The Old Salt (www.oldsaltnh.com) in Hampton, NH, is a landmark on Route 1 that serves up classic New England fare to tourists and locals alike.  The inside of the restaurant transports you to historic New England, and the attached Lamie’s Inn is available for tourists who get too weighed down with seafood and steaks to leave!  We revisited the Old Salt last weekend after a long absence and started by ordering up the soup of the day, Corn Chowder. 

When the waitress served the chowder, my initial reaction was that she delivered the wrong thing – it looked too thick to be soup or chowder!  However, one taste revealed that it was definitely corn chowder.  It was sweet and full of whole corn kernels as well as small bits of carrots, potatoes and celery.  Chunks of bacon throughout lent the soup a smoky flavor that complemented the sweet corn.  You could practically stand a spoon up straight in this hardy chowder, so it was incredibly filling.  I enjoyed eating it with the rolls and maple butter – sweet and savory!