"Man, is that delicious." That's an oft-heard phrase at Boston Chowda, but on a chilly February day in 2013, the Today Show's Matt Lauer became the latest fan of this New England–style clam chowda (not "chowder" here). It's hard to say what the biggest star in Faneuil Hall was that day—the national broadcast team or that chowda, with its perfect combination of local surf clams, rich cream, and hand-cut potatoes. After all, Boston Chowda's signature dish has won Boston’s Annual Chowderfest twice, and it's been receiving rave reviews since the restaurant opened back in 1973.

Life's not all cream and clams, however. Using generations-old recipes, the Lamattina family and their team fill out Boston Chowda's menu with a rotating selection of other soups, including Paul Revere chili, italian wedding soup, and butternut-squash bisque. The chefs have also mastered the Maine lobster roll and specialty pot pies like the turkey dinner pie, which they fill with turkey, herb stuffing, and seasoned gravy before covering the whole thing in mashed potatoes.