Eat Fried Clams at Woodman’s and J.T. Farnham’s

According to legend, Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman of Essex, Massachusetts, created fried clams in 1916 when he dropped some battered bivalves into boiling oil at his potato chip business. Since then, Essex has emerged as the nation's fried clam center, and the greatest specimens can be found at Woodman's and J.T. Farnham's, both of which have views of the salt marshes along the Essex River, where some of the best clams in the world are grown.

Lawrence and Bessie noted significant family events on the reverse of their wedding certificate. Their two oldest sons, Wilbur and Henry, were born on the first two lines. The third line contained the family's other significant birthdate. They fried the first fried clam on July 3, 1916, in the town of Essex, it stated. Woodman's is still cooking clams the same way Chubby and Bessie did when it all started, more than 100 years and five generations later.

• Location: Massachusetts