The Clam Shack

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The Clam Shack
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The Clam Shack - Kennebunk ME.jpg
The Clam Shack in 2024
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Location within Maine
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The Clam Shack (the United States)
Restaurant information
Established1968
Owner(s)Steve Kingston
Food type Seafood
Street address2 Western Ave, Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Coordinates 43°21′39″N70°28′42″W / 43.3608°N 70.4784°W / 43.3608; -70.4784
Website www.theclamshack.net

The Clam Shack is a seafood restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine that serves its food for take-out. It has been in operation since 1968 and serves dishes from New England's cuisine. It is especially known for its lobster rolls. The shack has won accolades from magazines like Gourmet and Travel + Leisure . [1] It is only open from May to October. [2] Many celebrities have been spotted at the restaurant. [3]

Contents

History

The fish market The Clam Shack is located in was originally known as Shackford and Gooch and began its operations in the 1930s. The small shack near the river that became The Clam Shack was rented as the restaurant in 1968. [2] [4] [5]

The restaurant is owned by Steve Kingston, who bought it in 2000. [4] [6] Some recipes from the shack were featured in The Bush Family Cookbook, which was published in 2005. [1] It supplied lobster and swordfish to a dinner on Vladimir Putin's diplomatic visit to Walker's Point Estate in Kennebunkport. [7]

The restaurant sells fried clams, haddock, scallops, shrimp, calamari, chicken fingers, onion rings, bisque, french fries, and clam cake. It also has clam chowder, prawn cocktail, steamed clams, dill pickle, and cole slaw. There is a lobster dinner coming in small, medium, and large sizes. The Clam Shack also sells sandwiches such as burgers, hot dogs, tuna rolls, and grilled cheese. [4]

Lobster roll

The restaurant's well-known lobster roll is made from 5 oz (140 g) of lobster meat from lobsters trapped off the coast of Kennebunkport. The handpicked claw, knuckle, and tail meat boiled in fresh ocean water to be sandwiched between two family-made rolls from Reilly's Bakery in Biddeford. Lobster rolls are usually served on hot dog buns, setting The Clam Shack apart from many other restaurants. [1] Fifty lobsters are boiled at a time and the lobsters are handpicked because knives can cause oxidation, which may taint the flavor. [8] Customers can add butter, mayonnaise, or both to their bun. The butter is made at Kate's, a creamery in Arundel. [2] It sells kits to make the dish on the online marketplace Goldbelly. [4] At the height of the restaurant's popularity during the summer, The Clam Shack sells over 500 rolls daily. [6] A roll costs US$16 as of 2015. [1]

In addition to winning the Lobster Roll Rumble four times, [2] the dish was selected by The Boston Globe in 2013 as the best in New England. [1] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of New England</span> Northeastern US food culture

New England cuisine is an American cuisine which originated in the New England region of the United States, and traces its roots to traditional English cuisine and Native American cuisine of the Abenaki, Narragansett, Niantic, Wabanaki, Wampanoag, and other native peoples. It also includes influences from Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, and Portuguese cuisine, among others. It is characterized by extensive use of potatoes, beans, dairy products and seafood, resulting from its historical reliance on its seaports and fishing industry. Corn, the major crop historically grown by Native American tribes in New England, continues to be grown in all New England states, primarily as sweet corn although flint corn is grown as well. It is traditionally used in hasty puddings, cornbreads and corn chowders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich</span> Food made with bread and other ingredients

A sandwich is a dish typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a portable, convenient finger food in the Western world, though over time it has become prevalent worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennebunkport, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

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Fried clams are clams dipped in milk, floured, and deep-fried.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Olmsted, Larry (June 27, 2013). "Great American Bites: Is this New England's best lobster roll?". USA Today . Archived from the original on November 8, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Burns, Jay (August 13, 2019). "My Maine Summer: Steve Kingston '88, the Clam Shack, and Maine's best lobster roll". Bates College . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  3. ↑ Sedenka, Chris Sedenka (August 31, 2022). "The Popular Clam Shack in Kennebunk, Maine, Will Be on a 'Big Network' TV Show". WBLM . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Official website". Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ Tucker, Aimee (July 8, 2022). "The Clam Shack in Kennebunk, Maine". New England. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Canavan, Hillary Dixler (May 23, 2014). "Lobster Rolls at the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport, Maine". Eater . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ Zezima, Katie (June 30, 2007). "Little Odessa? Maybe Not, but Bush-Putin Talks Lend This Resort a Russian Flavor". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ Lindberg, Peter Jon (June 15, 2015). "The Best Lobster Shacks in Maine". Travel + Leisure . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  9. ↑ McGrory, Brian (July 12, 2017). "Maine seafood shack owner claws to the top - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
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