Woodman

Ever sit down to the table for a family dinner and look down at your plate and think, “Do I really have to eat this?”  While at the same time, your Uncle Pete has already shoveled down his second helping of the stuff?  The “stuff” is a long-established dish originating in Nova Scotia.  Passed down from generations through the Boutchie family (Gini Woodman’s side), it arrives each year, like clockwork on the plates of the Woodman Family.  Some families eat grapes on New Years while others drink champagne.  But the Woodman’s-well we eat Rappie Pie.

The Rappie Pie appears to some like a curse, but for many a blessing, especially when garnished with ketchup!  Each time that we gather round the table and celebrate the New Year, I can’t help but think back to all the New Years when I avoided the dish and waited patiently for dessert. For me the tradition began at Aunt Pat’s house, although I am told that it started much earlier.  The adults would lounge around upstairs most likely recovering from the night before, while the kids ran around downstairs like maniacs, playing with toys and eventually getting yelled at for locking Dexter and Ashley in the closet.

The tradition has now been moved to Wendy’s house, where for her the tradition began at Aunt Judi’s house, and for Judi it began at her parents’ house.

It is now clear to me that beyond all the pressed potatoes, pork scraps and onions lies something more.  Tonight we are cooking Rappie Pie as part of a series of Woodman family cooking nights.  I will finally learn the coveted recipe and you will too, if you buy our cook book.  Although I am already making secret dinner plans with my mom the (non-Woodman parent), I am happy to watch my family as they enjoy their Rappie Pie and hear about all the old memories and unique stories it evokes.

From one bride to the next, this blog was written by one of our recent clients who hopes that her old wives tale will assist other brides-to-be in their hunt for the perfect venue on the North Shore.  If you are a fan of Woodman’s of Essex and would like to contribute to our blog please send your Woodman’s stories to woodmanshomeofthefriedclam@gmail.com

“I remember it like it was yesterday. My cousin and I found a huge wedding magazine in our aunt’s living room and, at age 10, we planned our perfect wedding. We cut out pages of dresses, rings, centerpieces, ideas for colors and bridesmaid’s dresses, flowers, and more. Now, here I am, 15 years later buying my own wedding magazine and planning to have all my dreams come true.

Being a native of the North Shore of Massachusetts, I always pictured my big and diverse family attending my wedding near my home town. Fortunately, the man of my dreams is a local as well, so his big and diverse family is excited to hear that we are looking at venues in the North Shore. That being said, the search for the perfect venue is not something I was able to figure out from my big wedding magazine, but hopefully my experience will help other brides during their search.

The first step in our journey was a historical estate in a wooded area off the beaten path. It was a beautiful and unique site with many medium sized indoor and outdoor accommodations, exquisite attention to detail, and full catered packages. After the site fee, the catering fee, the 28% additional charge, and every other amenity at an additional premium, we quickly realized that we would easily spend the next ten years of our life paying off our wedding if we chose this venue.

The second location we decided to explore was your standard grand ballroom overlooking a local port with a professional staff, reasonably priced menus, and newly renovated facility. We loved the idea of the large space that could easily accommodate our big families, but the room lacked character and uniqueness as well as the ability to hold an on site ceremony.

Next we found ourselves at a local waterfront hotel. While most of our guests were not traveling far to be with us on our special day, the idea of having on-site hotel rooms was something we wanted to explore. After viewing the room itself, we quickly decided that hotel accommodation was not the most important item on our list. The space had a corporate meeting room feel to it and lacked any color or shine, not to mention the waterfront view could only be seen at one small part of the room. While the catering and room pricing were reasonable, the venue lacked the feeling we were looking for.

As we continued on our search we found ourselves at an oceanfront inn located in a historic building. With the ocean at every corner of the venue, the view and outside grounds were breathtaking and we were immediately excited about the space until we met the wedding planner. With a forward and unprofessional attitude, he took a beautiful location and gave it a uncomfortable and pushy feel. While he claimed to have a cordon bleu chef and the ability to put on an exquisite event, he was unable to provide us with any informational packets and then insulted our menu choice which he had us write out ourselves on a blank piece of paper.  Not only did he leave a bad taste in our mouths, he had hefty room rental rate, inflated menu price, and an additional 27% that seemed like it went right into his pocket.

Finally, we headed to The Essex Room, a large banquet hall with scenic views of the area. We were greeted with a charming and professional staff that immediately made us feel at home. The location had beautiful gardens available for an on site ceremony, a private bridal suite for my wedding party, and a fabulous built-in dance floor and stage area. The pricing, which was lower than any other site we inquired with, included all the necessities and charged us no additional room fee or gratuity percentage. They had flexible and customizable packages that catered to our personal taste. The entire place was picture perfect and a clear favorite for our big day. The coordinator told us at our first meeting, “let us plan the wedding of your dreams,” and that is certainly what they did.”

This was submitted from one of our summer customers…

The other day, I had a traditional New England clambake catered by Woodman’s of Essex on a beach north of Boston, Massachusetts. I was left with six 1 ¼ pound freshly cooked lobsters because I ordered a twin lobster dinner for each of my guests and not everyone ate their second lobster, so now I am worried about what to do with all these fresh lobsters.

The helpful catering crew explained to me that I had 4 hours from the time the lobsters were cooked to get them into a refrigerator in order for them to stay fresh. The lobsters were alive when they arrived at our event and were cooked on site just minutes before they were served to my guests, so I had about an hour to make room in my house for this fresh seafood after the clambake ended. The clambake staff also told me that if I keep the lobsters in their shells, they will last for 5 days as long as they are put in a cold refrigerator. If I shuck the lobsters and take out the lobster tails, lobster claws, and other delicious lobster meat, it will only last about 3 days. So here I am, with a refrigerator full of lobster and lots of ideas on lobster recipes to experiment with.

I decided to invite five of my best friends over for some homemade lobster stew. I made the lobster stew with a simple family recipe of fresh lobster meat, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and paprika with a dash of dry sherry for flavor.  I used the lobster bodies as the base for the stock, about three of my leftover lobsters resulted in 6 servings of my lobster stew.

The next day, I was going through my fridge trying to think about different lobster filled meals that I could create without going to the store. For lunch I had a lobster grilled cheese, I simply took two slices of bread and buttered them up on a skillet, pulled out some Havarti cheese and shucked out a lobster claw to really spice up the sandwich. The whole meal only took about 5 minutes to make and was delicious!

My final plan is to shuck the remaining three lobsters and make some traditional lobster rolls for a family day at Crane’s beach on the Essex River. I simply added mayonnaise and a splash of vinegar and sugar and mixed it with the fresh lobster meat.  If you are really fancy you could even add some avocado to the mix!  Even after 3 days straight of lobster, I don’t think I will ever get sick of eating the fresh and local treat!

The summer is in full swing here at Woodman’s and we wanted to keep you updated with what is going on in and around the property.  Besides serving up great food and Family Fun you can also expect a series of summer events and promotions that will get you moving!

We are running a promotion right now; if you book an event before July 22^nd you will receive complementary brownies on the day of your event for the entire guest count. These brownies are TO DIE FOR!  So if you are on the fence about booking a party this is definitely a sweet perk!

Jeff Fraser, Essex-born and raised, one man extravaganza is playing Thursday nights at the Top Deck all summer long.  The show is free to the public and starts at 7pm.  On these nights you can swing by the Ice Cream shop and pick up a snack like a piece of fried dough, pizza or a pretzel.  These items are quick, easy and yummy and will be a great addition to a wonderful night filled with drinks, good music and laughs.

If you simply can’t get enough dancing you will be pleased to hear that our Latin Nights event is back and in full swing!  Every Sunday at the Lobster Trap from 7-9:30 one can expect a 45 minute dance class taught by an incredible teacher, Gregory Coles.  The class is followed by some saucy tunes that will let you to show off your new moves! Remember it is a CASH BAR ONLY and there is a $15 cover charge at the door.

We are also holding Zumba classes on Monday and Tuesday nights at the Lobster Trap.  The classes run from 6pm until 7pm and are $8. You can expect to laugh, have fun and break a sweat while following the master instruction by Janine Boucher!

Would you like to be eligible to win free “Funpacks” to Mel’s Funway Park for your entire family, or what about a free Woodman’s ice cream cone!?  Yes, that’s right Woodman’s has ice cream and we are giving it away! Submit your best ice cream-eating, sweet-smiling snapshot to our Facebook page and receive a coupon for a free, single-scoop cone!

But that’s not all, get your friends to “like” your photo on our Facebook Wall and become eligible to win a free family “Funpack” to  Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, NH.

 Each person is allowed to submit one photo and in return will receive one coupon for a single-scoop ice cream cone.  Upon submission, Woodman’s reserves the right to use your photos in the future.  The ice cream coupons are redeemable in either one of our Woodman’s locations, so make sure you have got your sweetest smile on if you’re in it to win it. 

In addition to submitting your photo on Facebook, to obtain your free cone coupon please email your mailing address to woodmanshomeofthefriedclam@gmail.com 

 The “Sweetest Smile” contest is running through the Litchfield and Essex Woodman’s Facebook pages.  The photo with the most “likes” will be deemed the winner on June 13^th at 5pm! Additionally, if you take your photo while visiting Woodman’s and it is identifiably shot at one of our locations, you will receive five extra bonus “likes” towards the grand prize!  So invite your friends, your family, and their friends and family to vote for YOU in the Woodman’s “Sweetest Smile” Facebook contest!

Each “Funpack” includes one go kart ride, one round of mini golf, a small bucket of balls at the driving range, one game of laser tag, one game of laser maze and six batting cage tokens.  They are valued at $25 dollars per pass and we are giving you “Funpacks” for up to 6 family members! These passes are only good for services at Mel’s Funway Park and cannot be redeemed for their cash value.  

So get going and eat up some ice cream before this delicious opportunity passes you by!

In their time the Woodman family, longstanding clamshack owners and industry leaders, have encountered many friendly competitors in the marketplace invented by their predecessor, Lawrence “Chubby Woodman”.  However for over 97 years they have yet to find themselves in direct competition with one and other, until now.

In April of 2009, Woodman’s of Essex opened a new shop in Litchfield, New Hampshire. Located on the Charles Bancroft Highway in Mel’s Funway Park they have been relentlessly dishing out mollusks of the fried variety for almost three years now. Although still a toddler in the eyes of their Essex senior, they are giving the old folks a run for their money!

Yankee Magazine, a reputable authority of all that is food and travel in New England, dubbed Woodman’s of Litchfield “Best Fried Clams in New Hampshire” in their   “Best of New England” May/June of 2011 issue. “Used to be you had to go south of the border (to Essex, Massachusetts) to get a taste of the real thing, at the original Woodman’s (where it’s said the fried clam was invented in 1916). No more: Head to Mel’s Funway Park, hit a few at the driving range, then chow down on Woodman’s legendary goodness.”

Woodman\’s at Litchfield on Youtube

The New Hampshire location, while supervised by the third generation is run mainly by a fourth generation management team and all of their hard work is finally paying off.   While the food at both locations is created according to Chubby’s legendary recipe, Litchfield is taking credit where credit is due and Essex couldn’t be happier for them. So whether it is a summer day at the beach with friends, or a round of mini golf and a few zooms around the go-cart track you can look forward to a heaping plate of Woodman’s award-winning fried clams and finish your day with satisfaction.

Looking for something fun to do? Our Latin Nights Event starts this Thursday, come celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us all month long!

 We have so much going on this week with the  the ongoing Zumba classes that are taking place on Mondays and Tuesdays from 6-7pm in the Essex Room,the opening of the Retail Shop and Ice Cream, Our L. Dexter Woodman Golf Tournament and Fundraiser and the introduction of our new Latin Nights events at the Lobster Trap!  You may be thinking what does Salsa dancing and fried clams have in common, right?

 We wanted to take the time and explain to you a little bit about the man, Franco Lazo Morales and how he came into our lives here at Woodman’s of Essex. It began four years ago when 4^th generation Vanessa Woodman ventured off to teach English in Tulum, Mexico.  It was here that she learned Spanish and fell in love with the Latin American culture in which she was immersed.  Already with a deep appreciation for the arts, having studied dance in West Africa, performed in the Fringe Festival in Scotland and traveled to many a-concert she immediately felt at home with the vibrant performance art culture Tulum had to offer.  In her free time when she wasn’t teaching, she was able to participate in the ongoing array of musical happenings, as well as join a dance company and perform in the many community events organized by the Casa De La Cultura (Cultural Center) in Tulum.

 In 2008 she met Franco Lazo Morales, musician and producer and they began their long journey of applying for his visa, eventually immigrating to the United States.  Franco has been with Woodman’s for almost two years now, living in Beverly, MA.  He has performed on Monday nights at the Top Deck as Franco and the Midgies, as well in both restaurant locations and our Spookyworld events in Litchfield, NH. Along with performing his unique style of Reggae and Trova music (Mexican Folk) he adores Latin America’s musical culture which encompasses a vast array of genres from Cumbia to Banda and Salsa to Reggaeton.  As a performer Franco is a pleasure to watch, his smile and energy light up the room.  As a producer he has creative vision and hopes to share his talent with his North Shore audience and although you may not understand all of the lyrics, if you immerse yourself in the music and fiery culture of his events, the message will become clear.

 While Franco and Vanessa were living in Tulum, they also had the opportunity to meet another musical talent, Edsel Barrios.  He was, at the time, working with another band and has since relocated to Malden to live with his wife Michelle. Edsel has brought with him an energy and enthusiasm that is second to none.  His DJ sets are rhythmic and innovative, guaranteed to get you up and dancing.  While you’re at it, he will teach you a few steps and combos along the way.  By the end you will be moving, swerving, spinning and twirling and having a blast, all along the way!

 So come and celebrate this lively culture with us and ignite the passion within you!  Learn to dance, expose yourself to new sounds and let us bring a little piece of Mexico to you! 

 These events will be taking place all month long at The Lobster Trap.  Doors open at 7pm and there is a $5 cover charge.  You don’t have to dance but we invite you participate in our beginners dance classes with Edsel Barrios and encourage you to stay for a live musical performance by Franco Lazo Morales with special guest Michelle Barrios.  Remember some like it hot, and the rest can go home!

On Friday, May 6^th at 4:30 the Woodman’s of Essex Ice Cream and Retail Shop will be opening our doors to another fun season of serving you the tastiest ice cream in Essex.  In fact we are the only ice cream shop on the Causeway and no, you don’t have to wait in the restaurant’s long line to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.  We are located behind the restaurant and will be scooping up heaps of Gifford’s delicious flavors all season long!  Some of our highlights include our famous “Lobster Tracks” flavor and our Non-fat “Yog-n-Flave” frozen yogurt with a variety of fresh fruit and candy swirl-ins.

 You may have noticed the tiny, little construction project happening on the Causeway.  The road in front of us may be a bit rough, but what better way to enjoy those unexpected tosses and turns than with a savory, sweet “Pot Hole Sundae”.  Instead of choosing between hot fudge and caramel sauce, we have made the decision for you-get both, because it’s so worth it and you are too!  This new menu item features a chocolate fudge brownie, with coffee ice cream, hot fudge and caramel sauce, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top. 

 This new treat is the perfect balance of a chewy- chocolate mocha base, with salty-sweet caramel notes and a dynamite crunchy-cream finish!    We promise that our new “Pot-Hole Sundae” will be delicious enough to make you forget about all the “bumps in your road”, at least for a little while! Because when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade or in our case, when life gives you pot holes you should make Pot Hole Sundaes! 

 So come and visit us any weekend in May.  We open at noon Friday through Sunday all month long!

Lobsters are among one of the most desired dishes on Earth.  However it was not until the mid 19^th century that New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for the unseemingly delicious crustacean.  Lobsters have always been an identifying marker in society, like caviar and champagne.

However before the 19^th century it was the impoverished population and prisoners that were forced to eat the delectable dish!  During this time, besides being eaten by poor mouths and chained hands, lobsters were used for fertilizers and fish bait.

Woodman's slinging summer soft-shells!

Nowadays, fresh live lobsters are shipped all over the world and form the basis of a global seafood market that generates over 1 billion US dollars each year!  You can buy them at your local supermarket, order them online or ask for them at a restaurant.  They can be steamed, stuffed and baked , or made into soups, sandwiches, dips and quesadillas!

However what of the quality of their meat?  Any lobster connoisseur will tell you, to answer that question one must look at the shell because as it goes without saying around here; the softer the shell the sweeter the meat!

Nothing says summer like a yummy lobster at the beach!

Lobsters, once caught, are classified as old-shells, hard-shells and soft-shells.  Due to their molting process one single lobster will pass through all of these stages many times within their long lifecycle. Lobsters can live over 100 years! As the skin molts off the lobster their shell becomes soft and thin, their meat sweet and delicious.  However due to their delicate shells, they can not be shipped very far and therefore are only sold in local restaurants at distances that can accommodate their soft shells. A hard-shell lobster, whose shell has strengthened after molting, is durable enough to survive a journey from Boston to San Francisco yet their meat will never compare to that it’s the soft-shelled cousins.  The old-shell lobsters have yet to shed their shells and are by far the strongest of the three surviving journeys to Europe, Asia and even Australia if need be.  Although they make excellent traveling partners their meat is less inspiring.

Simply delicious!

Woodman’s is fortunate enough to serve the freshest, yummiest lobster around, including the soft-shell variety. Yet, from working many-a-clambake, I have come to find that the soft-shells are the most unappreciated bunch of the three.  Although their meat is by far the highest quality, people are unimpressed by the quantity.  Please come and enjoy a soft-shelled lobster this summer (usually from late June to early September) and let us know what you think.

Woodman’s of Essex is proud to announce that we will be opening our Litchfield restaurant for the season on Friday April 15, 2011 at 11:30 am.  As most of you know, it has been a long winter in New England.  However the snow has finally melted, the daffodils are peeking out and pretty soon you will all be craving ice cream!

  We are so eager to get things going and are looking forward to another beautiful spring in New England.  And what better way to celebrate the nice weather and natural beauty than over a clamplate, a beer or an ice cream cone with friends at your favorite local clamshack?   Well, beginning on Friday you can do just that, New Hampshire.

 If you haven’t been to our new location let us just say that it is definitely worth the trip!  We are located Mel’s Funway Park on the Charles Bancroft Highway      in Litchfield, NH.  Along with great eats you can enjoy a round of mini-golf, a bucket of golf balls, a turn in the batting cage or a zip around the go-kart tracks! 

 If seafood is not for you, we also offer an outstanding grilled chicken sandwich and bacon burger which are original to our New Hampshire location.  Our ice cream store in Litchfield also offers more flavors and topping options and makes an incredible coffee frappe!

 We hope to see you soon and remember Friday April 15, and every day after that we will be waiting to serve you, your friends and your family delicious food, excellent ice cream, hearty beverages and fun times all around!