Napeague Stretch staple the Clam Bar (2025 Montauk Highway, Amagansett, 631-267-6348) returns for its 44th season next Friday, April 11. This year, the beloved seafood shack, renowned for serving up popular summertime classics, is gaining a new mobile addition to its already shell-strong arsenal.
Husband and wife owners Kelly and John Piccinnini have added the Shuck Truck, a refurbished retro 66 Citroen H Van, to their resto’s already iconic scene at the classic seaside snack bar, a popular stop since 1981 for its no-frills, seafood shack style.
“We did a lot of research on what would, in our mind, meet the culture of the Clam Bar, with that old school, retro side-of-the-road seafood shack that a lot of our older customers remember from when they were kids,” John says.
Available for private events, the Shuck Truck is intended to be an extension of the eatery’s catering business, adding what Kelly calls a “sip and shuck” element to cocktail parties and clambakes. Intended to be used as a bar and raw bar display and storage, there will be no actual food preparation as “it’s not internally outfitted as a food truck,” she notes. Instead, the truck will act more as a signature prop for catered events at people’s homes, where people “can actually have this visual sort of representation of the Clam Bar right there in front of them.”
Different event packages involving the Shuck Truck will be tailored accordingly, with core elements featuring live-shucked clams and oysters, shrimp cocktail and accompanying wines, spritzes and cocktails. Options will run the gamut, as the Piccinnini’s are also looking to use the Shuck Truck for more kid-focused events, like snack and juice box packages while keeping the booze and the shellfish for the adults. “We want this to feel very inclusive, like it’s fun for the whole family,” Kelly says.
The couple, with Kelly originally hailing from Southold, bought the Clam Bar, from her mother four years ago. Her late stepfather was the one who originally started the restaurant back in 1981. Now the pair, along with their two small children, are residents of East Hampton’s Northwest Woods, and are dedicated to serving their community.
“Our kids are being raised here in the summer,” John says. “It’s the more we talk to people, hearing they take their grandkids here because they were here 30 years ago. It brings back the memories. It’s important to us, how important this place is to other people.”
