Connie & Ted's - West Hollywood

Sooooo...a New England clam shack teleported to in the middle of WeHo. There is literally a seafood shack from the middle of Maine serving fish that taste fresh-caught off the dock...minus the dock. It sticks out like a sore thumb, but hey, it's a delicious sore thumb. 

This menu has all the classics. This trio of Jo's Wicked Good Chowda' is every bit as wicked good as it claims. The creamy New England is liquid butta', the Manhattan is a lighter tomato but no less enticing, and the Rhode Island Clear is a new and fast favorite for me. It's all the sea-salt-and-brine chowder minus the lactose intolerance.

Their appetizer special is a Deep Fried Night Smelt, with so many salty little fish you could fill up on that alone. The fish are fresh beyond all doubt, but the bellies do get a little soggy and soft.

It seems their specialty is clams. The Fried Clams are so fresh you feel like you just dug them up yourself. There's just enough breading to bring out the brine and just enough frying to keep the strips tender and the bellies soft, and they are just perfect.

There's whimsy on a typically traditional menu, and the Hokkaido Dog sticks out. A sturdy casing encases a mysterious mix of sweet Hokkaido scallop with a softer sausage that supports without overshadowing. Dressed like a regular dog with onions, mustard, and side of cole slaw, it tastes like a the east coast infused with California.

The server tells us that their Blondie won best dessert at some point, and I believe it. The perfect sphere of ice cream glows golden brown with caramel sauce, and the brown sugar bar beneath is all sorts of moist and rich.

I was apprehensive about Connie & Ted's, but I checked my attitude at the door. I see a glimpse of home on these walls, I taste the salty Cape on these plates, and I can feel the sea air mixing with every breathy bite. It's a lot ritzier than any clam shack I've seen, but in Socal, it's also better than anywhere else I've been.

Lobster at the Clam Shack – Wells, Maine

If I could pick a blind date for a lovely Maine wedding where I knew no one, including the bride and groom, I’d pick Adam every time. If I could pick a place to have a delectable Maine lobster roll, I’d pick the Clam Shack every time.

The Clam Shack is a cute, nondescript…well…shack…a homey wooden food stand that houses a brilliant kitchen that serves up a whole lobster between two slices of toasted hamburger bun. Wish I had more time in Wells – I would have tried a few other goodies on the menu – clam cakes, fried clams, yumyumyum, etc.

My only gripe is that there salt on the lobster is non-existent, and the savory butter doesn’t really remedy that. That being said, it may serve me right for skipping the mayo. In my defense, I didn’t want the mayo to drown out the lobster...

A word of caution: while you’re gobbling up your fresh lobster by the water, watch out for the seagulls – they perch right above you, poised to snatch the lobster out of your eagerly cupped hands. They left me alone though – they could probably sense that I would actually kill for lobster…

If you’re ever in Wells, Maine, make it a point to stop by the Clam Shack. I did. TWICE. In the same day. There is always room for lobster. If you still need convincing, (though I'm not sure how that's possible if you've read this post), their t-shirts make good tangible souvenirs, and their lobster rolls make lasting memories.