brunch on weekends.

For those who want to start the day with a bloody mary – and many do – Charley's Eat & Drink Saloon (at Gloucester) is the place to do it. The perfectly-made "bloodies" are fresh, not too spicy and have just the right amount of kick (which is to say after one, it's easy to want another). The food is just as satisfying and this is the place for breakfast ; the omelets are the size of Mo Vaughn's waist (though the home fries leave a bit to be desired). The chowder is good, only about a half-notch below Parker's.

Another popular place along Newberry is Stephanie's (at Exeter). It is more expensive than Charlie's and the crowd is a bit older (generally starting in the mid-30s). The drink here is the mimosa ($10 a glass). The menu is more tailored more for lunch than breakfast. Ciao Bella (at Fairfield) is busy, but the food is overpriced and average. Perhaps it's the Cosmopolitan martini that's the draw. Either that, or people want to return to the scene of the crime from the night before; downstairs is the popular late-night bar Daisy Buchannan's.

During the week, locals in the financial district grab a sandwich and sit out at Post Office Square (50 Federal St.). A small cafe at the end offers sandwiches and salads and the area has several other lunchtime restaurants.

Boston's Best Burger

In addition to the spirit provided in its chowder and seafood, Boston is a tavern town. And for food, the basic tavern fare is the burger.

After trying a few about town, we stumbled upon Clarke's Turn of the Century Saloon in the Irish bar-heavy Faneuil Hall area. The burger is thick, juicy and the bun does not overwhelm the meat, a key factor in PubClub's Worldwide Best Burger search. Our #1, for those burger-hunting souls, is Ercoles in Manhattan Beach, CA; #2 is Rocky's in San Diego and we put Clarke's at a strong #3.

Clarke's, by the way, is an innocent-looking two-room tavern with nice sports viewing TVs until about 10 o'clock on weekends when it passes from quaint pub to rocking, loud club.

Lobster Trapping

Several places sell pound-plus lobsters for $10-12. The many taverns around Faneuil Hall give one the opportunity to enjoy this local treat in an old-style setting. For those who don't want to mess with the shell, lobster rolls (lobster meat on a bun roll) are a good alternative.

But for a real taste of lobsters – literally and in the full scenic sense –  Rockport, Mass., is the place. Rockport is is a typical New England fishing village, the type seen in movies like The Perfect Storm. Restaurants line the wharf; we went to a stand and enjoyed our lobster sitting on one of Rockport's large rocks and looked at the fishing boats in the harbor. Other than fighting off the seagulls it was awesome. Rockport requires a drive. It's about an hour north of Boston, and the journey passes through Marblehead and Salem.

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