Great American Bites: The birthplace of fried clams
— -- The scene: Food historians debate the origins of everything from the sandwich to the hamburger to, most recently, the wrap, but there is far less argument about the fried clam. Ninety-six years ago, Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman ran a roadside stand in Essex, Mass., selling homemade potato chips and fresh clams he harvested nearby. On July 3, 1916 he took a friend's suggestion and combined the mollusks with the deep fryer and history was made. Ever since, New England has had a rich tradition of fried seafood, from the clam to fish and chips borrowed from old England, and today breaded, fried fish and shellfish are abundant here, from pints of scallops, shrimp, and clams to heaping platters with all of the above.
While such dishes can be found throughout the Northeast, the epicenter remains Boston's North Shore, as the suburban region is known. Today, Woodman's of Essex is a sprawling commercial monument to the popularity of fresh fried seafood, and has expanded several times. The huge main restaurant features a counter where you order and can see your meal being cooked before taking your tray to one of many tables. There is also a rooftop bar, and in summer, a street-front open-air stand selling fresh and steamed lobsters from huge tanks. There is bus parking, an ice cream stand and even a gift shop, and the complex is open daily, year round.
Just a few miles away in Ipswich is a smaller but equally iconic eatery, the Clam Box. Built in 1938, this retains more of a roadside-stand feel, since the historic building, then very avant garde, was made of concrete and with its outwardly sloping walls, built as a giant recreation of the cardboard pint containers fried clams are traditionally sold in. The result, usually with a line out the door, is a true landmark. The Clam Box closes from the end of Thanksgiving weekend until the third Thursday in February, and after an extremely mild winter, its recent 2012 reopening tells New Englanders spring is on its way. Both are family-owned, have close ties with individual local clam purveyors, and very high quality-control standards for shellfish.
Reason to visit: Fried clams, fried shellfish, clam chowder, onion rings, lobster rolls.
The food: Each restaurant has diehard fans, and despite many similarities, there are notable differences. Woodman's, which was named the best seafood eatery in America by Forbes FYI magazine, still fries everything in lard, which according to fifth-generation owner Steve Woodman, "Gives the food a distinctive taste, with zero transfats. Also, we bread the seafood in 100% cornmeal, no flour." As an unintended result, the restaurant has become extremely popular with the gluten-free community, who can eat anything except the chowder, clam cakes and onion rings.
All the seafood is fried to order in small batches, which means waiting about 15 minutes after placing your order, but it is well worth it. Frying is an easy way to ruin food, often by overcooking or leaving it too greasy, but Woodman's does none of those things, and all the fried seafood tastes fresh and moist. The shrimps and scallops are spectacular -- bursting with flavor, they're among the best I've ever tried. The haddock was very good, light, flaky and moist. All plates are served with a mix of onion rings and fries, a nice touch so you don't have to decide.
Popular Reads
ABC News Live