A historical question about HoJo'w
 

When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
strips.


--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
> strips.

Wow! I remember HoJo's fried clams, although I have no clue what sort
of clams were used ;) Most likely, and I would not be surprised, they
were probably 'canned' ????

Dang! It seems many HoJo's still exist, go figure ;) Reference
http://www.hojo.com/hotels/destinations - although I don't believe
they're as numerous as they used to be. Alas, the HoJo in my local area
went 'bye-bye' more than 20-plus years ago. Times change, etc.

Sky

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On Sunday, July 20, 2014 8:55:05 PM UTC+1, James Silverton wrote:
> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
>
> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
>
> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
>
> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
>
> strips.
> --
> Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Razor clams spring to mind.

Cherry

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
> strips.


I was actually a cook at a HoJo on and off 1965 to 1968 (while in High
School... I stared there as a dishwasher)

The clams came frozen in 1/2 gallon milk cartons. We thawed them out,
dipped in egg/milk wash, into the seasoned flour, shake, dip in wash
again and back into the flour a second time and then into the fryer.

The clams were strips cut from quahogs... large hard shell clams.
Ironically, the HoJo I worked at was 1/4 mile from Great South Bay in NY
where you could fill a bushel basket with cherrystones, littlenecks, etc
just by walking into the water and feeling around with your feet.

(Quohogs, littlenecks, cherrystones are all different sizes of the same
hardshell clam. Quohogs are the biggest and toughest and always used in
cooking, never eaten off the half-shell.)

George L

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 3:49 PM, George Leppla wrote:
> On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
>> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
>> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
>> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
>> strips.
>
> I was actually a cook at a HoJo on and off 1965 to 1968 (while in High
> School... I stared there as a dishwasher)
>
> The clams came frozen in 1/2 gallon milk cartons. We thawed them out,
> dipped in egg/milk wash, into the seasoned flour, shake, dip in wash
> again and back into the flour a second time and then into the fryer.
>
> The clams were strips cut from quahogs... large hard shell clams.
> Ironically, the HoJo I worked at was 1/4 mile from Great South Bay in NY
> where you could fill a bushel basket with cherrystones, littlenecks, etc
> just by walking into the water and feeling around with your feet.
>
> (Quohogs, littlenecks, cherrystones are all different sizes of the same
> hardshell clam. Quohogs are the biggest and toughest and always used in
> cooking, never eaten off the half-shell.)
>
> George L

Kewl, that's really neat to know! Thanks for sharing the info ;) Glad
to know the clams were frozen and not canned, although I'd not know what
makes the difference between the two preservation methods.

Sky

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

James Silverton wrote:
> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It
> used to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the
> Blue Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but
> what sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long
> battered strips.

Funny to hear this asked about. My father always told me they were
ipswich clams (had to look it up to get the correct spelling). I have
no idea if that's true or not, but he seemed to think it was a cool
thing to know.

-S-

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
> strips.
>
>

OMG! You are stirring memories. I loved those fried clams!

I remember Mother's Day, 1975 when my husband took me there along with 2
toddlers and a baby in the infant seat, who we put up on the table while
mommy gorged herself with fired clams.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 3:49 PM, George Leppla wrote:
> On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
>> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
>> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
>> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
>> strips.
>
>
> I was actually a cook at a HoJo on and off 1965 to 1968 (while in High
> School... I stared there as a dishwasher)
>
> The clams came frozen in 1/2 gallon milk cartons. We thawed them out,
> dipped in egg/milk wash, into the seasoned flour, shake, dip in wash
> again and back into the flour a second time and then into the fryer.
>
> The clams were strips cut from quahogs... large hard shell clams.
> Ironically, the HoJo I worked at was 1/4 mile from Great South Bay in NY
> where you could fill a bushel basket with cherrystones, littlenecks, etc
> just by walking into the water and feeling around with your feet.
>
> (Quohogs, littlenecks, cherrystones are all different sizes of the same
> hardshell clam. Quohogs are the biggest and toughest and always used in
> cooking, never eaten off the half-shell.)
>
> George L

No **** clams! One of the few benefits to living in New Jersey, besides
the pizza, were the steamer clams at the shore.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 4:22 PM, Steve Freides wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It
>> used to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the
>> Blue Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but
>> what sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long
>> battered strips.
>
> Funny to hear this asked about. My father always told me they were
> ipswich clams (had to look it up to get the correct spelling). I have
> no idea if that's true or not, but he seemed to think it was a cool
> thing to know.

While you can fry Ipswitch clams, they are mostly served steamed.
Harvesting them is hard... you have to dig them out of the sand one at a
time at low tide which is why they aren't a huge commercial item. The
main part of the clam is inedible and the edible portion is pretty small.

Steamed and dipped in butter... really, really delicious. An integral
pat of most New England clam bakes.

George L

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 4:37 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:

> OMG! You are stirring memories. I loved those fried clams!
>
> I remember Mother's Day, 1975 when my husband took me there along with 2
> toddlers and a baby in the infant seat, who we put up on the table while
> mommy gorged herself with fired clams.
>
Fried clams for dinner and a peppermint stick ice cream cone for
dessert. Heaven!!!

--
DreadfulBitch

I'm a nobody, nobody is perfect, therefore I'm perfect.

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 4:37 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
>> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
>> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
>> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
>> strips.
>>
>>
>
> OMG! You are stirring memories. I loved those fried clams!
>
> I remember Mother's Day, 1975 when my husband took me there along with 2
> toddlers and a baby in the infant seat, who we put up on the table while
> mommy gorged herself with fired clams.


In the mid to late 60's, HoJo had an AYCE Fish and Chips special almost
every Friday night. For $1.29, you got all the deep fried flounder,
french fries and cole slaw you could eat. Once in a while, they would
do the same thing with Fried Clams... but the price for that jumped to
$1.99 pp.

I can remember making tubs and tubs of coleslaw right after school
getting ready for the Fish Fry. the ratio was 4-3-2-1: 4 carrots, 3
heads of cabbage, two medium onions through the grater and add 1 can of
HoJo's cole slaw dressing. The recipe could be adjusted depending on the
size of the cabbages, etc.

I worked at HoJo's during the school year and I loved it. During the
summers, I worked for the NY State Park Commission on the beaches. You
couldn't find better jobs for a kid in High School.

George L

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 4:48 PM, George Leppla wrote:
> On 7/20/2014 4:37 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>
>> OMG! You are stirring memories. I loved those fried clams!
>>
> In the mid to late 60's, HoJo had an AYCE Fish and Chips special almost
> every Friday night. For $1.29, you got all the deep fried flounder,
> french fries and cole slaw you could eat. Once in a while, they would
> do the same thing with Fried Clams... but the price for that jumped to
> $1.99 pp.

Heh, I wonder how that (USA) $1.29 now equates to today's $$$?? I have
no clue how to do the math to "exchange" past money to current prices :/
That's beyond my ken, but I know it can be done ;>

Sky

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 5:13 PM, Sky wrote:
> On 7/20/2014 4:48 PM, George Leppla wrote:
>> On 7/20/2014 4:37 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>>
>>> OMG! You are stirring memories. I loved those fried clams!
>>>
>> In the mid to late 60's, HoJo had an AYCE Fish and Chips special almost
>> every Friday night. For $1.29, you got all the deep fried flounder,
>> french fries and cole slaw you could eat. Once in a while, they would
>> do the same thing with Fried Clams... but the price for that jumped to
>> $1.99 pp.
>
> Heh, I wonder how that (USA) $1.29 now equates to today's $$$?? I have
> no clue how to do the math to "exchange" past money to current prices :/
> That's beyond my ken, but I know it can be done ;>
>
> Sky
>


According to the inflation calculator, if it cost $1.29 in 1968, it
would cost $8.52 in 2013.

http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

A local restaurant here has a 3 piece catfish dinner with fries and a
tossed salad for $7.99 and a 5 piece version for $9.99. Not AYCE, but
even I can't eat more than 5 pieces.

George L

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 5:51 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 16:48:40 -0500, George Leppla wrote:
>
>> In the mid to late 60's, HoJo had an AYCE Fish and Chips special almost
>> every Friday night. For $1.29, you got all the deep fried flounder,
>> french fries and cole slaw you could eat. Once in a while, they would
>> do the same thing with Fried Clams... but the price for that jumped to
>> $1.99 pp.
>
> In the 70's I remember they had Friday night AYCE clams. Don't recall
> any fish special.
>
> I loved them, but frankly, they sucked. I can't remember if I was a
> ketchup or tarter sauce dipper.
>
> -sw
>

Tarter sauce, for me.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On 7/20/2014 4:58 PM, Sky wrote:
> On 7/20/2014 3:49 PM, George Leppla wrote:
>> On 7/20/2014 2:55 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>>> When my kids were small they loved Howard Johnson's Fried clams. It used
>>> to be a big deal to have dinner at the HoJo restaurant near the Blue
>>> Ridge National Park. There aren't many (if any) HoJo's now but what
>>> sort of clams did they use? I recall the clams as being long battered
>>> strips.
>>
>> I was actually a cook at a HoJo on and off 1965 to 1968 (while in High
>> School... I stared there as a dishwasher)
>>
>> The clams came frozen in 1/2 gallon milk cartons. We thawed them out,
>> dipped in egg/milk wash, into the seasoned flour, shake, dip in wash
>> again and back into the flour a second time and then into the fryer.
>>
>> The clams were strips cut from quahogs... large hard shell clams.
>> Ironically, the HoJo I worked at was 1/4 mile from Great South Bay in NY
>> where you could fill a bushel basket with cherrystones, littlenecks, etc
>> just by walking into the water and feeling around with your feet.
>>
>> (Quohogs, littlenecks, cherrystones are all different sizes of the same
>> hardshell clam. Quohogs are the biggest and toughest and always used in
>> cooking, never eaten off the half-shell.)
>>
>> George L
>
> Kewl, that's really neat to know! Thanks for sharing the info ;) Glad
> to know the clams were frozen and not canned, although I'd not know what
> makes the difference between the two preservation methods.
>

Thanks to George too! I think my question is answered.


--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:56:48 -0500, Janet Wilder >
wrote:

>On 7/20/2014 5:51 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
>> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 16:48:40 -0500, George Leppla wrote:
>>
>>> In the mid to late 60's, HoJo had an AYCE Fish and Chips special almost
>>> every Friday night. For $1.29, you got all the deep fried flounder,
>>> french fries and cole slaw you could eat. Once in a while, they would
>>> do the same thing with Fried Clams... but the price for that jumped to
>>> $1.99 pp.
>>
>> In the 70's I remember they had Friday night AYCE clams. Don't recall
>> any fish special.
>>
>> I loved them, but frankly, they sucked. I can't remember if I was a
>> ketchup or tarter sauce dipper.
>
>Tarter sauce, for me.

Fresh lemon for me. In 1970 Red Lobster had an Alaskan crab leg
special once a month, AYCA $4.95... came with drawn butter and a bowl
of hush puppies, hoping to fill you up so you'd eat less legs. I
didn't eat the puppies and barely used the butter... I'd pile shells
on the table until they began to fall off, that's how I knew I had my
fill... the servers didn't clear the shells hoping to cause the
patrons embarrassment, didn't work, everyones table was piled with a
mountain of shells. In those days Red Lobster served a good 2ni for
80¢. Over the next few years Red Lobster degraded until I no longer
patronized them, I haven't been since the late '70s. I prefer clams
uncooked, cherrystones on the half shell... usta order 4-5 dozen,
can't get fresh up here in the boonies

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 20:06:04 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

>
>Glad to know the clams were frozen and not canned, although I'd not know what
>makes the difference between the two preservation methods.

The difference is like night and day, flash frozen are as close to
fresh dug as it gets, canned by comparison won't even make good chum.
You can still buy frozen clams. Sold all over NYC:
http://doxseelegend.com/LONG%20ISLAN...ea_clam_co.htm

I can buy decent live shellfish he
http://www.ginsbergs.com/general-inf...s-information/

A historical question about HoJo'w
 

On Monday, July 21, 2014 11:23:14 AM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:

> I can buy decent live shellfish he
>
> http://www.ginsbergs.com/general-inf...s-information/

Oy vay! Traifs from Ginsbergs!