My friend Kate knew just where to take us to dinner when we visited. The exterior of the Governor Francis Inn in Warwick, Rhode Island didn’t convey much. But when we stepped inside surrounded by wood paneling and golden lighting, I felt like I’d been here a hundred times before. A stone-clad gas fireplace in the corner added to the ambiance. We settled into a half-booth, upholstered in a vintage floral straight out of an 80s hotel room.
Most importantly, we achieved our quest for the day and ate some damn clam cakes.
Kate had informed me well before our visit that I needed to eat a clam cake, and so, as we spent a day meandering in Providence, we stopped by two different places. Our timing was off and both were closed.
But no matter: Clam cakes and chowder were on the menu for dinner. I expected something like a hush puppy but instead, I was greeted with a light and fluffy interior, more like a funnel cake with little bits of clam throughout.
I’ve thought of those clam cakes from time to time in the months since our vacation. Because here in Maryland, there’s nothing quite like them. And because of the wisdom of bringing your out-of-town friends not to some novel foodie destination, but to your mainstay; take them to the place you go to all the time.
When Carolyn Wyman contacted me about her new book, “The Great Clam Cake and Fritter Guide: Why We Love Them, How to Make Them, and Where to Find Them from Maine to Virginia,” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it for the recipes alone.
But the book is more than recipes. A history of clam cakes traces them back further than I’d have expected – well into the 1800s. And the pancake-like clam cakes of Maryland and Virginia make an appearance, with a sideline into Mrs. Kitching and Smith Island Cake. The little town of Saxis Virginia is represented, and the Chincoteague Firemen’s Carnival. Up and down the shore, people have found ways to stretch the flavor of clams into cakes and fritters.
Wyman’s book also includes a guide to clam cake and fritter destinations. Next time I find myself in Rhode Island, I have even more options to look into. One could even take a bike tour of clam cake establishments, with a stop for ice cream.
I interviewed Wyman about the book, and I made the classic clam cake recipe found in the book.
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