Fried Clams and Narragansett Lager, from the Improper Bostonian.
Those other bivalves made Island Creek the go-to for locally harvested seafood, but the fried clams at its Kenmore Square flagship are perfectly executed summer fare, served year-round. Served on a bed of French fries with a side of coleslaw and a pickle-juice-spiked tartar sauce, the South Shore clams ($15-$27) are beyond plump and meaty. "Throughout the menu everything is about quality," general manager Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli says. "It’s not that we prepare our oysters all that differently, it’s that we’re using the best possible seafood." Keeping with the classic motif, he skips the cocktail list and completes the meal with a Narragansett tall boy ($5), adding, "That’s a no brainer. It’s light and local, basically summer waiting to happen."
Island Creek Oyster Bar
500 Comm. Ave., Boston | 617-532-5300 | islandcreekoysterbar.com