Shuckers
Slippery when wet: Steamed clams at Shuckers
Ingredients: A healthy pile of middleneck clams steamed and covered in basil garlic butter. Served with bread tips.
Damage: $11.99 for a dozen-and-a-half
Skinny: These clams were chewy the way calamari is chewy, but with much, much less of the sense that you'll be chomping on just this one piece for the duration of the meal. I only mention it because I don't typically order clams, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. With a squeeze from the lemon wedge garnish, the basil garlic butter sauce assumes a citrus edge that makes this appetizer fresh and enjoyable. Even without the lemon zing, the basil garlic butter remains light (more reminiscent of a wine sauce than a cream sauce) and tasty. I eagerly finished the whole bowl and tried not to seem too ravenous as I bit off each butter-soaked edge of my bread tips.--Mark Gross
