Winter months in New England call for warming up with a steaming bowl of hearty New England clam chowder. According to the foodie website The Takeout, the Union Oyster House in Boston is the first restaurant to serve clam chowder, thereby asserting its place as the oldest continually operating restaurant in America. In 1836, 10 years after the restaurant opened, clam chowder reportedly appeared on the menu, and it's remained there ever since. The origins of the seafood-based dish predate the Union Oyster House. The preferred composition and consistency of clam chowder — whether it's the thick, milk-based broth of New England clam chowder or the thinner, tomato-based broth of Manhattan clam chowder — is another item up for debate.