never been to Tony’s..but have relatives in Norfolk. Took me to some place that had decent but not outstanding fried clams…any place you would recommend locally? ( +/- 10-15 miles)

When I was in Boston a few weeks ago, my breakfast waiter told me about a new place for Fried Clams. He said it was located near the place the Boston Ferry docks from Long wharf to Quincy……….

Hi Michael, Beechmont dairy it was, we didn’t go there, that place was for rich folk. We was poor on the Eastside Of Bpt, we would stop for a burger and for a penny more you go another. Then they closed that place down because they were serving horse meat. This could be the reason I feel at home in a pasture.
  I went to many a picnics at Sherwood Island, it was a nice place. I tried to pick it out from the train, but, the trees were to high near the tracks when we passed Westport, going (UP) to Boston………….Your coming up with some good old names of places around Bpt, not bad for a guy who hasn’t had a good fried clam in a lot of years…………….

Soft clams this year have gone way up in price compared to hard clams.
When fried I’ve always found hard clams, especially when they use chowders, to be slimy, and not anywhere near as tasty as steamer clams when fried……
In fact I’m a fifty year customer at Old Saybrook, CT.’s Johnny Ads ( yes, I was there the weekend they opened in 1957 at age 9)……….
They’ve always resisted but last weekend they were frying hard clams. I gave them back and they said their regular supplier was out of soft clams but they hoped to have them by this weekend.
As to clam strips, my understanding is that they’re acutally very large ocean clams cut in strips and available everywhere because they come ashore already frozen.
Not certain, but wasn’t it Howard Johnson’s that actually developed clam strips and trademarked Ipswich Clams?

I’m headed to Cape Cod on Wednesday 7/11/2012….so most likely will report in on the current prices/quality

Just ate at The Clam Shack the other day.  $24.50 for a large order of whole belly clams.  They were great!

I’m surprise no one has mentioned The Clam Box or Tony’s on Wollaston Beach.

I’ve had the clams at Woodman’s and liked the Wollaston clams better

Were you around Connecticut when Castlebrook Inn was operating in Westbrook? The Castle at Fenwick? Ferry Tavern in Old Lyme?

You do know your stuff, MH.
I never went to the Castlebrook..But I ate many times with my folks at the Ferry Tavern. After it burned, auto-dealer Herb Chambers, built his home and a small marina(for his large yachts) and fuel dock where I get my fuel. It’s more like his private marina and heliport…but the diesel prices are decent.

I think you mean the Castle Inn, the building’s actually close to Fenwick in Cornfield Point…. just down the street from my home now.

My first job was there. At 14, I was a busboy and bellhop.

The Castle’s now a private home again, voluntarily up-zoned so the property could yield five expensive waterfront parcels…now homes.

As a hotel, restaurant and bar,it was a notorious speakeasy during prohibition, owned by Charles Lindbergh’s uncle, and there’s a cement wall where there was once a tunnel directly from the beach into the basement for unloading hooch…

My Dad also grew up in Cornfield Point. He and his teen  buddies would make big money($5.00/night) ferrying cases of Canadian whiskey from the fast boat to the rocky beach…til their folks found out…..a lot of kids ate standing up for a week…..

WingmanBBF

Fried clams at Sea Swirl.  Still jealous!

http://s1003.photobucket.com/user/lleechef/media/06c00d9a-7f23-482a-9285-5ff3c9978c86_zpsyignfttx.jpg.html

Now, that’s a work of (edible) art.

Were you around Connecticut when Castlebrook Inn was operating in Westbrook? The Castle at Fenwick? Ferry Tavern in Old Lyme?

I really like Johnny Ad’s. Their hot dogs are great and I like their lobster rolls, too. I think it was around 1996 or so when I first went there.

They’ve been a part of my life since I was 9, MH. My dad took me there the first weekend they opened in 1957 and, with a few minor burps, the quality and consistency have been spot on ever since…..

Third owner, former GM at the Mayfair Regent, bought it right around your first visit. gave up the city to be able to raise his kids in Old Saybrook.

He knows he’s the keeper of the flame and, although winters are tough, he gets what it means to folks that they’re open year around…

Boy, Billy, it’s been a really long time since you were home. First — You drove down from Bridgeport to Westport, not up. Second — You took U.S. 1, not 101 to get there. You really need to get home again. I can only wonder which way you’d go to get to Beardsly Park.

I really like Johnny Ad’s. Their hot dogs are great and I like their lobster rolls, too. I think it was around 1996 or so when I first went there.

Thank goodness we have two terrific seafood restaurants in Dallas serving fried whole belly clams.

20 Feet Under and Sea Breeze.  [:p][:p]

Both are great!

Johnny Ad’s this weekend…my total blowout..

.I know they’re frozen but I just love those crinkle cut steak fries…….

My go to is the Hummels foot long butter grilled NE roll, They used to keep the dogs in a pan of clarified butter on the flat-top…Don’t know if they still do….

And, of course, everybody’s star, whole belly, friend steamer clams…

The clam roll is the smallest order…so you can see I was using restraint….but the grilled roll soaks up clammy goodness, begging to be dipped in the tartar as the perfect coda, when all else is finished…my dessert….