Clam Time

The best part about summer is heading to the shore. The second best is heading to the shore and eatng the best of its' waters. Today's New York Times Dining section tapped into that with their informative article on clams. It shows you what to eat and where to eat them all within driving distance of Manhattan.

The article written by Sam Sifton and part of the section Critic's Notebook tells about the different kids of clams that are harvested off Long Island Coast and Raritan Bay Clams have been fished here from the earliest days and were common food among early European settlers. Atlantic clams have four catagories soft shell, surf, razor hard shell also known as the northen quahog.What most clam shacks sell are littlenecks and cherry stones, The surf clam is a tougher meat and used mostly in clam chowders.

The article also mentions some great places to go. There is one on the Raritan Bay in Port Monmouth that sells cold clams along with fried fish, salad, and sandwiches. Mr. Sifton also mentions Moby's which is connected to Bahr's one of the Jersey shore's best seafood restaurants. These are two places that I am going to check out,just to taste the clams. There are also other places. One is the famous Ruby's of Coney Isand and Sheepshead Bay's renown Ranndazzo's. This last is the big place among local politicians and foodies looking for fresh fished seafood.

There 'nothing like a platter of cold clams with a spritz of lemon. They're what's great about a summer meal. They're also the perfect way to end a day at the shore.