Just like people, some of the best places have a rather briny history. Ivar’s is no exception. Before opening his Northwest seafood restaurant on Seattle’s historic Pier 54, Ivar Haglund bought the space to build Seattle’s first aquarium in 1938. Noticing that his patrons were leaving hungry, Ivar began serving his clam chowder while staging events that ranged from clam-eating contests to octopus wrestling. After nearly 80 years in business, Ivar’s famous white clam chowder still packs a punch with its generous amount of locally-caught clams and bits of smoky bacon that’s the perfect comfort food for your frostbitten soul on these long winter nights.