I was watching a re-run of Bizzare Foods recenlty and saw Andrew Zimmern diggnig up clams in Rhode Island. Suddenly I found myself with a strong craving for fried clam strips. I used to share a basket with my mom at our favorite sea food place when I was a kid. I had to have them again. It had been too long. After much searching a failed attempt at a restaurant that no longer exists, I found myself at Shucks Tavern.
It was about 9:30 AM when I was in the area and I knew Shucks to be open 24/7. So in I walked and was immediately handed a menu for breakafast items. I gave the guy a funny look and asked if they were serving only breakfast or if I could order from the regular menu. He said I could order anything and must have been confused by my request. I mean who wouldn't be. I'm sure most people don't tend to order fried clams at 9:30 in the morning. But I've never been one for breakfast foods and I had a craving. So I ordered my fried clams, a side salad with Italian dressing and an ice tea.
What seemed like many minutes went by and were fewer than it seemed. Soon I had my salad and a nice plate of fried clams. They were impressive too. Dark golden brown. Big and meaty. There was a large cup of cocktail sauce and a couple of lemon wedges on the side. The salad was perfect for a side. Mixed greens, tomato, onion. The perfect amount of dressing. The vinegar woke up my taste buds and got me ready for the good stuff, the clams. And they were good. Tender but still chewy to let me know they were the real deal. None of this chopped formed garbage. Perfectly fried and crispy. The cocktail sauce was amazing. There was enough horse radish to make me sweat. A little extra lemon juice mixed in and it was perfect. I ate down those crispy little bi-valves and felt this sense of euphoria wash over me. My craving had been satisfied and I was ready to begin the rest of my day. Everybody else can keep their Wheaties. For me, fried clams first thing in the morning is the true breakfast of champions.