On my birthday weekend, my wife took me to dinner in Boston's North End. The goal wasn't to get clam chowder, but I also wasn't going to pass it up, especially after reading the description. This is a chowder like no other.

Nan's Kitchen has amazing fried chicken sandwiches, so we were hopeful that their clam chowder would be five stars. Read more.

Abe & Louie's chowder is just the second to receive five stars. Every ingredient in it is excellent and in balance, including the bacon. Read on for more.

We tried to get a new chowder, but stumbled into an old one. You'll have to read more to find out why Smith and Wollensky Chowder barely even got included in the Chowder Quest.

The chowder at Sea Level Oyster Bar in Newburyport has a creamy, thick consistency, but the clams were a little tough. And while the potatoes were good, the chowder needed a little more flavor to jump to the next level.