Beware the Clams
 

This is a tidbit for all the tourists coming to New England this summer! If you order steamers - or even fried clams - be sure to inquire on the SIZE of of the clams before you order. What you want is a little neck, or even a cherrystone, if possible. Pass on anything described as large, or even medium. <BR>Just got back from a day trip to Nantucket. After searching for a waterfront restaurant for an early light lunch, we settled on Schooners at Steamboat Wharf on Broad Street and ordered four cups of chowder and a bowl of steamers to share. What came out was nearly a quahog! These clams had necks like dirty pinky fingers, and when we checked one for the belly, the oder was acrid. There was no way we could've chewed one down small enough to swallow! Plus there were 10 clams for $15.95! The larger clams obviously allowed them to meet the weight requirement. We sent them back, along with another table in our area. The manager came over with an abrasive attitude and said these were perfectly fine, normal clams, and that she would not make any adjustment on the bill. Not until we said we were local residents who've eaten clams all our lives, simply day tripping to the island, did she relent. <BR>Tourists be warned, those big clams are what is supposed to be chopped up for a chowder, not passed off as "steamers!" Yuk!<BR>

Thanks for the info. One question, does tha go for clams everywhere? We live in Florida.

Everywhere in New England.<BR>Cherrystones are usually at the raw bars. Little necks are the steamers, and in better restaurants the fried as well. Clams are pretty much the consistency of rubber; the smaller the better, AND generally, the smaller the sweeter. IMHO!<BR>BTW: Mussels have big black shells but just little tiny meat tidbits inside. The shell does not reflect the size on them as much as with clams.<BR><BR>

I thought steamers were called "soft-shell" clams and that littlenecks and cherrystones were the same or very similar, differing by size only.<BR><BR>I agree, big clams, served as steamers, raw, or almost any other way than in chowder are gross.

Thanks for the info,<BR> We tried clams for the first time last yearon a visit to the USA we thought they were disgusting!<BR>will try them again next time we are over, but will follow your advice.

Sounds like a Horror Movie!!<BR>Yikes!BEWARE THE CLAMS AAAGGGHHHH!

Another clam thought - when you order fried clams, some people claim the only "real" clams are with the bellies - you can tell the difference since there is a round area at the end of the curly fried part. However, the bellies when fried still are rather soft inside, and some people do not like that texture. If you are one of them and order fried clams, order fried clam STRIPS instead - these are without bellies since they are usually strips of bigger clams which are then battered and fried.

We were in a restaurant in Florida adn noticed the clam sandwich on the 'specials' board. We asked about it and were told by the waiter that it was one big clam, fried, on a bun. <BR><BR>He also told us, in pretty strong terms, that he would NOT recommend it. Besides the texture, he said the taste wasn't the greatest. He said it was one item that customers consistently did not finish. After reading this, I'm glad we listened.

I'm with Gail. Steamers are different than cherrystones or littlenecks, lighter in color and oblong in size with a foot you use to pull them from the shell. Cherrystones are large, littlenecks are small but essentially the same type clam. Quahogs are the monsters. Littlenecks are the clam of choice, the smaller the better for their tenderness and sweetness, and they look a little less disgusting.