I haven’t had decent fried clams since I moved to Connecticut. You are right, Maine, NH and MA are full of great clam shacks along the coast. But as soon as you get south of Cape Cod, you just can’t find them anywhere. And if you do, it is the clam “strips” without the bellies. The bellies are the best part about fried clams.
Yea the frozen clam strips just don’t cut it.
Getting ready for the SNAKE!.
i’m watching a little behind, paused the video a few times.
Al Wilson - The Snake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULx9k2QkL94
I was born in and grew up along the Mass coast. Fried Clams were MY food. Whole belly ones. Lobsters were good, of course, especially the nooks and crannies in the bodies, but they couldn’t compare to clams. And then I married NJ. Sigh. I missed clams sooooo much!! One time at a sea food restaurant I asked them if they could do Fried Clams. They said yes, and I was all excited. What they did was shuck Cherrystones, bread and fry them -— and proudly served them to me. NOT Fried Clams at all!! Not even as good as the lowly strips!! I hid my disappointment to be polite. But I learned my lesson.
On one trip to Maine with the kids, I had Fried Clams for breakfast, lunch. And dinner. That is what kind of Fried Clam freak I am!!
As I type this I can smell that wonderful fried aroma!!!!