Sunday, May 27, 2012

THE Quintessential Lobster Roll is in Amagansett, L.I., N.Y.


 "The Clam Bar at Napeague, smack dab in the middle of Amagansett and Montauk on Montauk Highway is THE NEW HOME OF THE BEST EVER LOBSTER ROLL" says me.
When one plunks down $20.00 plus dollars for chunks of lobster, mayo...and in this case, celery with the right crunch...on bread the size of most hot dog rolls, you would expect to walk away both satisfied and smiling. Until today, I've never had a lobster rollanywhere that left me with either. Actually, the price at the Clam Bar for this stunningly overstuffed sandwich is $19.50 and quite reasonable compared to any others I've had over the years.
There were chunks of lobster in every bite and I do not jest when I say they must have taken meat from a 1.5 lb lobster to fill this baby...no pun intended.
Do you know what flibberty jibbers are?
In the case of a lobster roll, these are the long red triangular tips attached to the white meat in a lobster claw. Argghhhh!
There were none of those, so common in others, in this delectable mix.
Short and sweet. If you are in the Hampton's this summer, trust me...it's worth driving the approximate 5-6 miles east of East Hampton for lunch or dinner where you will see "CLAM BAR" on the north, I repeat, north side of the road.>
The Clam Bar address is 2025 Montauk Highway and they can be reached at 631.267.6348. You can pull right up to the tables and chairs on the side of the road for waiter/waitress service (our waitress was Alison) or sit at the bar where a full menu is served at both.
BTW...don't miss stopping by the new Espo's Surf & Sport (just west of  the Clam Bar) for surf boards, boogie boards, wet suits, bikes, kayaks, canoes, small boats, skateboards, sunglasses beach equipment, pool toys and, ohhh yes, your own pair of Reefs with the bottle opener embedded (a must have at the beach) into each sole.
Ask for John and tell him Bert the hanger guy sent you.
Enjoy...and please feel free to comment.
Have a safe holiday...and remember the Veterans this fine Memorial Day, 2012.

Mangia Baby
Bert


                                                         Absolutely Brilliant Lobster Roll
The Bar 
Clam Bar Menu

Clam Bar Outside Dining
 
John & Bert @ Espo's New Surf & Sport ShopPosted by Picasa

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Frank Pepe's Apizza with Sarah, Cathy & Nicole


Sarah...Cathy & Nicole @ Pepe's in Fairfield, CT.

I went to Quinnipiac College back in the late 1960's.
I enjoyed burgers at the Fireside and the most memorable Hot Dogs ever at the Glenwood...both in Hamden, a suburb in the area of New Haven, Connecticut where Frank Pepe's (known as Pepe's by locals) was founded in 1925.
In my entire time in Connecticut, I never ate at, let alone heard of, Frank Pepe's Pizza. Crazy! Nuts!
As a matter of fact, I used to wonder why most, if not all the pizza restaurants in Connecticut called their pizza "Apizza". I thought it may have had something to do with the way the old time Italians would say MeatABall and I wasn't far off. In this case the dialect for the pronunciation of pizza was "ah-beets"...thus Apizza was born.
My food buddy Jan told me about Frank Pepe's and their white clam pizza several years ago, however it wasn't until last year did I actually make it my business to get into one of their restaurants while travelling on I-95 in Fairfield, Connecticut.
"White clam pizza please"!
Stunning!
Their traditional pizza's are refreshing, especially
in light of all the tradition that is lost on many pizza menus today.
The kitchen is the showstopper. Watching these artisans wielding 15 foot long paddles to place pizza's deep in their traditional ovens is eye-opening....as are many of their pizza selections.
Since I haven't had anything but the white clam pizza and the traditional tomato sauce and cheese in my only 3 visits, I can't speak for how they all taste. These traditional crusts are thin, thus my tendency would be to limit the amount of ingredients, especially those that contain water since they can reduce the crispiness of the crust.
Short and sweet...the service is friendly. Just make sure you time your visit to arrive before or after the normal lunch or dinner time...or you will have a major wait.
If you are in Fairfield, just ask for Sarah, Cathy or Nicole and tell them Bert sent you.

Mangia Baby!
Frank Pepe
Frank Pepe & Family Celebrating
The Ahhhhhh...White Calm Pizza...No Mozzarella
Traditional Tomato Sauce & Mozzarella  
Sausage & Pepperoni
Roasted Red Peppers