Smorgasburg Smackdown: How to Choose Between Competing Vendors
Their Pitch:
Handsome Hank’s: “Not only is our seafood fresh, we use a really unique, proprietary frying mix, not just flour. We modeled the flavor after this spicy ramen Korean’s make. We also fry everything fresh to order. It’s a great deal.”
Shucks Clam: “We do clams the right way; whole belly, straight from Ipwich, which are hard to find in restaurants around here. And I make everything myself, down to the tartar sauce. I understand that I’m one of the more expensive booths here, but if you’re willing to splurge on lobster, why not fresh clams?”
The Winner: It’s a draw!
The expertly fried under-the-sea offerings at Handsome Hanks are a steal (especially when paired with a mountain of fries for only a few dollars extra). We especially appreciated the barely-there coating of batter (Korean, yes, but redolent of Old Bay), on the plump, snappy shrimp, which enhanced, as opposed to obscured, their texture and flavor. Equally impressive are the beautifully briny and silky clams over at Shucks, aggressively salted (we love them that way!), and all said, pretty much the best we’ve ever had.