Clam Chowder with Smoked Bone Marrow: Ox, Portland, Ore.

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Clam chowder with smoked bone marrow

Photo by Dina Avila

The Original
Chef Greg Denton, a Vermont native, grew up with creamy seafood chowders, and when he opened this Argentine-style grill with his wife, chef Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, he wanted to include a lighter version on the menu.

The Twist
The Dentons eliminate flour to create a brothier base for their chowder ($15) and pile it high with clams, thinly sliced jalapeño, and a kayak-like piece of smoked marrowbone topped with garlicky toasted bread crumbs.

Why it works
Comfort deluxe. “We like to play with classics,” Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton says. “And clam chowder is so comforting, no matter what you do to it. Unless you turn it into a popsicle. That might take it too far.”