A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : New England Nostalgia

AS THE SUMMER WEARS ON and even tending the barbecue at back-yard cookouts becomes old news, you may want to consider an old-fashioned clambake. You needn’t have roots in New England; simply telephone The Clambakers in Mission Viejo. Owner Jane Chadburn and her team transport above-ground cookers to the site of your choice, where they cook up a delectable feast over seaweed.

“After much trial and error,” Chadburn says, “we had the two-foot-square cookers built specially for our needs, and we fly in the rockweed from the East Coast for authentic flavor.” Steaming takes about an hour and a half, and Chadburn says that many guests like to arrive in time to see the lobsters “put to bed.” The clambake feast--lobster with drawn butter, clams, corn on the cob, potatoes and onions--is served buffet style from wooden cooking boxes and is accompanied by clam chowder, fresh fruit, blueberry muffins and ice cream bars. (Chadburn suggests adding extra lobsters to assuage those with particularly hearty appetites.)

Servers help the uninitiated crack their lobsters and make sure that all get their fill. Table linens (traditional red-and-white checks), bibs and utensils are included in the price of $39.50 per person (minimum 30 people). The Clambakers also provide tables and chairs and a range of beverage services for an extra fee.

For more information, call The Clambakers, (714) 588-8070.

Contact: Jane Chadburn, (714) 588-8070.