friedclams

anyone in the Dallas area wanna split a restaurant sized 8qt bucket of shucked Ipswich soft clams??? they B ready 4 self-frying .... Central Market's fish dept will import them 4me from their supplier @ approx $160 for "selects" which are assumed 2B better/larger than the normal bucket approx $145... ps... does anyone know the current status of the harvest??? last I heard prices were up because fishing limits were being imposed??? pps... anyone locally ready wanna get together 4 a backyard clam fry and bbq chowdown??

Fried Clams, true Ipswich-type, properly prepared and pricey are today's populist caviar... harvest tonnage is getting lower, restaurant prices are getting higher, portions seem smaller and smaller... a true devotee will seek out the best and laud the accomplishments of the best shacks and restaurants to others (as AHR attempts).... seldom found on a menu except in specific NE locales, those of us out of the general region (myself being land locked in Dallas Texas) always crave those tender sweet morsels but rarely if ever find them... instead we are bombarded with inferior oysters, poorly prepared... to generalize as Fat Guy does is WRONG.... fried oysters ARE NEVER as sweet and tasty as fried Ipswich clams even on the worst soft fried clam day in the worst clam shack on earth. I gave up the daily availability of soft fried clams (having lived just north of Bridgeport CT) for the daily (hourly) availability of much better than average to excellent BBQ (pork, brisket, ribs, etc.) here in Texas.... there doesn't seem to be a compromise location on Earth where both excellent fried clams and excellent BBQ can be found... here is my challenge to the eG community.... WHERE (within 25 miles of eachother) on Earth can both items be found, be of high quality properly prepared and served at reasonable price ???? we might throw in the availability of fresh large lobsters too and aged prime rib, but I digress.... I'd consider relocation immediately or several extended-stay trips ..... does anyone accept the challenge??

Gosh, I never thought that Todai would get such a negative reaction...BUT I stand by my original thought.... "high quality sushi" is a relative term Although I can get authentic high quality sushi at really high prices in land-locked Dallas, I often prefer AYCE quantities of uni, a typically high cost sushi item at any Dallas Japanese restaurant... I've found that the Dallas Todai serves acceptable uni for my AYCE requirements/buffet strategy.... nuf said about that.... sorry 2hear Todai is unacceptable for sushi in other locations.....

BH: regarding Todai you've missed my buffet strategy.... "high quality sushi" is a relative term... if I want mass quantities of uni at a value price thats where I go ... I've no local japanese food market importing uni any cheaper than I can get mass quantities at Todai fully prepared FG: first pass take alittle of everything strategy is usually a good one but immediate pig-out gratification over one or two items req'd in mass quantity usually diverts my attention, eg, if I need half shell oysters, I take 2doz first pass... other strategy, I usually fill up/eat fish before starting on the meats Also, on July 4th holiday no one would give a buffet pass (I begged and I wasn't goin' to gamble 2get one!!)... but thanks for mentioning the tip...

The Bellagio in Las Vegas has 2 types of dinner buffets... this past July 4th I visited their "higher priced" gourmet version ($35) which included American Kobe beef sirloin, real lump crabcakes, soft shell crab and buffalo prime rib... much better than average buffet food ... their cold fish included sturgeon and scotch salmon...and more.... I'd recommend it to anyone who might ordinarily skip buffets... except for the 2hr wait to get inside... My buffet strategy is simple.... I go when I need mass quantity of one or two select items and skip the rest of the food...eg, half shell oysters or snow crab legs or prime rib. I judge the VALUE of the buffet on price for the concentrated mass quantity food modified by the quality of the mass eaten item(s) allowing some compromise on quality to satisfy my immediate need for the mass quantity item. Other buffets I'd recommend: Old Boston Seafood Company, Hollywood, FL menu: allUcaneat whole belly fried clams (heavenly... done in small batches) allUcaneat steamers (med-large as I like 'em, one was too large at 4"..largest I've seen in a long while) also done in small batches...sweet and fresh...excellent allUcaneat: 1/2 shell oysters, clams, mussels, peel 'n eat shrimp, fried calamari, fried smelts, fried mussels, baked scrod, baked flounder, baked swordfish, baked salmon, boiled crabs, garlic crabs, snow crab legs, excellent REAL prime rib (very slow roasted, very tender and flavorful), roast turkey, baked virginia ham; BBQ spare ribs mash potatoes, fresh string beans; new england clam chowda, lobster bisque, assorted desserts dinner price $20 pp weeknights, $25 weekends; lunch price $9.95 plus an early bird entry for dinner $16 - Todai serves mass quantity of high quality sushi and 4 types of larmen and a tempan grill for meat or seafood and all the broiled lobster you can eat (sorry they haven't opened in NYC yet) check their website www.todai.com for opening date (dinner $24) - here in Dallas (at several locations) I've all the bbq beef ribs I can eat on Mondays for $8.95, Tuesdays thru the weekend I can get all the pulled pork, brisket and ribs for $10.95 probably better tasting than anythang cooked/burned/driedout at Blue Smoke .... not strictly a buffet but AYCE of several bbq items of better than average to excellent quality For me, buffets/AYCE restaurants are for satisfying the craving for single/several mass quantity-reasonable quality item(s) at excellent dollar value when compared to the cost of eating a mass quantity of the item elsewhere.

Thanks 2 all who made suggestions.... whole belly fried clams FOUND at Lobster Ranch @ Preston Rd and NW Hwy in Dallas on the menu as "Big Belly Clams" market price.... I paid $12 for an 8oz order...which came with fries and cole slaw... Lobster Ranch is a new concept restaurant by Phil Romano of Macaroni Grill fame... clams were abit smaller than I would have liked, but properly mealed/breaded and fried golden in fresh oil ... one can't complain .... fried clams are so rare in these parts..... they've also got steamers !!!!!! nice .....

The clams I'm referring to and looking for within 50 miles of Dallas (restaurant, shack, stand, fishmonger) are Ipswich imported from the east coast typically available fresh from New England as far south as Maryland and served up fried golden in a meal-type coating. I'm not aware of a substitute available from the waters off Texas...lol I'm just trying to find someone who might have come across a source here in the Dallas area...

Thanks 4 the tip... I'll give it a try...the problem usually stocking and selling... the shucked piss clams come in large buckets which if not sold go to waste... and then there's the work involved... but so many local places sell fried oysters I could never figure out why fried clams wouldn't be on the menu.. meanwhile, I've asked Whole Foods and Central Mkt to stock them and neither could/would get them from local suppliers... so I'm not confident that any restaurant, even one associated with a fish mkt would serve them... not even Dottie Griffith (DMN) could recommend a local place with whole belly fried clams...but she doesn't strike me as being seafood savvy...lol last time I needed a fix this bad I flew east and ate them until I was completely stuffed... guess its back to bbq 4now....lol

I'm drawing a complete blank for any restaurant, stand, shack which serves new england style whole belly fried clams within 50 miles of Dallas ... price is no object... I need a fix... clam strips won't do... whole belly "piss" clams (steamer clams) are required... Can anyone recommend a location ??? Lately I've been buying fresh steamer clams at Central Market in Plano, cleaning, mealing and frying myself... I'd give anything for a good seafood restaurant serving them up locally...

For reference, I was born and raised in Brooklyn and in my youth I yearned for bbq but never had any until I finally moved and now live in north Texas... mind you, I crave excellent seafood (grew up on Lundys and New England fish houses) and whole belly fried clams but can't get them here (its like searching for the grail)... but when it comes to bbq, its on every street corner... admittedly, one can get baked brisket, pork butt or rib slabs, but one doesn't have 2go too far to have real smoked meats, pink ring and all... I have read with much interest this thread about Blue Smoke...I can only continue to feel sorry for my NYC friends who have been salivating for excellent bbq for so long that they might pay such high prices for mediocre food and small portions... when it comes to bbq, only mass quantities will do... On Mondays I go to the all-U-can-eat (really smoked) beef ribs best of the local bunch and pay $8.95 ... Other days I go to the all-U-can-eat (really smoked) pork ribs, brisket, pork butt best of the bunch and pay $10.95 ... Lets consider the tradeoffs... I can get all the beef or pork smoked bbq, tasting much better than average, definitely much better than NYC bbq at very reasonable prices ... I can't get anything like whole belly fried clams anywhere locally at any price ... So it goes for the region of the country where you live... Fat Guy calls Blue Smoke the best in NYC even in its early stages... most others are not convinced... my question: if its already the best, how could it possibly get better ??? Dont get me wrong... I'm rooting for BS... for my friend's sakes... :)