My Clam Belly Love

The love started young and and still going strong

When I was a little guy, my parents took me to Jimmie’s at Savin Rock at lot during the summer. Savin Rock was in West Haven, about two miles from New Haven Harbor. It was right out of Happy Days, like a mini Coney Island right on the beach with rides, amusements, a “Laff-in-the-dark” funhouse, hot rods, greasers and of course food. There were colorful cotton candy and lemon ice stands and of course, Jimmie’s, which was the gold mine. The original Jimmie’s was a huge open air counter that specialized in footlong split hot dogs and fried seafood. I bet they served over 1000 guests a night in peak season. It is there that I had my first fried clam. Long before the lobster roll stole the stage, Jimmie’s served fried scallops, fried clams and belly clams on buttered split top hot dog rolls with tartar sauce.

It was here in the 1960’s, and later at Chick’s, a beachfront Drive-In joint that recently closed in 2015after a 65 year run, that I was gradually introduced to the magic of fried shellfish and ultimately belly clams

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What we New Englander’s refer to as Belly Clams are whole fried soft shell, Ipswich or Piss clams, the kind that are also used to make proper steamers. The name piss clams, or Pissers comes from the little spray of sea water that comes up from the sand where the clam has buried itself. When the tide is low, walk out onto the mudflats and drop a brick or rock or beer bottle on the packed greenish-black sand where you may spy a few air bubbles and watch for that little stream of water that squirts up. That is where the Piss clam is hiding. Start digging and plan your dinner.

My introduction to fried clams was indeed at Jimmie’s. My mother and father and i O were sitting in our two toned Studebaker when I was about 5 years old. I was in the back with my ketchup doused Hotdog and fries. My father was eating his favorite, a scallop roll and my mother had the fisherman’s platter with fried filet, clams, scallops, oysters, fries and slaw. The food was served in red checkered paper boxes. I clearly remember my mother imploring me to try a fried clam that she had speared on the end of a two pronged flat wooden fork, My mouth was shut like a steel trap. No way I was letting that into my mouth. The car smelled like low tide. Fuck that, the entire park smelled like dead fish. The aroma revolted me.

My first small step to seafood love eventually came when I was eating the last of the burnt ends of the fries from the bottom of the pressed paper boat that my mother’s seafood platter was served in. The entire crumby pile was drowning in ketchup. I inadvertently ate a little piece of breading that must have fallen off a clam strip. I immediately identified a new flavor. The slightly metallic perfume of the clam filled my mouth, even over the sweet and sour ketchup. I was a bit confused because I kind of liked the flavor even though I hated the smell so much. I went back for another small piece, coated with ketchup. I was being indoctrinated. In time, I tried a full clam strip, with ketchup of course. And then, eventually, I ordered my first actual clam roll. I was nine. My mother was proud. I was eating “cool” food long before my squeamish little cousins. I had rank. I still ate it with ketchup, but there was progress.

It would be a couple of years later at Chick’s when I had my first clam belly. I was about 10 or 11. I was with my mother and her best friend Adrienne. They had their girls night out and sometimes they brought me along to be the “Gentleman”.I opened the doors for them, etc. I was a man in training I guess. This evening I was sent into to order the food to be eaten in the car. A Fisherman’s platter with belly clams for mother Ro, a fried shrimp platter for Adrienne and a clam roll and fries for me. Ro was adamant that I made sure that she wanted belly clams, not strips on the Fisherman’s platter.

I guess when I ordered my clam roll I forgot to specify “strips” for me and I got the whole clams, too. I didn’t even notice at first. The clams were big and golden and crunchy and creamy. I attacked the overstuffed roll. My first belly clams were amazing. The interior color of a few of the bigger ones put me off a bit, and admit that I may have pulled off and discarded a few of the larger bellies, but I had arrived. There was no turning back.

I love me some belly clams and almost every time I visit the New Haven area, I seek them out to get my fix.

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