Summer in New England is one of my favorite parts of being from the area. The foods you can get here in the summer are a big reason for that.
With parts of New England buried in up to 3 feet of snow right now, summer could not come fast enough. As a lifelong New Englander I’m used to living in a freezing tundra half of the year, but I can’t help but crave everything summer as I stare out onto mounds of snow lining the streets.
In order to make it through the next few months until the warm weather finally makes its way up to New England, here are some can’t miss New England summer foods to remind you that New England isn’t always a frozen wasteland:
1. Frappes
Not to be confused with every middle schooler’s favorite Starbucks drink (the Frappuccino), Frappes are a New England staple.
Places like the Scoop Deck in Wells, Maine and Richardson’s Ice Cream in Middleton, Massachusetts make some of the best frappes in New England. It wouldn’t be summer without having at least one.
2. Lobster Rolls
It wouldn’t be a list about New England foods if the regional favorite wasn’t featured. My one regret in life is that I’m a New Englander who is allergic to shellfish.
I’ve never gotten to eat one of these bad boys, but I know from experts that places like The Raw Bar in Mashpee, Massachusetts have the best lobster rolls you can find.
3. Del’s Frozen Lemonade
Del’s Frozen Lemonade has been a New England favorite since it’s start in Cranston, Rhode Island in the late 1940s. The delightfully refreshing slush now has eight flavors to choose from and every single one is amazing.
4. Pier Fries
Located right off the beach in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, The Original Pier French Fries are a staple when it comes to summer food. The massive line that is almost always in front of the store front is worth it after your first bite.
5. Friendly’s Sundaes
Friendly’s is an East Coast tradition no matter what time of the year it is. That being said, no matter how old you are, when summer rolls around it’s protocol to have the ice cream sundae with a face.
6. Anything and everything blueberry
I spend every summer in coastal Maine, and one of my favorite days of the year is when I go blueberry picking.
Blueberries are incorporated into the majority of Maine’s food, from pies and scones to salads and soda. My personal favorite is the Wild Maine Blueberry Jam from Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine.
7. Fenway Franks
These hotdogs are almost as well loved as Big Papi at Fenway Park. Now that I live right next to Fenway, I cant wait for baseball season to start so I can go to a game just to get this quintessentially Boston food.
8. Raspberry Lime Rickeys
Just writing about this drink is making me want to go trudging through the snow to find one, though I know it won’t be the same as the ones at The Soda Fountain In Ocean Park, Maine.
Though there are variations of this drink in other parks of the country, New England has the best.
9. Popcorn from E.W. Hobbs
Everyone in my family is absolutely obsessed with this North Shore classic from the Salem Willows in Salem, Massachusetts.
As one Yelp reviewer said, “[you] wouldn’t think popcorn is the type of food that would really stand out from one place to the next but the stuff here tastes to good you’d think it was pooped out by the Baby Jesus. Or Angels. Or something equally holy and miraculous.”
10. Clam Strips
Clam strips, especially the ones from the Clam Box of Ipswich in Ipswich, Massachusetts, are basically the kickoff food of the summer in New England. Grabbing a heaping pile of clam strips and heading to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester is my idea of a perfect summer day.
The thought of grabbing one of these treats and heading to the beach in July makes having to shovel out of your house somewhat bearable in the depths of February.