Woodman's of Essex
| Woodman's of Essex | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1914 |
| Food type | Seafood |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Website | woodmans |
Coordinates: 42°37′49″N 70°46′28.5″W / 42.63028°N 70.774583°W
Woodman’s of Essex is a seafood restaurant in Essex, Massachusetts (approximately 26 miles (42 km) north of Boston). A local favorite, it is also known internationally for its fried clams and New England clam bakes. Woodman’s has been a family business since its founding in 1914, and is a large employer in the area with over 200 staff during the summer months.
In 1914 Lawrence Henry "Chubby" Woodman and his wife Bessie opened up a clam shack on Essex's Main Street, more commonly known to locals as "the causeway". Chubby and Bessie sold freshly dug steamer clams as well as ice cream and homemade potato chips.
According to legend, Chubby invented the Ipswich fried clams on July 3, 1916. The company website says this happened during a visit from a friend and fisherman, Mr. Tarr of neighboring Gloucester, Chubby took his suggestion to put some clams into the oil used for deep-frying the potato chips. Some modifications were made, such as dipping the clams in evaporated milk and corn flour, and the fried clam was born.
The traditional New England clam bake is a long process. Chubby Woodman came up with the idea of mobilizing it—a truck was loaded up with food, boilers, and wood, and the clambake was done at the customer's preferred location. Today, Woodman's sells "clambakes to go," consisting of all the necessary ingredients such as lobster, clams, potatoes, and corn. Dependence on the clam has brought risk to the restaurant. In 2005, the red tide was quite severe, leading to lower supplies and price increases. Woodman's was forced to import clams from Canada.
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