Reminiscing About Clams

This morning I was reading this chef's post about eating seafood in Paris and I was reminded of my trip to Oregon two years ago.  It really made me miss my friend, especially eating local Oregonian clams.

Our first trip together in Oregon, after I landed, was to go to the Pacific Ocean.  On our way there, we stopped off at Spirit Mountain Casino.  Seriously, I would have never thought of going to a casino to eat and I admit that I have a bias against eating at restaurants in casinos, but there we were.  She said the sit-in restaurant served some of the best local clams.  I was very skeptical, but trusted her judgment.

So we found ourselves at Legends and ordered our own meals, along with a bowl of "steamers" to share.  I got myself a salad (I think I got a "Legendary Louie") and when the clams came out, I was no match for her.  She methodically  and quickly took each clam meat out of the shell and then ate all the meat at once.  I liked doing it the slow, old-fashioned way:  eating the clam meat from each shell, sucking on the shell, licking my fingers, then moving on to the next.  I appreciate the whole dining experience while she prefers to have the clams in her tummy!

We got crusty break to soak up the delicious clam broth, which I couldn't let go to waste.  I have to admit, the whole meal was really yummy (including my salad) and one of the best I had while visiting her.

If you're ever near the Legends at Spirit Mountain Casino in Oregon, check out their steamers.  Today, I'm just reminiscing about that simple meal and realizing how much I miss my friend.

Let me know if you've ever been to Legends and tried their clams.  Happy eating.