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On an Unbeaten Path

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Written by Thom Ring

Some businesses make no business sense at all. Thank goodness for that.

Why anyone would try to make a go of a restaurant out in the middle of the farmland-nowhere of Charlton, Mass., is beyond some. The way business-experts see it, there are no new trails to blaze. Folks who want some cheap eating, they figure, will head to the same road where they buy their cheap groceries, and their cheap lumber, and their cheap electronics, and their - well, you get the picture.

The truth is, a new business today would never be placed so far from where folks typically congregate. But the Clam Box has been out of the way for years, across the street from and yet part of Dresser Farms, which explains its existence at all. You, see, the Clam Box is lauded for its ice cream as much as its out-of-place seafood. Both features make it a destination all by its lonesome self.

The beauty for the Mom 'N Popper comes precisely because of the Clam Box's location off the beaten path. First, it allows us to avoid the supermarket, and the home-goods warehouse, and the electronics megastore, and the whole insanity of those unoriginal business locations. More importantly, the route to the Clam Box takes us along some of the most scenic road in central Massachusetts, and surprisingly to some, that's saying something.

There's nothing unique about the Clam Box's bill of fare. It's the standard fried clams, clamcakes, and burgers you'd find anywhere you order at a window, although their preparation ranks as above average. And, as is typical these days, the ice cream comes with every variety of nut and candy thrown into the mix, although tipping customers off to what flavors are vanilla-based, chocolate-based or otherwise is an appreciated touch. But the real quality of the Clam Box experience is found once you sit down to enjoy the food.

My wife Jan and I made it a point over the 4th of July weekend to arrive at the Clam Box as dusk was settling in so we could enjoy the view from the shaded deck next to the restaurant. It's always beautiful but especially so at this time of day. For me, I must admit the beauty of nightfall at a place such as this comes from more than the setting sun. For as long as I've been alive, visits to ice cream stands and outdoor clamshacks have been part of summer. When the yellow buglights are glowing, it tints the picture with nostalgia. I almost felt like slipping into my PJs for the ride, but I'm too big to fit on the deck under my car's rear window, so that takes away some of the fun of that.

Still, we found a spot nearby to enjoy the sunset. Unlike this writer, that never grows old.

The Clam Box is located along Mass., Route 31 in Charlton, Mass. For you bikers, Rte 31 is a fantastic ride, with swooping and dipping curves for sportbikes and gorgeous vistas along both sides of the road for cruisers.