> Howard Johnson's had fried clams, did not know that.

Funnily, I suppose there's many people who know about Howard Johnson's serving clams, even though we know almost nothing else about the chain.

This is thanks to Zappa's song/musical story Billy the Mountain, prominently featuring Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (the force behind The Turtles) on most memorable performances.

Excerpt:

    They left that night, crunchin' across the mojave desert
    Their voices echoing through the canyons of your minds
    "Ethel, want to get a cuppa cawfee?"
    
    "there's a Howard Johnsons! want to eat some clams?"
    The first noteworthy piece of real estate they destroyed was Edwards Air Force Base
    And to this very day, 'wing nuts' and data reduction clerks alike
    Speak in reverent whispers about that fateful night when
    Test stand number one and the rocket sled itself got LUNCHED!
    By a famous mountain-in and his small, wooden wife

Lol, no. It's because they sold HJ fried clams in the frozen food section of supermarkets for decades, and it was a featured item on the actual restaurant's menus (like IHOP = pancakes).

Frank Zappa is cool but even his most ardent fans have to concede that his songs and lyrics are pretty obscure.

I can't disagree with any of that, but I only know about it from that song, so, anecdote two, I guess.

Your comment is implicitly backed by a false dichotomy. Some people (based in USA and old enough, for example) will know about it from direct experience. Other people know about it only from Billy the Mountain.

Thanks Mr. Literal. Obviously not true that nobody knows it from the song, since the OP posted it himself. But the ratio is likely 9-to-1 or better.

> She admitted they were quite good, but there were no "bellies" (a particularly repellent portion of the dish).

I mean for, you, maybe. But throughout the eastern US, clams in all sort are not an obscure food item. Steamed clams are a common preparation (which is famously referenced in one of thr most memeified Simpsons scenes) and that is served as the whole clam not just the “strip”.

Also HoJos was pretty much responsible for popularizing the strip only variation throughout the US.

https://newengland.com/today/food/main-dishes/fish-seafood/f...

Whole fried clams may not be popular outside of the Northeast, they’re not exactly obscure.

As for HoJo style strips, it’s not like you can’t just get a fucking box in any supermarket freezer aisle. These are a Midwest food more than a New Hampshire food. Your secretary was humoring your “insistence”.

Looking at the other comments, it’s amusing how this post has pretty much drawn out the xenophobic middle American rubes of HN.

There are clam strips and fried whole belly clams. The latter are definitely better but you apparently don't like clams in general.

That said, as I get older I find most deep fried things are better not deep fried so I'll pretty much take steamers (steamed clams) by preference these days.

Yup, will go for steamed over fried seafood any day of the week...unless there are good fish and chips around.

Living in the UK, of the 3 I only get access to good (and bad) fish and chips. I used to live in the Boston area and fried clams or steamers were a particular thing my dad used to go nuts for. I loved them too and miss them dearly. I had no idea that HoJo's sold them. In fact I think I only remember going to a HoJo's once in my life

Mussels are a reasonable alternative to steamed clams and I've had those on a number of occasions in London. Not sure how available they are more broadly.

As much as I like mussels, they are NOT the same. (They are readily available in my area and moules marinere are something I do enjoy, especially in a nice pernod cream...) But New England fried belly clams have a taste that just can't (or more likely won't) be replicated elsewhere. Along with a good cheese steak but that's a whole 'nother thread ;)

I propose a clams v oysters debate. Cos oysters are magnificently tastier.

>Howard Johnson's had fried clam

They were clam strips from what I remember, and I am with your secretary. Clam Strips are a waste of calories :)

But I was rather surprised when friends from Atlanta GA visited and I took them to a place in New Hampshire, which I am sure your secretary has bee at many times. They thought Fried Clams were repellent, which was a big surprise to me.

The ended up getting scallops, but they did not believe were real because they were so large.

Unfortunately, counterfeit scallops are common.

https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/sl...

https://www.publichealth.com.ng/how-to-identify-fake-scallop...

No, they aren't. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/39179/are-cheap...

And yet I can buy fake scallops.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/IQF-imitation-breaded...

There's a difference between "fake" and "counterfeit"; the latter is when it's fake and you're up to no good.

And lord knows no restaurant or roadside fishmonger would ever pass off those fake scallops as the real thing!! No sirree!

Note here that the FDA lists skate->scallop substitution.

https://www.fda.gov/food/seafood-guidance-documents-regulato...

Fraud accounts for up to 40% of seafood sales.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/15/revealed...

But do go on believing that Alibaba’s fake food isn’t passed off as the real thing.

I love the sarcastic tone --- it's delightful! Please keep doing that.

My point is that Alibaba is not selling counterfeit scallops. What you wrote did not contradict the comment to which you were responding.

I'm in my sixties. I haven't been in a Howard Johnson's since I was a kid, but I distinctly remember the smell when walking into one, the smell of fried clams. It told me that we were on a vacation trip.