It's 7:09 and I am sitting in my sister's living room, looking at a calm but wrinkled Lake Erie and gray sky. It's in the 50s and so far, I am the only one up. The vastness of Lake Erie compared to Chautauqua Lake is profound. At Chautauqua, we are always looking across the lake at the shoreline. On Lake Erie, it's like looking into nothingness.
Saturday was a perfect day for a clambake on the lake, the high in the 70s, and lots of sun and blue skies. I woke at 7:00 and was able to get in a 50-minute paddle on Chautauqua Lake before coming in and finishing the blog with Evie. I had breakfast, then did what little packing I needed to do for our overnight in Euclid, then gathered the trash. By 10:15, I was off to the Transfer Station to get rid of the trash, then drove to Ashville General Store, where an Amish wagon was parked, overflowing with sweet corn. I bought three dozen ears, put twenty-one bucks in the wood box, and drove home.
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| Adding Clams |
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| And Chickens |
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| Two Generations |
We spent an hour getting the house organized and packing and left for Euclid around 12:40, hoping to stop at Azman's for Slovenian Sausage. It was closed, however, because of the Slovenian Sausage Festival in Kirtland, one that they usually win. We arrived at my sister's at 2:00, and Rich, her husband, was busy getting everything ready for the bake, the brick firepit, already burning, the tables, chairs, drinks, etc. I was able to help some, but most of the work was done.
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| My Sister's Amazing Yard |
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| Jim, Claire And The Gals |
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Aunts And Nieces And Girl Friends
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| Dads, Sons, And Friends |
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| Claire And Harry |
Their yard is a great place for a party because my sister Linda is an avid gardener, and their yard is filled with flowers, shrubs, trees, vines, various colors and lushness. In fact, Linda was busy too, preparing the chicken for baking as well as other goodies. They have been doing this at their home on the lake since the 1970s; my parents started doing it in the 1950s. We did it at the lake once in the early 1980s.
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| Evie And Sophie |
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| Vince And Colin, Cousins |
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| Linda, Rich, And Son Pat |
Family and friends started arriving at 4:00, and we put the clams in the bake at that time, followed by chicken, and both sweet and red potatoes. Later, we added crab legs and corn to finish it off. The beers, wine, and Manhattans were flowing as we feasted on appetizers, played bean bag, and enjoyed the afternoon. For us, it was fun to see our cousins and their kids, most of them out of college, beginning their careers. Rich started serving up the bagged clams around 5:30, and we filled out plates with chicken, crabmeat, potatoes, corn, and salad, topped by a dozen clams. We had five or six tables, and there were over 30 of us. Fortunately, it was a beautiful late afternoon. I had a couple of dozen clams, dipped in butter of course, along with corn, potatoes, and tomatoes, a feast. For dessert, the Mayor made her cheesecake, topped with either cherries or strawberries, always a feature when we get together.
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| Cousins At Sunset |
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| Bonfire |
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| The Old Smoothies |
As it got dark, a couple of the young cousins went swimming, the lake calm and inviting. By 7:45, it was dark enough to build a fire, and the younger crew sat around the blaze, playing a game called Harmon Killebrew while the old smoothies, seven of us, sat around the table talking. In the corner of the yard, a 40-inch TV had the Ohio/Ohio State game on because most of us either graduated from OU or Ohio State.
We went to bed around 10:00, feeling guilty about leaving my sister and brother-in-law to stay up until the night ended. OH, what a day.
A Brief History Of Our Clambakes
Cleveland is the clambake capital of the US for some reason.
My father started having clambakes in the 1950s. When he got older, Rich and Linda took over, probably in the 1980s, and had them most years in the fall. Yesterday, they served close to forty family and friends.
Clambake from Euclid Fish, in Mentor, Ohio, and usually there is a line up of cars, waiting for the bake, and they bring the bake out to you, and put it in your car.
Clams: 10.85 a dozen, 542.50 for fifty dozen
Total cost: 700.00, for chowder, charcoal, pot, bags, paper bowls, cups for butter,
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I love the history. Thanks for making the trip and documenting. It was such a gorgeous night!
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