Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Warm and clammy

One of the random things I missed about New England while I was gone was fried seafood, which I hardly ever eat. I don't like it all that much, actually, and it's bad for me. But now and then, specifically in the summer, I crave it in some deep part of my soul.
Up here (and in parts of New Jersey, and probably in lots of other places), they have these divey seafood restaurants and stands where you can get a paper box of fried something or steamed something else, or maybe you will put your fried something in a hot dog bun and call it a "roll." You probably eat it with french fries. I have inherited at least some of my taste and language around these delicacies from my great grandmother, who had strong opinions, and who was born in the 1870s, so this has been a thing for some time. In my family, we use terms like "neck" and "sweater" to talk about clams, and I am pretty sure clams actually have neither necks nor sweaters. The fried clams that you get many places are inadequate. They are actually fried clam strips. Lots of neck, no belly. What you want is whole-belly fried clams, or what's the point?
This is all a long way to say that this week, they are serving whole-belly fried clam rolls at the dining commons on campus, and I know, once again, that I am home.

6 comments:

Joe said...

Sigh. . .have some clam chowder for me, too.

Anonymous said...

When I learn to knit better, I'll knit some sweaters for the clams, even the ones with the big bellies, though that will take more yarn.

Anonymous said...

Lobster roll!

bzzzzgrrrl said...

Mmmmm lobster roll.
Kay, where you'll really have to worry about extra yarn is on the long necks.
Just wanted everyone to know that I actually had a whole belly fried clam roll at the student center yesterday for lunch. It was delicious despite being advertised as on a sub roll (which I think would make it almost a po' boy), and being actually served on a bulkie roll. But the clams were great, and the fries were perfect, and mmmmmmmmm. Thought of you, Joe, though there was no chowder in sight. Maybe I'll actually venture off-campus to one of those divey seafood places tonight.

Anonymous said...

Have you checked out Ocean Harvest? Easy to ignore but decent stuff.

bzzzzgrrrl said...

Hoefer's back!
I have been to Ocean Harvest, but not since I moved back. ToddP and I used to go there all the time. Clearly, it's time to go back.