There have been some interesting comments on Fried Clams places here on the North Shore (Cape Ann). Those of us who have lived here, as I have for more than 10 years now (having moved here from Worcester) know that the rankings are as follows: Best: the Clam Box (Essex) 2nd best: the Red Barrel (on the Gloucester/Essex line) 3rd best: Farnham's For tourists only: Woodman's ----------------------------------------------------------- Last I heard, Clam Box and Red Barrel both close for the winter. Best part of Red Barrel is the British beer on tap which usually includes Double Diamond or Watney's Red Barrel. The old buck behind the bar at the Red Barrel is rather grumpy so beware! His daughter makes the fried clams and it's a good idea to call ahead as they only buy fresh local (and I mean local) clams. The daughter also waitresses and she is normally quite pleasant, except when the old man is yelling at her which is much of the time. Oddly, there are no good clam places that I know of in Gloucester which is a good sized city. And sadly, there are no good clam places in Manchester by the Sea which is also a shame. I tried the fried clams at 7 Central two weeks ago and they were quite mediocre although the other meals were decent (for a "pub" restaurant). But, if you want the very best clams in New England, you must leave Cape Ann for Cape Cod. In Orleans you will find Kadee's Clam Bar which is only open six months of the year. Kadees has both indoor and outdoor dining and even has a small wine list. A close 2nd on the Cape is Kream Kone in Chatham but this place is a bit too casual (no waiters/waitresses) for my taste. Now, I know these comments will get a response from this Newsgroup's Cape Cod representative Bruce Smith who will argue that Captain Frosty's in Dennis on Route 6A is tops in the fried food category. Sorry Bruce...must disagree with you on this point. ------------------------------------ Now a lobster comment: The best lobsters on Cape Ann were for years found at the Surf in Magnolia (on the Gloucester line with Manchester by the Sea). The Surf has been sold and gone bankrupt a few times since and is now a (pretty good) Italian restaurant called Taormina's. Other good lobsters were found at the old JP's Harborside in Manchester by the Sea which is also defunct. It is now a very mediocre Italian (chain) restaurant called Stromboli's. Gloucester has a few pretty good places for lobbies (here in Cape Ann the fishermen call em "bugs"): the old DownEast Oyster House (can't remember its new name), and several places out on Rocky Neck area of Gloucester are quite good (the old Outrigger on the Neck is defunct) but the Rudder is still there and quite good. Lobsta Land on Route 128 in Gloucester and its sister operation, the Gull on the Harbor in W. Gloucester also serve pretty good "bugs". ----------------------------------- Last week in Florida I was in a very good mood as it was 88 degrees and I called up here to New England and was told it was in the single digits with a blizzard. So for the hell of it, I ordered a warm water lobster dinner at a place in Palm Beach which is normally noted for its good seafood. Terrible terrible lobster. Well, you don't know until you try. John Gallagher
Massachusetts
Fried Clams/Cape Ann area
Someone wrote: >Gloucester has a few pretty good places for lobbies >(here in Cape Ann the fishermen call em "bugs"): > >the old DownEast Oyster House (can't remember its new name), >and several places out on Rocky Neck area of Gloucester are >quite good (the old Outrigger on the Neck is defunct) but the >Rudder is still there and quite good. > >Lobsta Land on Route 128 in Gloucester and its sister operation, >the Gull on the Harbor in W. Gloucester also serve pretty good >"bugs". The trick to a good lobster is getting it as close to the point of origin as possible. Lobsters don't eat in captivity, and the longer they sit in a pool somewhere, or the more handling they get, the more bodyweight they lose. Also, as any true lobster-lover knows, the only way to eat a lobster is to throw it in the pot, and then on to the table. Dishes such as lobster-stuffed-with-lobster most often use canned meat from Nova Scotia for the stuffing. With that in mind, I might suggest The Gloucester House, on Rogers Street in Gloucester. They have a wholesale lobster business associated with the restaurant, and the boats unload to the pools about 30 feet from the kitchen door. It doesn't get any fresher than that. The meat they use in their specialty lobsters comes from "culls" (one-armed lobsters, etc.), so it is as fresh as the rest of the meal. Although The Gloucester House primarily caters to the summer tourist, this time of year you will find the fishermen having a drink at the bar, and the locals enjoying the luncheon specials - and the lobster. Give it a shot. They have a web-page (not very informative) at: http://wizard.pn.com/capeann/seven.html ---Jim Fraser, [email removed] ============================ Who is this guy, anyway? Check it out! http://northshore.shore.net/~jaf/main.htm
On 14 Dec 1995 13:13:29 GMT, in article , Someone wrote: >There have been some interesting comments on Fried >Clams places here on the North Shore (Cape Ann). > >Those of us who have lived here, as I have for more than >10 years now (having moved here from Worcester) know >that the rankings are as follows: > >Best: the Clam Box (Essex) > >2nd best: the Red Barrel (on the Gloucester/Essex line) > >3rd best: Farnham's > >For tourists only: Woodman's I can't believe that White Cap Sea Food Co in Ipswitch isn't at the top of this list! My wife and I have tried the rest and White Cap is definitely the best. Their fried clams are incredible. They were one of the places written up in Gourmet this summer. -- Nick