A Real
Clam Casino
LENNY’S CLAM BAR:
161-03 Crossbay Blvd.; 845-5100
CREDIT CARDS: American Express,
Diner’s Club, MasterCard, Transmedia and IGT
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through
Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE
Arnold Schwarzenegger has done it. Former
President Bush has done it. So has Joan Collins, Peter Jennings, and Ron Darling. All of
these people have taken time from their busy schedules to hang out at one of the
city’s most renowned clam bars, Lenny’s Clam Bar, which has been around since
1974. Owner Joe DeCandia can be seen beaming with pride among his celebrity clientele in
photos that adorn the walls of Lenny’s entrance. His son, Joe Jr., assists with
running this restaurant dynamo, along with baking all of the pastries fresh on the
premises, and daughter Maria runs Roma View Catering, which is a stone’s throw down
the block from Lenny’s.
“Lenny’s is the kind of place where you
can bring everyone; a date, a friend, but moreover, the entire family. There aren’t
that many places where you can do that,” said Seth Barcus, who smoothly manages
Lenny’s during evenings. Pam Marsela manages during the day. Lenny’s main dining
area is cheerful, well lit, bustling with business. A separate bar is available for those
coming in for a drink after the beach, and a separate party room is upstairs.
For starters, we couldn’t go to Lenny’s
without having clams. We had the dozen raw clams ($8.75) appetizer which were very
fresh, served in a beautiful silver “shell,” cocktail sauce on the side for
dipping. We also had a personal fave of mine, calamari ($7.25), which came with a choice
of sauces. In my attempt to decide which sauce to go with, our waitress, Donna, was
extremely nice and attentive. She brought over a couple of different sauces for us to dip
the calamari on a marinara and the other a moderately hot sauce. Both were good,
although I particularly liked the hot sauce. The calamari was excellent, too fresh,
cooked just right.
Moving on to dinner, entrees run the gamut of
chicken, seafood, and pasta. We tried the surf ‘n’ turf ($24.95) which combines
filet mignon and lobster, served with melted butter for dipping. We also had the fettucini
Alfredo ($8.75), which was delicious, enticing with its rich cheese flavor, generous in
portion.
In expressing their dedication to a good deal and
great service, they’ve established a policy where children can eat for free, when
accompanied by an adult, Monday through Thursday. And to keep up with the times and
special requests from patrons, Lenny’s menu will be upgraded to include new dishes
“including chicken oreganata, sausage and peppers Romana, and penne amore and
others,” according to Barcus.
Hats off to Lenny’s Clam Bar for their
excellent desserts, too. Prepared by Joe Jr., we were full but still had room for a
cannoli ($3.25), which was very fresh, and their Oreo crumble ($3.50), packed with ice
cream, hot fudge and crushed Oreo cookies. The dessert menu also includes classics
like tiramisu and apple crumble split. Lenny’s will make a fun dining treat for
anyone after a full day at the beach, catching up with friends, or a night out with the
family.
—
Linda Sheridan |
