The 10 Most Memorable Things To Do on the Massachusetts North Shore

By Kim Knox Beckius, About.com Guide

In July of 1916, Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman took a friend's suggestion and tossed some clams dipped in evaporated milk and corn flour into his potato chip fryer. "Essex Fried Clams" sold like hotcakes that Fourth of July, and the rest is Yankee culinary history.

At Woodman's of Essex, where more than 50 members of the Woodman family still make sweet, tender and delicious fried wholebelly clams using Chubby's reliable recipe, you'll enjoy casual dining and a taste sensation that has drawn customers for generations. Be sure to sample the clam chowder and steamers here, too. The North Shore's Ipswich Clams--hand-harvested from the muddy tidal flats of the Essex River--are unparalleled.