People travel from all over the country to taste the North Shore’s clams, and perhaps no one knows this better than Maureen Woodman. Woodman’s husband, Douglas, is a third-generation co-owner (along with his brother and sisters) of Woodman’s of Essex, the clam shack that put fried clams on the map. Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman, alongside his wife, Bessie, started frying clams from the flats of Essex over 100 years ago.
“July 3, 1916. Chubb and I fried the first fried clam,” Maureen Woodman says over the phone. The inscription, she notes, marked on Bessie and Chubby’s marriage certificate, sets in stone a date that has been hard to pin down. Did fried clams originate in Essex? An historical accounting says yes. Chubby and Bessie, known first for their fried donuts and potato chips, served their first fried clams at a holiday parade to passersby. “They sold them outside on the street,” Maureen Woodman says. “They made $38, and, in 1916, $38 was an abundance of money.”
Over a century later, Woodman’s still adheres to many of their original principles when it comes to clams. Whole-bellied, soft-shelled clams are dug from the flats and then dredged in evaporated milk and corn flour before going into a 350-degree vat of lard. They’re then served hot, as part of a five-ounce clam boat or roll; a six-ounce small box; a nine-ounce medium box or clam plate; or a 16-ounce large box. On the side, clam lovers can expect a helping of the restaurant’s famous tartar sauce, made from onion, mayonnaise, and dill relish.
Other clam dishes on the menu of note: the restaurant’s much-beloved clam chowder, made without thickeners and with chopped ocean clams; their deep-fried clam cakes; and their steamers, served with a side of the steaming broth (and with drawn butter).
When it comes to steamers, your mind may not leap instantly to the North Shore or, more specifically, to the Ipswich clam flats. But this year, after 90 years of operation, the Clam Box, in Ipswich, will add the dish to its menu. “I think there’s going to be nothing like coming here, sitting under the tent, having steamers and maybe a beer while you wait for your fisherman’s platter,” says Johanna Aggelakis, owner of the famed restaurant.
The broth that accompanies this new menu item is made from sea clam juice and a celery-onion stock. The steamers also come with a “high-quality, clarified butter,” for dipping. Of course, the Clam Box is also known for their fried, whole-belly clams. Diggers bring the clams fresh to Ipswich Shellfish, where they’re rinsed and purged.
The clams are dredged in evaporated milk and a batter of corn and pastry flour, mixed-to-order. They’re then double-fried in a mixture of beef and vegetable oil and served hot. “We change our oil twice a day,” Aggelakis says. “The oil is always clean and fresh. That’s why people travel all over to come here, because they really are just so good.”
Fried clam enthusiasts can hit up Bob Lobster, too, on the Plum Island Turnpike, where, in addition to superlative lobster rolls, clams are on the menu (the restaurant sources clams from Ipswich and Essex). The fisherman’s platter includes fried whole-belly clams, shrimp, haddock, and scallops (it also comes with a side of coleslaw, tartar sauce, and French fries, which can be substituted for onion rings). Clams are dredged in a mixture of corn and white flours before being fried.
Rockport’s Lobster Pool, which is open each year from mid-April through late November, offers up several clam dishes, served overlooking the Ipswich Bay. Clam chowder? Check. Steamers, served with warm drawn butter? That’s a check, too. Then there are, of course, the whole-belly and clam strip plates, served with coleslaw and French fries, as well as an enticing fisherman’s platter that includes whole clams, shrimp, scallops, and haddock bites.
And at the Seaport Grille, another beloved Cape Ann standout—it’s the sister restaurant to Gloucester’s Beauport Hotel—summer’s bounty can always be enjoyed, even in the off-season. Fried clams, one of the restaurant’s best-selling items, are served in 10-ounce appetizer and 15-ounce platter portions. “The recipe we use is an original Seaport recipe,” says Jeanne Hennessey, Director of Communications for the Beauport Hospitality Group of the fried clams’ proprietary batter. “We make our tartar sauce daily. A lot of restaurants use sweet pickle relish in their recipes, but we choose dill relish. It complements our fry batter nicely.”
Clams are sourced from Maine through Castle Hill, in Ipswich, and arrive fresh to the restaurant daily. Daily menu additions often capitalize on other types of clams, too, like littlenecks and sea clams. Whether you prefer your clams large, medium, or small, however, Seaport—and these other clam spots along the North Shore—have you covered.