Clam Box of Ipswich   

Visitors to Ipswich's fabled Clam Box need not look far for subliminal hints on what to order: not only is the restaurant itself shaped like an open takeout box for clams, but the menu offers clams of every imaginable variety. Still need a nudge in the right direction? According to the Box's management, though they "don't claim to have invented the fried clam, [they] believe [they] have perfected it." Such words carry a lot of weight on the North Shore, where you can scarcely toss a stick for your dog without cracking the window of a nearby seafood hut or fish shack. But the verdict is unanimous: However many contenders crowd the pool, for fried clams it's the Clam Box, and has been since 1938. For many New Englanders, a pilgrimage to the whimsically shaped restaurant is an annual rite of summer, like riding the Swan Boats or catching a Red Sox game. Diners from all backgrounds and tax brackets vie for tables in the modest dining room or outdoor deck, sampling crispy house specialties like native clams, strip clams, oysters, calamari and scallops. For the few finicky souls with an aversion to fry-o-laters, the joint also serves satisfying cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches and lobster rolls, while vegetarians must make do with sides of coleslaw, chips, French fries and dill pickles. -- Julia Clinger