The Alternative Press

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The clams were fresh, the day was beautiful and the camaraderie was heavy in the air as American Legion Post 433 held its annual clambake Saturday afternoon at the Post Home on Elkwood Avenue.

The annual event drews friends and neighbors from all over the area as they dug into fresh or steamed clams, from littlenecks to quahogs, and enjoy drinks and a few laughs in the wooded picnic area behind the Legion.

Numerous other events in the area on the same day meant attendance was a little lower than usual this year, but spirits were high. The clambake is the Legion’s biggest annual fundraiser, according to Post Commander Paul Dormont.

“It’s a great event for us,” Dormont said. “We see some of the same people every year, and we really have a good time.”

While Legionnaire Jason Kearney manned a grill laden with hotdogs and sausages for those not shellfish-inclined, at a nearby table his son, Shane, took lessons on shucking clams from Legionnaire Pat Masi.

“I’m teaching him how to do this so next year I can just sit back and eat,” Masi joked, pulling another handful of littlenecks out of the ice chest and piling them on the table.

“Feel for the ridge,” he instructed, showing Shane how to slip his knife into the shell’s tight opening. “Now twist and run the knife inside to loosen the meat.” Sometimes it worked well, other times not so much. But the clams, put out into a shallow pan of cold water, were eaten. Some people favored lemon juice, others cocktail sauce, and some would only eat them plain, complete with the requisite slurping sound at the end. Legionnaire Tom Fry worked nearby, using a guillotine to open the larger quahogs.

The day included a 50-50 raffle, which the younger Kearney dried off his hands long enough to win. He promptly donated the money back to the American Legion.

Post 433 has 116 members, nine working and six on active duty.