Roadfood_ Revised Edition - Jane Stern [24]
Mr. Ciaramitaro’s gelati are delightful. He recommended the nocciola (hazelnut) and also zuppa inglese, for which he had no proper English translation. “Marsala wine and fruit!” he rhapsodized, and when we didn’t seem to comprehend quite how wonderful it is, he quickly dipped spoons into the freezer case to offer us each a hearty taste. When we smacked our lips at its creamy sweet goodness, he beamed with satisfaction, then, bursting with pride, he pointed us to a newspaper story displayed on the wall. “From the Financial Times… of London!” he said, stepping over to run his finger underneath a line that says his pastries put those of New York’s Little Italy to shame. “No more need be said!”
Clam Box
246 High St.
978–356–9707
Ipswich, MA
LD (summer only) | $$
It’s hard to believe that we ever wondered where the best fried clams are made. One taste of those served at the Clam Box is irrefutable evidence that there are none better. The whole-belly clams are not overly gooey and not too large, offering a subtle ocean sweetness that is brilliantly amplified but not the least bit overwhelmed by the crusty sheath outside. A whole clam plate is a magnificent meal that includes not only the native beauties sheathed in their fragile red-gold envelope, but also elegant onion rings, French fries, and bright, palate-refreshing coleslaw. Even the tartar sauce is a cut above. The lobster roll is loaded with meat, and Jane declares the clam chowder to be among New England’s best.
The place itself is a gas, shaped like a clam box, the trapezoidal container in which fried-clams-to-go are customarily served. It is a genuine roadside attraction that dates back to the 1930s and would be of interest for its looks alone. There is indoor seating, but across the parking lot are choice seats for whenever the weather is nice: sunny picnic tables for al fresco dining. Throughout most of the summer, expect a wait in line at mealtimes. The Clam Box is famous, deservedly so.
The Dory
29 Commercial St.
978–283–2408
Gloucester, MA
B | $
A pint-size breakfast-only nook on the waterfront, the Dory has a sign on its wall that says “Fishing Spoken Here.” This is where commercial and sport fishermen come before dawn for coffee, conversation, hearty breakfast, and more coffee. Repeat customers keep their own coffee mugs on pegs to the right of the counter.
The menu is big and fundamental, including egg sandwiches on white, wheat, Italian bread, or giant English muffins; stacks of pancakes with or without blueberries; and three-egg omelets with toast and home fries or hash browns. On the side you can get bacon, Canadian bacon, sausage, honey ham, Portuguese linguiça sausage, or a meal-size order of corn beef hash. The gals behind the counter will even make you eggs Florentine with hollandaise sauce or eggs Benedict further gussied up with pieces of asparagus.
What we like about the Dory more than its repertoire of breakfast, plain and fancy, is its attitude. A true blue-collar café, it seems always populated by at least a few gents (and a few ladies) whose profession and passions are guided by the tides, and who apparently are delighted to share with newcomers their devil-may-care philosophy of life. Over one breakfast at the Dory counter, we discussed omelet cookery, the fine points of food photography, bait strategies, swordfishing, and the worst storms of the twentieth century, and on every subject, we gleaned the wisdom of genuine experience.
Flav’s Red Skiff
15 Mt. Pleasant St.
978–546–7647
Rockport, MA
BL | $
Flav’s Red Skiff,