Kona's on Nord Avenue

Given the recent string of insane rain and cold temperatures we’d been seeing, I thought soup would be a great idea for this month's focus. I’m not sure about any of you readers, but we had been hearing a bit of chatter about the clam chowder from Kona’s on Nord Avenue. Of course, when you want good chowder, where else does your mind wander than a sandwich shop that has a Hawaiianthemed water feature? The surf-inspired shop, complete with island merchandise and adorable student-drawn art aligning each wall still has your favorites, the “Destroyer”, “Full Boat”, and “British”. They had this chowder we kept hearing about though, and offered a bread bowl, so we dove right in.

First bite: With steam escaping from my lips, I exclaimed, “Damn, that’s good.” This chowder is thick, and I mean stand-yourspoon-in-it thick. What I admired most is that it had salt, but it wasn’t overdone in a way as if to mask a lack of flavor or seasoning. I can taste the celery. I can taste the boiled potatoes and feel the texture of the light pieces of bacon. I can also sense that the chowder has had the clams cooked in for quite some time, with the vegetable broth and cream. It just doesn’t feel like it was an afterthought and brought in later. The unpeeled red potatoes bring a new layered mouthfeel that blends the soft potato with a finish of the skin that requires a slight bite. Finally, the clams are neither unnoticeably small nor obnoxiously large, allowing for everything to come together in each bite.

Anthony, the shift leader, greeted us with a welcoming smile before giving us the lowdown on their specials. He said their chowder is only served Fridays, and is made fresh daily like each of their soups. He went on by showing us the soup of the day menu that only duplicates on Sunday and Monday, which features their biggest hit, the tomato pesto garlic. It looks like we’ll be returning for more, especially if the rain keeps up.