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Bigelow’s, a Long Island Staple That Deserves a Few Kind Words.
Aug 8, 2010 Cool Stuff Leave a comment
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If you are driving westbound on Sunrise Highway through Rockville Center, it’s a rather unspectacular piece of road. The LIRR runs along the north side and the south side has the usual donut shop, storage facility and empty store front that litters the south shore. However, on the corner of South Long Beach Road, sits a blue and white shack adorned with the name Bigelow’s Fried Clams.
It’s interior is as inauspicious as it’s menu is simple; a u-shaped low counter with stools, that encircles an open kitchen, consisting of a middle island service station and 4 fryers and a grill that line the back wall. Bigelow’s has been on this corner since 1939, when Russ Bigelow decided to open a New England style clam shack on Long Island. I know, sounds a little strange, considering LI is known for it’s own seafood specialties, particularly soft shelled clams, or what we Knickerbockers call steamers.
While these delectable mollusks are also known by another less flattering name, they are called Ipswich Clams at Bigelow’s and they are served lightly battered and fried. The menu has other fried fare, such as huge Deep Sea Scallops, Smelts (which I admit I’ve never tried) and Soft-Shelled Crabs when in season, but I almost always go for the Ipswich on a bun with some coleslaw and a splash of Frank’s hot sauce. One point of advice I like to give, order “on a bun”. If you order a platter, there is just too much food! Sure, you can split a platter, or be a gavone like Dave Batley, but without the bun you can’t slap some slaw on your eats!
I also highly recommend you start off your meal with a cup of soup, New England & Manhattan Clam Chowder or Lobster Bisque are available. The Manhattan is my fave, but all of the selections are outstanding.
There are grilled items on the menu, too. Salmon, Swordfish and Tuna steaks are available, as is grilled chicken and a burger, which I am sure are excellent, but why bother? The clams and scallops are the way to go. When I was trying to figure out how much oil they go though each week, Anthony (the owner/manager) informed me that they use 1,200 lbs a week. They change the oil every day! 1,200 lbs a week! Damn!
The place does a ton of business for a reason, they are simply the best at what they do! And what they do, unlike what Wolverine does, is very pretty indeed!
