Summertime in southeastern Connecticut officially begins on the first Friday in May, when Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough opens for the season. Eager customers queue up beneath the red-and-white awning, ready to place their orders when the window opens at 11 am, a longstanding tradition of loyalty and fun at Abbott’s.

Why are people so eager to ring in early summer at this largest and best-known of Connecticut seafood shacks? Some are shaking off the winter doldrums and getting an early start on the warm, sunny days to come. Others can’t wait to take in the beautiful views out back of the shack. But most are here for something else altogether: lobster!

Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough first opened in 1947, when Ernie Abbott bought a disused bisque and chowder cannery and transformed it into a waterside, dine-in-the-rough restaurant. Jerry and Ruth Mears, Abbott’s regulars in the 1970s, purchased the shack in the early 1980s, kept the name, and upped the game, turning Abbott’s into a multifaceted destination restaurant that is currently under the second and third generations of Mears family ownership.

Finding Abbott’s can be challenging, but GPS is your best guide to navigating the narrow streets of nautical Noank to Abbott’s parking lot and shack. Study the menus at the order window, then place your order with the friendly staff. You pay for your goodies and then receive a numbered ticket redeemable at the bright, red pickup window in the adjacent room, Abbott’s only indoor dining area.

While you wait, feel free to stake out a picnic table on Abbott’s broad, grassy grounds or pier out back. There’s also a roomy red-and-white tent covering a dozen or so tables, providing shade from the sun and shelter from rain. All tables have commanding views of the scenic Mystic River and Fishers Island Sound. Order numbers are announced via loudspeaker, so grab a table and listen for your number.

The most popular item on the menu at Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough is the lobster roll. Or should we say rolls? There’s the basic lobster roll of four ounces of lobster meat on a toasted hamburger-style bun. Then there’s the OMG lobster roll with twice the amount of meat, and the LOL lobster roll with a stupefying full pound of the good stuff. All these rolls are served in classic Connecticut style: warm lobster meat with melted butter. There’s also a cold New England-style lobster roll with chilled lobster meat, house dressing, and celery.

For those who prefer whole lobster, Abbott’s has a great selection from which to choose. Procured from the chilly waters of Canada and northern Maine, Abbott’s meaty lobsters are slow-steamed in vintage cast-iron vaults. They range in size from 1 1/4 pounds to 2 1/2 pounds and larger upon request. Each dinner comes with potato chips, coleslaw, and drawn butter. For those not inclined to dine on shellfish, there’s oven-roasted chicken, ribs, various sandwiches, and several tempting pasta dishes.

But wait, there’s more! Starters and sides include a fruit, veg, and cheese platter, steamed mussels and clams, crab cakes, shrimp in the rough, stuffed clams, lobster bisque, clam chowder, and a very nice steamed artichoke. An adorable raw bar serves up fresh clams and oysters on the half shell, and an adjacent dessert stand has fresh-baked goods and Gifford’s ice cream from Maine. Abbott’s is BYO, by the way, so be sure to bring along your favorite alcoholic beverages.  

 If it’s deep-fried seafood you crave, Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough has a companion shack a couple hundred yards down the road called (what else?) Costello’s Clam Shack. You may enjoy deep-fried goodies from there and even order them at Abbott’s, pick them up, and bring them back.

Sitting outdoors at a table, digging into a lobster feast, and watching the pleasure craft glide by on the Mystic River is a rite of passage in this corner of Connecticut—one that people in the know practice year after year from the first Friday in May through mid-October.

Have you ever visited Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough?

See More:
The Best Lobster Rolls in New England in 2024
New England’s Best Lobster Rolls with a View
Connecticut Lobster Roll Roundup | 7 Favorites

The post In Praise of Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough: A Connecticut Summer Seafood Staple appeared first on New England.

Talk about an enduring family business. Woodman’s of Essex in Essex, Massachusetts, is well into its fifth generation of Woodman family ownership, and this well-known dine-in-the-rough seafood eatery shows no signs of slowing down.

Ever since Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman fried up his first batch of shucked, soft-shell clams on July 3, 1916, Woodman’s of Essex has been a major player on the New England seafood scene. Situated on a causeway between bends in the Essex River on Route 133 (also known as the “Clam Highway,” due to the number of famous clam shacks along the road), it’s a local and tourist favorite, so it’s no surprise that it also earned a spot on my list of the 10 Best Fried Clams in New England.

The original roadside stand is now a full-blown, low-slung, rustic dine-in-the-rough restaurant with a seasonal raw bar on the second floor, an ice cream stand and a souvenir shop out back, and a large tented dining area on the back lawn with picnic tables overlooking an expansive salt marsh chirping with all sorts of bird life.

Chubby fried his inaugural clams in good, old-fashioned lard, and that tradition continues today. Though the fatty nature of this cooking oil isn’t good for one’s cholesterol count, it does wonderful things to the taste and texture of these marvelous bivalves and most of the other deep-fried goodies coming out of Woodman’s fryers.

Each order of fried clams goes through a quick milk wash followed by a hand-kneading in a large bin of corn flour to ensure thorough coverage. The excess flour is shaken off in a wire basket before being deposited in the deep fryer. The end result is flavor-packed, nubbly nuggets of pure fried clam goodness. Be sure to get the fried clam dinner plate, which comes with french fries and battered onion rings.

Navigating one’s way through the food-ordering and pickup process begins with queuing up in front of the cash register with its poster board menu suspended from above. The line can be quite long, especially in the summertime, but it moves quickly and is well worth the wait.

Once you’ve placed your order, step around the corner with your ticket in hand and wait for your number to be called. While you’re waiting, be sure to order your favorite beverage from the stand that’s kitty-corner from the order and pickup windows. There are a wide variety of soft drinks and seltzers to choose from, as well as beer, wine, and spirits. Woodman’s has its own proprietary IPA on tap.

There’s more on the menu to enjoy than just the famous fried clams. A cup or bowl of Woodman’s milky New England-style clam chowder makes for a great opener, especially when paired with doughy clam cakes for dunking. Other fried foods and dinner plates include clam strips, sea scallops, jumbo shrimp, calamari, and fried fish.

Want lobster? Woodman’s has you covered. Get a meaty lobster roll served on a toasted split-top bun, or opt for a whole lobster, boiled out front in an open-air cookery. The lobsters are displayed on ice-covered stainless steel tables in front of a large boiling pot, and you can pick your own.  

Once you’ve got your victuals squared away, find a cozy booth in the expansive indoor dining room or head to the tent in the back, where you’ll find a dozen picnic tables for al fresco dining.

And that’s not all. Woodman’s launched a beautiful new food truck in 2024 that will travel the metro Boston area, bringing the good stuff to people where they live, work, and play. The truck will also be available for special events, just like the trailers Woodman’s currently dispatches to family gatherings and special events for their highly regarded clambakes.

A sixth generation of Woodman’s is starting to join the family clan at this classic, unforgettable New England seafood stalwart, guaranteeing many more years of fried clams and so much more New England seafood goodness.

Have you ever been to Woodman’s? Let us know in the comments!

The post In Praise of Woodman’s of Essex: A Century of New England Seafood Excellence and Famous Fried Clams appeared first on New England.

When you step onto Custom House Wharf in Portland, Maine, you step back in time and experience the city’s waterfront as it used to be. Weathered buildings line the narrow street. An oyster house and a tavern are lures for the hungry and parched. And yet, the wharf’s crown jewel is Harbor Fish Market, the state’s premier retail store for the finest, freshest seafood to be found virtually anywhere in New England. 

The Alfiero family has held dominion over Harbor Fish Market since its founding in 1966, when they took over the Custom House Wharf space previously occupied by another fishmonger. Brothers Nick and Mike Alfiero currently run the market, along with other family members and a seasoned staff of dedicated seafood professionals.   

The market’s faded façade and raised, wooden front sidewalk set the tone for the authentic seafood experience to be had within. Step inside the rustic interior with concrete floors and behold two lengthy glassed-in seafood cases stocked with fresh fish and shellfish from near and far. One case holds primarily fish fillets from local waters—cod, haddock, hake, halibut, North Atlantic salmon, swordfish, tuna, flounder, and more. The other case brims with shellfish like shrimp, dayboat scallops, shucked oysters, lobster meat, and smoked fish and shellfish.      

Between the two cases are ice-covered tables displaying an amazing variety of freshly caught whole fish. Monkfish, red snapper, black bass, branzini, striped bass, and ocean perch are just some of the species offered, depending on what’s come in fresh that day. You may get your fish wrapped up whole or have it filleted by Harbor Fish’s expert cutters, who work behind the display cases and tables. Iced down on another table are containers of fresh-picked crabmeat.  

There are even more shellfish in the form of oysters, clams, and mussels on display in bushel baskets from which you may select your own. The mussels and steamer clams come in netted sacks, while the oysters and clams may be selected individually. There’s a heavy emphasis on local oysters from such well-known areas as Damariscotta and Casco Bay, along with a rotating selection from oyster beds throughout New England and further afield. Mussels come from Moosabec in Downeast Maine and from Canada’s Prince Edward Island.   

Lobsters arrive fresh by boat daily, with a small fleet of lobstermen dropping off their catches on a dock Harbor Fish maintains just outside its back doors. You may pick your own from the cold-water tanks burbling away in the retail area or have one of the staff members select one for you, based on your preferences for hard shell or soft shell and lobster weight.  

As if all this isn’t enough for any seafood fan, there are also refrigerated cases stocked with such delicacies as pickled herring, sliced smoked salmon in vacuum packs, frozen cooked or raw cocktail shrimp, smoked trout, sardines, and smoked salmon spread. 

If you’re looking for ways to prepare all this bounty from the sea, the Alfieros have you covered there, too. Harbor Fish Market: Seafood Recipes from Maine (also for sale in the market) is authored by Nick Alfiero, his wife, Kathleen, and their son Rian, and inside are recipes for seafood appetizers, entrees, salads, soups, and chowders — all tested over the years in the Alfiero family’s home kitchen.  

How does Harbor Fish keep its cases, tanks, and tables stocked with the best seafood around? They’ve got a dedicated staff, including several people in a room just off the retail floor that spend each day on the phones and computers tracking down the best, freshest seafood it can find worldwide. Their purchasing expertise puts them at the head of the line when it comes to seafood procurement in New England and beyond. 

In March 2022, Harbor Fish opened a second retail outlet in nearby Scarborough as part of a joint project with Rosemont Market, another locally owned food retailer. It’s every bit as charming and well-stocked as the flagship store on Custom House Wharf.   

With its second and third generations of Alfiero family ownership, Harbor Fish Market continues to live by their creed: “We don’t sell anything we wouldn’t bring home ourselves.” Long live this cherished New England seafood market gem.       

See More:

10 Best New England Seafood Markets

The post In Praise of Harbor Fish Market in Portland, Maine | Family, Tradition & Fresh Seafood appeared first on New England.

Hot buttered lobster rolls, seaside strolls, and natural beauty await on a two-day meander through this storied region where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound.

WATERFRONT HOTEL
Madison Beach Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, Madison

Check into this stately resort with its own private beach, and you’ll find plenty to please even the most well-traveled guest. The storied hotel was reimagined and rebuilt a dozen years ago with three floors of deluxe rooms, many with balconies and water views. Take a dip in Long Island Sound or unwind in the spa, then dine beachside at The Wharf. hilton.com/en/hotels/mpecuqq-madison-beach-hotel 

BREAKFAST SPOT
Cristy’s Madison, Madison

Set in an 1800s building that once served as a girls’ school, this eatery comprises two cozy, wood-paneled dining rooms with a bar between. In addition to eggs, hash, and sausage plates, there are more than 40 types of pancakes, festooned with fruits, grains, and candies of your choosing. Each stack is topped with generous dollops of butter and snowy sprinklings of powdered sugar. cristysmadison.com

BEACH
Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison

You can spend hours exploring two miles of pristine, sandy beach and miles of strolling and biking paths—or unfurl a towel and do precious little. But you don’t want to miss the Meigs Point Nature Center, which offers engaging displays of local flora and fauna, along with explanations of the park’s fragile ecosystem. ctparks.com/parks/hammonasset-beach-state-park

Hunger pangs? The best beach-day eats are just outside the park on U.S. Route 1.

CLAM SHACK
The Clam Castle, Madison
This old-school stand, a Connecticut shoreline gem since the mid-1960s, serves up copious baskets of fried seafood, as well as tacos and burritos. Two types of chowder and the lobster bisque make for great openers. Then go for the deep-fried whole-belly clams or the meaty lobster roll. You know you want the jumbo version. clamcastlect.com 

You may regret overindulging, though, when you see what’s for dinner.

CHINESE RESTAURANT
Taste of China, Clinton
She’s a Chinese national, and he’s from nearby Madison, Connecticut. Together, Hu Ping and Jonathan Dolph created a Chinese restaurant that draws food lovers from across the shoreline and beyond. Taste of China specializes in Szechuan cuisine with an inventive menu that includes crispy sesame beef, sizzling shrimp and scallops, and Chengdu duck. Choose from nearly a dozen varieties of Belgian beer, the owners’ favored beverage. clintontasteofchinaus.com

Start your second day by motoring up U.S. Route 1 to the classic shoreline town Katharine Hepburn called home.

BAKERY
The Pursuit of Pastry, Old Saybrook

From croissants and scones to locally famous baked doughnuts, you’ll start the morning sweetly here. There’s a full line of coffees and teas to jolt you awake, too. Enjoy your repast inside the brightly colored café, or head over to nearby Founders Memorial Park, which has photogenic views of the mouth of the Connecticut River. pursuitofpastry.com

STROLL
Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford
No visit to the shoreline is complete without a walk through this park’s Jazz Age mansion, Eolia, and its formal gardens and waterfront grounds. The 42-room mansion may be toured on weekends in the summer; the surrounding gardens, created by landscape architect Beatrix Farrand in the 1920s and early ’30s, may be enjoyed anytime. And there are 242 acres of lawn, pathways, and beachfront for strolling, biking, or just enjoying the panoramic view of Long Island Sound. ctparks.com/parks/harkness-memorial-state-park

OUTDOOR DINING
Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock, New London

Situated on a thin strip of land between railroad tracks and a pleasure-boat harbor, Captain Scott’s is hard to find but tough to beat when it comes to fresh seafood. Lobster rolls come in both hot and cold varieties, and the deep-fried seafood is plentiful and top-notch, especially the fish-and-chips. Picnic tables radiate out from this funky shack, and there’s often live music on weekends. BYOB—and a tablecloth and flowers if you want to feel fancy. captscottsnl.com

Continue east to Connecticut’s top tourist town, where you may want to bed down for several nights if you’ve never visited headliners like Mystic Seaport Museum and Mystic Aquarium before. Only have one night? It can still be unforgettable.

COUNTRY INN
The Taber Inne and Suites, Mystic

Just a half mile from downtown Mystic, this sprawling, 12-building property offers a wide variety of accommodations, as well as the area’s largest indoor swimming pool. Each white clapboard building has its own characteristics. Choose from spacious two-story units, a one-story carriage house, or standard hotel-type rooms. Some units have gas-jet fireplaces, Jacuzzis, and private balconies. taberinne.com

FINE DINING
Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic

Chef David Standridge has created a restaurant that stands head and shoulders above most others in food-crazy Mystic. In his bistro at the Whaler’s Inn, the James Beard Award nominee for the Northeast’s best chef may be seen orchestrating the open kitchen and putting the finishing touches on every dish. The seafood comes almost exclusively from nearby docks. Unusual native species like dogfish, scup, sea robin, and monkfish are transformed into plates of seafood wonderment. shipwrightsdaughter.com

The post 2024 Summer Weekend on the Connecticut Shore | Travel Guide appeared first on New England.

What is New Haven pizza? For starters, it’s “Apizza” (pronounced ah-BEETS). New Haven’s unique name and approach to pizza date back to the city’s Italian-American neighborhoods and bakeries in the early 1900s. Factory workers and working-class families needed simple fare that could be shared easily and that could feed an entire family on a tight budget. Apizza, served up by the numerous neighborhood bakeries, fits the bill.

Enter Frank Pepe, the godfather of New Haven apizza, who started churning out his distinctive Neapolitan-style “tomato pies” from the Wooster Square bakery where he worked after World War I. He initially sold them from a pushcart he wheeled around the neighborhood. The tomato pies proved so popular that Pepe eventually took ownership of the bakery and launched Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana on Wooster Street in 1925. His first eatery was in a small building named The Spot, which still exists as an annex adjacent to today’s Pepe’s.

Classic New Haven pizza is simple and straightforward. Referred to in the vernacular as a “plain pie,” it consists of dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, a sprinkling of romano cheese, and a few dashes of olive oil. (Mozzarella cheese, or “mootz,” is considered to be a topping, like sausage or mushroom.) The pies are baked in large coal-fired ovens made of sturdy bricks that can withstand the intense heat given off by the burning fuel. The plain pie is the standard by which all New Haven apizza is measured.

Frank Pepe’s nephew, Salvatore “Sally” Consiglio, worked for his uncle for several years before opening his own pizzeria, Sally’s Apizza, just down Wooster Street from Pepe’s. He did so with his uncle’s blessing, and the two institutions have been friendly competitors ever since. A third titan of New Haven pizza, Modern Apizza, came into its own on nearby State Street in 1942.

Each of these three establishments has its own unique specialties within the world of New Haven apizza. Pepe’s is best known for its plain tomato pie and for its white clam pie, which Frank Pepe invented in the 1960s. Sally’s is acclaimed for its white clam pie and its unique white potato pie, festooned with paper-thin slices of white potato and smothered in garlic. And Modern zigs while the other two zag, with its Italian Bomb pizza, piled high with bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, pepper, and garlic. (Modern’s owner, Bill Pustari, jokingly nicknamed it the “Diet Special,” claiming the three veggies cancel out the three meats.)  

Other characteristics of New Haven apizza include “charred” (not burnt) crust, which leaves a charcoal-like residue on your fingertips, often calling for a post-meal hand washing. The pies are somewhat oblong in shape and are typically served on rectangular metal baking sheets. They’re also cut in haphazard, sometimes lengthy trapezoidal shapes, another hallmark of this idiosyncratic delicacy.

Other great purveyors of classic New Haven apizza include Roseland Apizza in nearby Derby, where their white clam pie reigns supreme. And just over the New Haven border in West Haven is Zuppardi’s, whose pride and joy is their sausage and mushroom pie. BAR, a relative newcomer on Crown Street in downtown New Haven, has built a huge following around their unconventional mashed potato, bacon, and garlic apizza, which pairs very nicely with the many beers they brew on the premises.

Numerous celebrities have chimed in on which of the big three New Haven pizzerias is the best. In Pepe’s corner are Henry Winkler, Lyle Lovett, and Paul Giamatti. Sally’s is tops for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Michael Bolton. Steven Spielberg tops the list of Modern devotees, along with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, internet food personality Daym Drops, and Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione, a Connecticut native.

Pepe’s, Sally’s, and Modern are almost always crowded, and standing outside while waiting for a table is a part of the experience. But it’s well worth the time invested in order to enjoy the pizza and the historic vibes that make New Haven the pizza capital of America.

Which New Haven pizza place is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Ode to New Haven Pizza: What It Is, Where To Get It, and Why It’s the Best appeared first on New England.

Housed in a flared-roof, shingle-sided building that resembles an open-topped takeout container, the Clam Box in Ipswich, Massachusetts, has been serving up some of the best fried clams to be found anywhere in New England.

This one-of-a-kind eatery was built in 1935 by a man named Dick Greenleaf as a present to his wife, who wanted to try her hand at running a restaurant. Fast forward some 90 years and several different owners later, and the Clam Box tradition continues from its boxy quarters with no signs of slowing down.

What makes this place so special? For starters, the Clam Box uses native clams harvested from nearby clam beds by local fishermen and delivered daily to the shack’s kitchen. The Ipswich area of Cape Ann is renowned for its plump, flavorful bivalves, and the Clam Box stands first in line when it comes to getting the cream of the crop.

Then there’s the cooking method, which has been perfected over many years. The clams are measured by the order then dipped into a wash of evaporated milk. The moistened clams are then transferred into a large vat of flour consisting of three parts corn flour and one part pastry flour. They’re hand kneaded to ensure thorough coating then transferred to a fry basket.

Deep-frying is a two-step process. First the clams spend a few seconds in one deep fryer to remove any excess breading. Then the basket is immersed in an adjacent fryer for full cooking to a golden brown, crunchy, chewy tenderness.

The frying process is pretty much the same for the rest of the Clam Box’s deep-fried delectables, including strip clams, scallops, shrimp, oysters, calamari, haddock, and onion rings. The breading and frying stations in the kitchen are cheek-by-jowl and efficiently run. Some of the line cooks have been with the Clam Box for decades, a testament to the passion that workers feel toward the shack and their craft.

As if this isn’t enough, the Clam Box is also perhaps the only seafood shack that changes its cooking oil twice daily. At around 2:30 pm, the cooking ceases for approximately 20 minutes while the kitchen staff drains the deep fryers then refills and heats up fresh batches of cooking oil, which consists of a blend of beef fat and vegetable oil. This is an expensive undertaking but one that the owners consider essential to serving the best possible product.

In addition to its fine lineup of deep-fried seafood, the Clam Box also boasts a meaty lobster roll served chilled on a buttered, toasted split-top bun. And there are great hamburgers, hot dogs, and a variety of other sandwiches for those not inclined toward seafood.

The indoor dining room is small, dimly lit, and nautically decorated. But the preferred place to dine is outside under the large tent that covers a dozen or more picnic tables adjacent to the graveled parking area.

The Clam Box started coming into its own when Marina “Chickie” Aggelakis purchased the eatery in 1984. Chickie brought virtually all the current Clam Box practices to the establishment and was a constant presence at the shack. She would meet her seafood suppliers at the shack’s delivery door every morning to inspect the incoming goods for the day.

Chickie remained at the helm until her passing in 2020. Her son, Dimitri, briefly took over before he passed on a year later. Johanna Aggelakis, Chickie’s daughter-in-law, is now at the helm, keeping all the great Clam Box traditions alive. She recently gave birth to a baby daughter named Marina (named after guess who?), and Johanna vows that the Clam Box in Ipswich will remain in the Aggelakis clan for decades to come. That’s good news for fried clam fans everywhere.

Have you ever visited the Clam Box in Ipswich, Massachusetts?

The post Why the Clam Box in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Is the Ultimate Spot for Fried Clams appeared first on New England.

10 Best Fried Clam Strips in New England

The Clam Box | Ipswich, MA

Markey’s | Seabrook, NH

J.T. Farnham’s | Essex, MA

Costello’s Clam Shack | Noank, CT

Woodman’s of Essex | Essex, MA

Bob’s Clam Hut | Kittery, ME

Iggy’s Doughboys | Warwick, RI

The Clam Castle | Madison, CT

The Clam Shack | Kennebunk, ME

Jim’s Clam Shack | Falmouth, MA

SEE MORE: 10 Best Clam Shacks in New England 10 Best Fried Clams in New England Fried Clams | Bellies vs. Strips

The post 10 Best Fried Clam Strips in New England appeared first on New England.

Red snappers, New York Systems, Coney Islands, two-footers—these are just some of the interesting and unusual hot dog species that inhabit the New England culinary kingdom. Yankee contributor Mike Urban recently went on a hot dog safari, and here are his top picks (in no particular order) from New England’s colorful world of wieners.

Guide to the Best Hot Dogs in New England

Doogie’s | Newington, CT

Home of the two-footer hot dog, Doogie’s is more than just a novelty shop. The grilled pork-and-beef wieners here, which come from nearby Rosol’s Meats, are genuinely tasty, regardless of their length. In addition to the two-footer with the works (chili, cheese, onions, and roasted peppers—big enough for two people), try the “College”—a 16-incher with chili, bacon, sauerkraut, jalapeños, cheddar, and American cheese on a garlic roll.

Flo’s Hot Dogs | Cape Neddick, ME

This classic Maine roadside shack has no phone, no lobster roll, and no spare headroom, with its six-foot-high ceiling in the cramped order/dining area. But it has a couple of extraordinary steamed hot dogs that are well worth checking out. The customers’ favorite (and with good reason) is the House Special, which is adorned with Flo’s special relish, mayo (yes, mayo), and celery salt. The “Loaded” dog comes with mustard, green relish, Flo’s relish, chopped onions, and celery salt. Because it’s Maine, you have to order a Moxie, too.

SEE MORE: Flo’s Hot Dogs | Local Flavor

Nick’s Hot Dogs | Fall River, MA

In hot-dog-crazy Fall River, Nick’s stands head and shoulders above the competition. Purveyors of locally famous Coney Island–style hot dogs, this 1920s-era shop has held fast to its traditions. The recipe for the meat sauce, which is slathered onto the dogs was created by founder Nick Pappas nearly a century ago, and remains a secret. Add a squiggle of mustard and a sprinkling of chopped raw onion, and the Nick’s dog is complete. At least two wieners are recommended for a full meal, along with a side of hand-cut fries and a tall mug of ice-cold coffee milk. Be sure to enjoy your meal while sitting at one of the school desks from the 1800s that line the back wall of the restaurant.

Super Duper Weenie | Fairfield, CT

Super Duper is tops when it comes to hot dogs in New England. The meaty franks here are split and grilled and served in as many as eight different ways. The New Englander (sauerkraut, bacon, mustard, homemade sweet relish, and chopped raw onion) is the dog of choice, served on a soft, home-baked bun. Other wienies on the menu (New Yorker, Chicagoan, Californian, Dixie, Cincinnatian, and Georgia red hot) cover much of the rest of the American hot dog landscape. Be sure to throw in an order of fresh-cut french fries, made from Super Duper’s specially procured potatoes.

Blackie’s | Cheshire, CT

This barn-like stand has been around in one form or another in the same spot since 1928. The hot dogs are boiled in oil until the casings split, giving the wieners (from Martin Rosol’s Meats in nearby New Britain) a taste and texture somewhere between grilled and steamed. All dogs are served plain on soft buns; customers then apply spicy brown mustard and peppery homemade relish to each pup. Birch beer on tap is the preferred beverage, and there are no fries, just chips. Nota bene: Blackie’s is closed on Fridays, in keeping with the once-cardinal Catholic rule of no meat on that day.

Olneyville New York System | Providence & Cranston, RI

Olneyville is the premier spot for “New York System” hot wieners in Rhode Island. So named as part of a marketing gimmick in the early 1900s, these dogs are best when ordered “all the way”—mustard, a spicy meat sauce, finely chopped raw onion, and a dash of celery salt. Be sure to order more than one, and wash them down with the Rhode Island beverage of choice: coffee milk—a glass of plain milk with a generous shot of coffee syrup mixed in. Watch the cooks line wieners in buns up their arms while dressing them with condiments en masse. It’s quite a show! 

SEE MORE: Olneyville New York System Hot Wieners | Local Flavor

Wein-O-Rama | Cranston, RI

With the look and feel of a 1960s coffee shop, Wein-O-Rama has a variety of breakfast and lunch items on the menu. But WOR’s raison d’être is its New York System hot wieners, which they cook by the dozens in plain sight on the upfront griddle throughout the day. Order two or more with “the works”—mustard, spicy meat sauce, onions, and celery salt on steamed buns. The “small” coffee milk here is big enough to bathe in.

Simones’ Hot Dog Stand | Lewiston, ME

This super friendly hot dog emporium in the old mill town of Lewiston has the warm look and feel of a diner on the inside, and the finest hot dogs in central Maine. Home of the “red snapper” hot dog, Simones’ wieners are bright red, plump, and steamed to perfection. Try the kraut dog, loaded with homemade sauerkraut and mustard, or the chili cheese dog, smothered in a meaty chili sauce and graced with a generous helping of melted cheese. Wednesdays are $1 hot-dog days, the owners’ way of saying thanks to their many loyal customers.

Wasses Hot Dogs | Rockland, ME

A tiny hot dog empire has sprouted in mid-coast Maine: Wasses Hot Dogs has four retail outlets and counting. The original Wasses, just off Main Street in Rockland, began business under the ownership of Keith Wass in 1972. The Wasses method of cooking is to fry the hot dogs on a griddle in a shimmering pool of hot peanut oil. The unbreaded “fried onions,” cooked in the same manner, are a must-have on each Wasses wiener.  Try the hot dog with the works or the “Texan,” which is smothered with bacon, fried onions, ketchup, and baked beans.

Jack’s Hot Dog Stand | North Adams, MA

This cramped, dimly lit spot in northwestern Massachusetts has been slinging weenies since 1917. Current owner Jeff Levanos is the third generation of the Levanos family to hold dominion over Jack’s. Hot dogs here are best ordered two at a time, along with Jack’s famous, hand-cut fries. Try the dog with the works and the chili cheese dog, which features a slice of white American cheese in lieu of gloopy cheese sauce. 

Tex Barry’s Coney Island Diner | Attleboro, MA

Located in a small Worcester diner car on the edge of a narrow canal, Tex Barry’s is a southern Massachusetts institution when it comes to hot dogs and hospitality. The diner has been around since 1924, serving Coney Island hot dogs, cooked on a foil-covered griddle and packed into perfectly steamed side-split buns. The tangy hamburger sauce is a must, along with a smear of mustard and a topping of chopped raw onion. The diner’s compact interior engenders conversations between everyone in the place, and the convivial atmosphere adds greatly to the hot dog experience.

Gilley’s PM Lunch | Portsmouth, NH

New England diners are usually good bets for tasty hot dogs, and Gilley’s is no exception. Housed in a 1940s Worcester diner car tucked away on a side-street in downtown Portsmouth, Gilley’s prides itself on its small but alluring hot dog menu. You may choose between plain, chili, kraut, chili-cheese, or “loaded,” with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions. Gilley’s hot dogs are made from beef, pork, and veal, and they come from Shields Provisions, a nearby family-run business. Good news for the late-night crowd: Gilley’s is open until 2 a.m. 

SEE MORE: Best of Portsmouth, NH | Restaurants & Dining

Where are your favorite spots for the best hot dogs in New England? Let us know!

This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated. 

SEE MORE:
The New England Hot Dog Bun
Red Snapper Hot Dogs | Maine’s Favorite Home-Grilled Dog
Flo’s Hot Dogs | Local Flavor

The post Best Hot Dogs in New England appeared first on New England.

New England fried clams were likely invented about one hundred years ago in Essex, Massachusetts, by Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman. Ever since then, thousands of New England eateries (especially the best clam shacks) have played with recipes and cooking methods in an attempt to come up with the best. Yankee contributor Mike Urban, author of Clam Shacks (Cider Mill Press, 2011), has sampled these tasty fried morsels at dozens of New England establishments. Here are his top ten places to get the best fried clams in New England!

10 Best Fried Clams in New England

Bagaduce Lunch | Brookville, ME

This understated food stand on Maine’s Blue Hill peninsula has been frying up seafood since the 1940s, and it shows in its perfectly cooked, locally sourced, fried whole-belly clams. The key to its success seems to lie in the simplicity and honesty of the cooking, with recipes dating back several decades. Seven years ago, the shack earned a James Beard Foundation America’s Classics award, a testament to the sincerity of its offerings — especially its fried clams.

The Clam Box | Ipswich, MA

This place still holds the crown for best fried clams in New England. Each hand-picked batch of clams initially goes through an evaporated-milk wash, followed by a coating of corn flour and white pastry flour, then is fried briefly once, then again until crisp and crunchy outside, firm and chewy inside. Add to this the twice-daily changing of the cooking oil, and you have a seemingly unbeatable formula for fried clams cooked up the way they should be.

J.T. Farnham’s Seafood and Grill | Essex, MA

The secret to Farnham’s enduring popularity among fried clam aficionados is its careful selection of fresh whole-belly clams and its combination of vegetable oil and animal fat in its deep fryers. The finished product comes out tender and flaky, chewy and crunchy all at the same time. Local sourcing from nearby fertile clam beds also helps.

Woodman’s of Essex | Essex, MA

The Woodman family claims that the fried clam was invented here nearly a century ago, and the Woodmans are still cooking them up to this day. Woodman’s success and longevity in the deep-fried clam world is largely due to the lard they use in their deep fryers. The clams are sweet, tender, and crunchy, and they come from local clam beds in Essex and Ipswich, considered by many to be the best in the world.

SEE MORE: Fried Clam Trivia

The Sandpiper | East Haven, CT

Across the street from East Haven’s scenic public beach and next to a wonderful public playscape for kids, this clean, modest restaurant is a diamond in the rough when it comes to fried clams. Lightly breaded and cooked in oil that’s frequently changed, the Sandpiper’s clams stand out for their sweetness, crunchiness, and overall full-clam flavor. Check this place out the next time you’re cruising the Connecticut shoreline for quality clams and other seafood.

Sea Basket | Wiscasset, ME

This clean, well-lit seafood shack serves up some excellent fried clams that are perfectly breaded and lightly fried for a satisfying crunchy texture with each bite. Using what they call a “convection” style of deep-frying, the outer portions of the clams are quickly seared at a high temperature, preventing them from absorbing the cooking oil. The end result is crispy, puffy fried clam perfection.

The Clam Shack | Kennebunk, ME

Though it is best known for having one of the best lobster rolls in Maine, the namesake fried clams here are also excellent. The clams are from nearby waters, very lightly breaded, and cooked in super-clean, frequently changed cooking oil for a sweet, crunchy taste and texture. Kennebunkport resident and former First Lady Barbara Bush declares these to be the best fried clams in the world. Who can argue with that?

SEE MORE: The Clam Shack | Kennebunk, Maine

Blount Clam Shack | Warren, RI

Housed in a couple of snappy, dark-blue trailers by the tidal Warren River in eastern Rhode Island, Blount is known as an outstanding purveyor of clam chowder, both through its shacks and its institutional-size gourmet food operation nearby. But the fried clams at the shack are not to be missed. They’re chewy, they’re sweet, and they’re hand-selected from the voluminous amount of clams that Blount Fine Foods receives on a daily basis. Be sure to also order some award-winning chowder while you’re there.

SEE MORE: Brown’s Lobster Pound | The Best Lobster Roll in NH?

Lenny and Joe’s Fish Tale | Madison, CT

The fried clams at Lenny and Joe’s are crispy, sweet, and perfectly fried every time — something that similarly large, longstanding seafood shacks have a more difficult time doing. Each order of fried clams is quickly immersed in a succession of two fryers for quick, clean cooking that keeps the clams crunchy and free of lingering cooking oil. These remain the fried clams of choice on the Connecticut shoreline.

Jim’s Clam Shack | Falmouth, MA

This tiny, weathered wood shack shares dock space with small ferryboats and schooners shuttling folks to and from nearby Martha’s Vineyard. The fried clams here are the best on Cape Cod, due to the freshness of the clams and the love and care owner Jim Murray puts into their preparation and cooking. Be sure to grab a picnic table out back to enjoy the comings and goings of the boats in the small harbor.

What tops your list for where to find the best fried clams in New England? (Or maybe steamed clams are more your style?)

This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated. 

SEE MORE:

The 10 Best Lobster Rolls in New England

The 10 Best Fried Clams in Maine
Fried Clams | Bellies Vs. Strips
10 Best Clam Shacks in New England

The post 10 Best Fried Clams in New England appeared first on New England.

Summer in New England isn’t complete without enjoying some deep-fried seafood at a dine-in-the-rough clam shack. Food and travel writer Mike Urban, author of Clam Shacks: The Ultimate Guide to New England’s Most Fantastic Seafood Eateries (Cider Mill Press, 2011) has been noshing at and writing about these iconic eateries for years. Here are his picks for the 10 best clam shacks in New England.

10 Best Clam Shacks in New England

The Clam Box | Ipswich, MA

This shack, located in a shingled building in Ipswich, Massachusetts, that resembles an open-topped clam box, is hands-down the best place for fried clams anywhere. Selected fresh from suppliers’ trucks each morning, the chosen clams are “washed” in evaporated milk, coated with cornflour and white pastry flour, then twice-fried for perfect taste and texture. The Box changes its cooking oil twice daily, ensuring an amazing deep-fried treat that never disappoints.

J. T. Farnham’s Seafood and Grill | Essex, MA

This modest roadhouse on Route 133 (also known as the “Clam Highway”) cooks its clams and other deep-fried seafood in a mixture of vegetable oil and animal fat, providing a major flavor boost to everything that comes out of the deep fryers. Also, be sure to try their “Best Seafood Chowder,” with its creamy, tomato-streaked broth that’s loaded with fresh clams, haddock, shrimp, sea scallops, and lobster.

Markey’s Lobster Pool | Seabrook, NH

One of two large seafood emporiums located at the gateway to Seabrook’s public beaches (the other is Brown’s, across the street), Markey’s is a rollicking, fun place with a large covered deck out back that hangs over the tidal Blackwater River. Owner Tom Markey presides over the deep fryers, and he cooks up some excellent clams, scallops, haddock, shrimp, and fried lobster. There’s also a monstrous fried seafood platter topped with two fried lobster tails.

The Clam Shack | Kennebunk, ME

Perhaps best known for owner Steve Kingston’s award-winning lobster roll, this diminutive shack, teetering on the edge of the Kennebunk River, also serves up amazing fried clams. Other taste treats at The Clam Shack include flavorful clam chowder and a light, crispy fried haddock sandwich.

Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale | Madison, CT

This Connecticut shoreline institution, just up the road from Hammonasset Beach State Park, is a year-round seafood palace, serving up deep-fried platters of clams, scallops, shrimp, and wonderfully tasty scrod. Lighter fare in the form of grilled and broiled seafood and fresh, steamed lobster round out the menu. Their hot, buttered lobster roll is a Connecticut shoreline classic.

Bob’s Clam Hut | Kittery, ME

For years, Bob’s has been a must-stop on car trips to Maine, and with good reason. This year-round clam shack in Kittery (a second Portland location opened in 2018) offers up all the right stuff—fried clams, clam strips, scallops, shrimp, fish, and more, along with killer clam and fish chowders. This is also a great spot to have your first lobster roll upon arrival in the Pine Tree State. Among the numerous baskets, dinners, and plates, try the Clam 2 Ways combo—fried whole bellies done using Bob’s original recipe, and longtime cashier Lillian’s recipe, which calls for an egg wash before breading and frying.

More from Yankee: Bob’s Clam Hut | Local Flavor

Evelyn’s Drive In | Tiverton, RI

Serenity reigns at this clam shack nestled on the shores of Nanaquaket Pond in eastern Rhode Island. There’s a sign by the kitchen that reads: If You’re in a Hurry, You’re in the Wrong Place. Owners Jane and Domenic Bitto delight their customers with deep-fried seafood, excellent clear-broth clam chowder, light, fluffy clam cakes, and exotic lobster chow mein. Be sure to catch a sunset from the back patio while sipping a Newport Storm beer, glass of wine, or cocktail.

Woodman’s of Essex | Essex, MA

This is the place where, they say, the fried clam was invented nearly a hundred years ago. To many, Woodman’s is the gold standard for fried clams. The key to Woodman’s success and longevity in the deep-fried clam world is the lard they use in their deep fryers. Founder Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman used it back in 1916, and lard is still used today. The clams are sweet, tender, and crunchy, and they come from local clam beds in Essex and Ipswich, considered by many to be the best in the world. Don’t miss the batter-fried onion rings or the deep-fried lobster tail.

Five Islands Lobster Company | Georgetown, ME

This famous lobster place doubles as a clam shack, with its succulent fried clams and other deep-fried seafood. Try the locally sourced sea scallops and fried haddock sandwich. Also popular are the “Somewhat Famous” crab-cake sandwich and the grilled burger. Five Islands Lobster is situated on a large, wooden town dock overlooking lovely Sheepscot Bay and is serviced by numerous local fishing boats, so the seafood here is as fresh as can be.

Cobie’s Clam Shack | Brewster, MA

In the tony Cape Cod town of Brewster, there are several fine clam shacks, and Cobie’s is at the top of that list. Housed in a tastefully whitewashed shack at a bend in Route 6A, this place has heavenly fried clams, juicy burgers, thick milkshakes, and a great cold lobster roll made with knuckle meat only. The ice cream stand, with more than 30 flavors of hard and soft ice cream, makes for a great dessert or mid-afternoon snack spot.

Do you agree with Mike’s picks for best clam shacks in New England? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!

This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated. 

SEE MORE:
Yankee‘s Great Lobster Roll Adventure
Fried Clams | Bellies vs. Strips
The Best Cape Cod Lobster Rolls

The post 10 Best Clam Shacks in New England appeared first on New England.

For many travelers, Wiscasset, Maine, is ground zero for lobster rolls, due to the little red stand on the north side of U.S. Route 1 just west of the Sheepscot River. Wiscasset’s real culinary treasure, however, lies on the town dock across the street from that famous red shack. Sprague’s Lobster serves a righteously fine lobster roll, and it has two big pluses over its cross-street rival: there’s no long line to stand in, and it serves whole-lobster dinners with all the trimmings, which isn’t on the menu at Red’s.

The Sprague’s Lobster Experience

Sprague’s owner, Frank Sprague, has been in the lobster business since the 1970s. He started out as a caterer with a lobster cooker attached to the back of his vehicle. Seeking a less transient way to make a living, Sprague leased spots along the banks of the Sheepscot River in Wiscasset, eventually settling into his current location on the town’s expansive riverside dock in the late 1990s.

Sprague’s Lobster is a true family operation. Frank’s wife, Linda, is there with him every day, along with their son, daughter, and various grandchildren. It’s a homey place with two sheds—one is a fry shack and the other a lobster stand where Frank holds court, cooking whole lobsters, steaming clams, and making his superb clam chowder from scratch every day in his chowder pot.

Sprague’s lobster roll is the biggest draw here. It comes with generous chunks of whole claw meat on top of a pile of hand-chopped tail and knuckle meat, all tucked into a buttered, toasted split-top bun. You may have it with melted butter, mayo, or both. The roll stands up well when compared with its competitors across the street. There’s also an excellent fresh-picked Maine crabmeat roll, a hefty fried haddock sandwich, and a fish and chips basket.

If clams are your thing, you’ll love the homemade chowder, which is of the milky, Maine variety. It’s perfectly seasoned and chock full of clam chunks and cooked cubes of potato. You may also wish to try the crispy clam cakes, the battered, fried clam fritters, or a pound of steamers with butter and broth.

Sprague’s generous lobster dinner comes with a whole lobster cooked in seawater, corn on the cob, steamers, coleslaw, and a dinner roll. For those who wish to steer away from seafood, there’s a wide variety of hot dogs, hamburgers, and other sandwiches as well as generous servings of fresh, hand-cut french fries. Gifford’s Ice Cream is scooped up for dessert from Sprague’s tiny ice cream window at one end of Frank’s lobster-cooking stand.

Zydeco, blues, and jazz music play on a continuous loop throughout the day, much to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Years ago, Frank rigged up a clothesline between the fry shack and lobster shed. Whole-lobster dinner orders taken at the fry shack are clothes-pinned and zipped over to the lobster stand, with a clanging cowbell heralding the order’s dispatch. Kids love this throwback communications device and squeal with delight when orders fly across the deck. Sprague’s is also pet-friendly, with numerous water dishes available for customers’ four-legged companions.

So, the next time you’re passing through Wiscasset, give Sprague’s a try and see what you think. Once you’ve received your tray full of victuals and you’re settled into one of the numerous picnic tables with magnificent views of the river, be sure to give a friendly wave to the folks standing in line across the street.

Have you ever visited Sprague’s Lobster?

This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated. 

SEE MORE:
Red’s Eats Lobster Roll | The Best in Maine?
The McDonald’s Lobster Roll Experience
10 Best Clam Shacks in New England

The post In Praise of Sprague’s Lobster in Wiscasset, Maine appeared first on New England.

A plate of New England fish and chips (fried fish fillets with french fries), served with tangy tartar sauce, is one of the most popular dishes at many seafood shacks. This delightfully informal meal originated in Great Britain in the 1800s, but it has graced New England menus for decades, particularly along the seacoast. Yankee contributor and seafood expert Mike Urban, author of Clam Shacks (Cider Mill Press), has eaten more than his fair share of fish and chips from Maine to Connecticut. Here are his 10 favorite spots for New England fish and chips.

10 Best New England Fish and Chips

Westfair Fish and Chips
Westport, CT

Located behind a strip mall on Boston Post Road in populous Fairfield County, Westfair has been serving up its signature fish and chips for more than 30 years. Cod fillets are battered in a mixture of flour, water, and seasonings; fried to a puffy crispness; and served with thick-cut fries. Fried sole may be substituted for the cod, if desired.

Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock 
New London, CT

This seafood mainstay in southeastern Connecticut serves up a terrific plate of fish and chips — which may be surprising, because Scott’s is known primarily for its lobster rolls. The cod, haddock, or fluke (“whatever’s freshest that day,” says the owner) is wet- and dry-battered, fried to perfection, and served with thin, crispy fries. The one-piece serving is fine for lunch; go for the two-piece at dinner.

Sea Swirl 
Mystic, CT

Housed in a glass-front building that used to be a Carvel ice cream stand, this Mystic, CT, mainstay serves up some excellent fish and chips. Showcasing fish from the nearby Stonington docks, Sea Swirl’s lightly battered fillets are crunchy and sweet. The fries are thick-cut and equally crunchy outside and tender within, indicative of fresh cooking oil and a deft touch with the deep fryer.

Buttonwoods Fish and Chips
Warwick, RI

This homey little restaurant anchors one end of a strip mall in a residential Warwick neighborhood and is a bit of a hidden gem for lovers of fish and chips. The battered cod fillets and square-cut fries taste best when given a light dousing of malt vinegar. Though the portion size isn’t huge, the quality of the food and the loving preparation make for a fine meal.

Amaral’s Fish and Chips
Warren, RI

Amaral’s resides in a small box of a building on a side street in a working-class section of Warren. This family-owned Portuguese-American mainstay has been serving up home-cooked fare for more than 30 years, and fish and chips is its most popular dish. The sweet-tasting fillets (haddock or cod) are coated in a crunchy batter and served atop a bed of crispy fries. Try some of the home-baked Portuguese sweet bread if they’re baking it the day you’re there.

SEE MORE: Amaral’s Fish and Chips | Local Flavor

Sir Cricket’s Fish n’ Chips
Orleans, MA

Joined at the hip to a top-notch Cape Cod seafood market, Sir Cricket’s is known far and wide for its great fried seafood, especially its fish and chips. The battered fillets and expertly fried chips come in regular and large sizes. Plus, Sir Cricket’s has the look and feel of an authentic British fish and chips shop, with its colorful wall menu, cramped quarters, and cheerful service.

SEE MORE: 10 Best New England Seafood Markets

Captain Frosty’s Fish and Chips 
Dennis, MA

This mid-Cape institution offers daily “specials” on its fish and chips: fresh Chatham cod or locally caught flounder. Either way you can’t go wrong. The battered fillets have a crispy, crunchy coating that seals in the fish’s fresh flavor. The fries are equally crispy, and the slaw on the side makes for a nice palate-cleanser. Be sure to try one of Captain Frosty’s many ice cream treats, too.

SEE MORE: The Best Cape Cod Lobster Rolls

Ken’s Place 
Scarborough, ME

Stop here for a plate of fish and chips, and you’ll be rewarded with a massive, melt-in-your-mouth piece of breaded, fried haddock that’s as fresh as can be. Crinkle-cut fries and a dinner roll with butter round out the fish and chips platter. (Tip: go for the homemade tartar sauce over the Kraft version.)

Susan’s Fish-n-Chips
Portland, ME

Located a few miles inland from the famous waterfront in Portland, ME, Susan’s pulls fish-and-chips enthusiasts from downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Casually housed in a former service station, Susan’s breads and fries its seafood in full view, just behind the order counter. The haddock fillets are firm and fresh, and the fries are hand-cut. Hands down, this is one of the best places for fried seafood in Portland.

Bet’s Fish Fry
Boothbay, ME

This place is legendary, housed in a galvanized-roof shack just off the main road leading into Boothbay, ME. Namesake owner Bet Finocchiaro uses locally caught haddock, which she breads and fries to crispy perfection. The hand-cut fries come from Maine potatoes, making Bet’s a farm-(and sea-)to-table operation long before such a thing was cool. The portions are huge, the price is unbeatable, and the characters running the shack are unforgettable.

Where’s your favorite spot for a plate of New England fish and chips?

This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated. 

SEE MORE:
10 Best Clam Shacks in New England
The McDonald’s Lobster Roll Experience
10 Best Fried Clams in New England

The post Best New England Fish and Chips | 10 Seafood Shack Favorites appeared first on New England.