Fried clams, lobster rolls, and two iconic New England summer stops
This preview, based only on the published show notes, follows Dan Pashman to two classic New England food institutions: Woodman’s in Essex and Grace Church on Martha’s Vineyard. Expect origin-story food history, family nostalgia, and a teased surprise about a beloved lobster roll.
## Should you listen? Based on the show notes, this episode looks like a strong pick if you enjoy regional food traditions, summer travel vibes, and stories that connect iconic dishes to the people who keep them alive. Dan Pashman spends part of the episode at **Woodman’s** in Essex, Massachusetts, described here as the place where fried clams were invented and located in the "clam capital of America." The notes say he talks with owner **Steve Woodman** about the origin of their fried clams, which suggests a mix of food history and local legacy. There’s also a more personal angle: Dan shares a meal with his mom, who has been coming to Woodman’s for decades. The second stop is **Grace Church** on Martha’s Vineyard, home to some of Dan’s favorite lobster rolls. The notes tease that he uncovers a "shocking secret" about these lobster rolls, so if you like a little mystery in your food storytelling, that may be the hook here. This is a preview from the published metadata, not a recap of the audio, so the exact details of the clam origin story and the lobster roll secret aren’t spelled out in the notes. But if you’re in the mood for a summery, place-driven episode centered on beloved New England seafood institutions, this one seems designed to hit that sweet spot.
About this episode
<p>Summer is here, and for years, Dan has spent part of his summer in New England visiting family and friends. This week he’s visiting two New England summer institutions. First is <a href="https://www.woodmans.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Woodman’s</a>—known as the place where fried clams were invented—in Essex, Massachusetts, the clam capital of America. Dan chats with the owner, Steve Woodman, about the origin of their fried clams, and sits down for a meal with someone who's been coming to Woodman’s for decades: his mom. Then, Dan heads to <a href="https://www.graceepiscopalmv.org/summer-lobster-rolls.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grace Church</a> on Martha’s Vineyard, which has some of his favorite lobster rolls of all time. While there, Dan finds out a shocking secret about these very special lobster rolls.</p> <p>This episode was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Emma Morgenstern, and Andres O’Hara. It was engineered by Jared O’Connell and edited by Peter Clowney and Kameel Stanley. </p> <p>Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to <a href="http://siriusxm.com/sporkful" rel="noopener noreferrer">siriusxm.com/sporkful</a>. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>