Queens Tribune

Lenny’s Clam Bar
161-03 Cross Bay Blvd.,
Howard Beach
(718) 845-5100
www.lennysclambar.com
Cuisine: Seafood/Italian
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.,
Sun.-Thurs; 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Fri & Sat
Parking: Small parking lot/street/valet
Credit Cards: All major
The shrimp was tender and juicy; the calamari was breaded just perfectly; even the bruschetta was crisp with fresh tomato bits and seasoning.
My meal at Lenny’s Clam Bar is probably the best I’ve had in a long while and, for a person who cannot cook and who frequently enjoys dining out, this is fairly telling.
If good, home-style seafood and Italian food in large portions is what you crave than you should try Lenny’s, located on the water in Howard Beach.
Lenny’s, one of the best known restaurants in the neighborhood, offers moderately priced dishes in not-so-moderate portions. They serve an array of seafood – baked, fried, sautéed and covered in sauce – as well as barbequed ribs and chicken.
“We consider ourselves a landmark in Howard Beach,” said owner Joe DeCandia, who noted that the restaurant has been around for 34 years. “All our food is fresh and good.”
The restaurant, immaculately clean and polished, was remodeled several weeks ago. Though it changed its appearance, DeCandia said the kitchen staff has been around for nearly 20 years, and its waitstaff for nearly 10.
The best dishes on the menu, DeCandia said, are the fried calamari, the ribs and, of course, the clams. My dinner date and I decided to try some of these standbys. We ordered the barbeque platter, which included barbequed chicken, shrimp and – the best part – ribs.
The barbeque sauce was sweet and spicy with just enough flavor; the ribs could be picked off the bone with a fork, though you may not want to do it this way. The dish also had seasoned waffle fries – my companion’s favorite – and yellow rice.
It was also big enough that we had plenty – more than half the dish – left over to take home.
We also ordered a dish of fried calamari and shrimp, which was equally as delectable. The shrimp had a hint of seasoning and the calamari was fantastic – not at all chewy. It was served with a special homemade red sauce that comes in sweet, mild and spicy versions.
As if we were not already stuffed enough at this point, we ordered a dessert to share. The tiramisu is made by DeCandia himself and seemed like the best choice.
For the more courageous, Lenny’s offers something called the “Chocolate Ooooozzzzzz,” hot Godiva chocolate surrounded by a warm soufflé that when cut oozes out chocolate. Yum.
Though neither my companion nor I is terribly familiar with tiramisu – I don’t think either one of us had ever tried it before – we were delightfully surprised and even impressed with the light, fluffy cocoa-covered dessert.
Before we even left Lenny’s, my companion and I were planning our next trip back. Not only were we impressed with the food, obviously, but the waitstaff and Joe himself were nothing but nice. Kudos to our server, Margie.
Perhaps next time we go to Lenny’s we’ll sit in the room that has views of the water, and we’ll try one of the seafood combos served with salad, linguine and potato of the day. Next time can’t come soon enough.
-Liz Skalka