265 replies to this topic

[jandres374]

The place next to Cesco, that used to be Tel Aviv Cafe, I think it became a Mediteranean place called Cafe Preeze or something. It's closed and some weird sounding chainy sort of place has a thing up. I think it is 'Somebody's Name's Lobster and Crabs'. The sign looked tacky.

Also, the Ben & Jerry's closed. I never went there, but it's gone.

The chainy sort of place is going to be Freddie's Lobster and Clams from the owners of Grapeseed.

Bethesda Magazine Article

[Pool Boy]

Many thanks for that link. It seems Freddie's could actually work -- I love a good lobster roll (as well as good fish & chips).

[Jeff Heineman]

It's closed and some weird sounding chainy sort of place has a thing up. I think it is 'Somebody's Name's Lobster and Crabs'. The sign looked tacky.

Not a Chain. Freddy's is named after my Grandfather. I dug clams with him. He's dead. I made the sign myself.
Stop by I can show you around
Jeff

[ol_ironstomach]

Not a Chain. Freddy's is named after my Grandfather. I dug clams with him. He's dead. I made the sign myself.
Stop by I can show you around
Jeff

I'm actually pretty excited about the possibilities here, especially now that Bobby's isn't around any more to satisfy my whole-belly clam cravings.

It'd probably turn off other Bethesda diners, but if you can figure out how to build in a chunk of live rocky tidepool and that salt-spray smell of the New England coast, I'm camping out and never leaving.

[Heather]

Not a Chain. Freddy's is named after my Grandfather. I dug clams with him. He's dead. I made the sign myself.
Stop by I can show you around
Jeff

A great seafood option a block from my office is a very good thing. Do you have an approximate opening day?

I'm actually pretty excited about the possibilities here, especially now that Bobby's isn't around any more to satisfy my whole-belly clam cravings.

If there's a properly made clam roll on the menu then I will be there once a week, at least.

[Jeff Heineman]

It'd probably turn off other Bethesda diners, but if you can figure out how to build in a chunk of live rocky tidepool and that salt-spray smell of the New England coast, I'm camping out and never leaving.

I actually got ahold of a pier from a friend of mine in St Michaels that I was going to use for the deck. Unfortunately, the powers that be in the permitting office didn't seem so excited about the salt-spray smell I was going to bring to Bethesda

[Jeff Heineman]

A great seafood option a block from my office is a very good thing. Do you have an approximate opening day?

I will have a good idea of opening date after our plans get through the "Instant" permitting process in Rockville. It supposedly only takes 10 working days. Go figure

[Pool Boy]

Not a Chain. Freddy's is named after my Grandfather. I dug clams with him. He's dead. I made the sign myself.
Stop by I can show you around
Jeff

The description I've read about what you're going for is awesome. I can't wait until you open.

[darkstar965]

If there's a properly made clam roll on the menu then I will be there once a week, at least.

Ditto. Maybe not every week but at least every other week for me. Defining "properly made:" Neptune in Boston is the best I've had in a few years. Kinkeads is the best I've had here in the DC area. Can it be? Consistently whole-bellied Ipswich clams with light seasoned breading that complements the clam...and not the other way around...with toasted bun? A great clam roll in Bethesda would be a huge deal.

The description I've read about what you're going for is awesome. I can't wait until you open.

Ditto again.

[luv2cook]

I'm actually pretty excited about the possibilities here, especially now that Bobby's isn't around any more to satisfy my whole-belly clam cravings.

It'd probably turn off other Bethesda diners, but if you can figure out how to build in a chunk of live rocky tidepool and that salt-spray smell of the New England coast, I'm camping out and never leaving.

I agree with you! Will be great having a place close-by where I can get whole-belly clams. Sure hope they cook them the way my Mom used to with the fresh clams we dug summers at Great Hammock Beach! Love the idea of a tidal pool.

[collije]

This sounds fantastic, can't wait to go.

[ol_ironstomach]

Yes Chris, best of luck...

Buried in Tim Carman's concise bit of reporting (congrats to Chris and Jeff, btw) is this important update: "Heineman is expected to open Freddy’s next Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the final inspection and other contigencies."

Before or after the Glen Manor tasting dinner at Dino? Decisions...decisions...

[jandres374]

Menu here.

[Ericandblueboy]

What is a clam cake? Is it like a fish cake made with clams or is it more like a stuffed clam? BTW, where can I get a good stuffed quahog around here?

[sphere777]

What is a clam cake? Is it like a fish cake made with clams or is it more like a stuffed clam? BTW, where can I get a good stuffed quahog around here?

When my mom made them out of canned clams, the term "clam fritter" probably would have been a better descriptor.

Rob

[Jeff Heineman]

We are putting the finishing touches on this place. The punch list should be done soon and the lobster tank is being installed, starting tomorrow.

We hope to do friends and family dinners next week and then open to the public soon after.

Chris Cunningham is indeed coming up with some great cocktails to compliment our Craft beer selections.

And we have scheduled some lady named Gillian Clark to come in and make fried chicken on Wednesdays until she gets too busy with her own place. B. Flay recommended her to me.

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to offer support as we have struggled with the permitting/inspection process. It has truely helped.

www.freddyslobster.com

Jeff

[darkstar965]

Wow--are you looking for people to adopt into the family? Or new friend? I'm friendly. Sign me up for any night clams/lobster and Weds chicken with that random "lady" you found somewhere

Or..a DR night next week...maybe...possibly? Two more weeks for this is cruel and inhuman IMHO.

[Chris Cunningham]

Wow--are you looking for people to adopt into the family? Or new friend? I'm friendly. Sign me up for any night clams/lobster and Weds chicken with that random "lady" you found somewhere

Or..a DR night next week...maybe...possibly? Two more weeks for this is cruel and inhuman IMHO.

Actually Jeff and I were discussing that the other day so your ears must have been burning Will do

[DanielK]

I wandered by the other day after having lunch around the corner at Uptown Deli. Lots of activity going on inside.

Can't wait!

[Pool Boy]

Looking forward to seeing you open soon. Woot!

[squidsdc]

Actually Jeff and I were discussing that the other day so your ears must have been burning Will do

does that "will do" mean your considering the DR night, or adding darkstar to the friends and family list? (Add another vote for the potential DR night! )

[darkstar965]

does that "will do" mean your considering the DR night, or adding darkstar to the friends and family list? (Add another vote for the potential DR night! )

Ha ha. Register two vigorous votes on both. Add darkstar to the ff list and a DR night.

But, whatever you do, please do it as soon as you can. Must have great clam rolls. gspot fried chicken resurrected. All hail Freddy's!

[Chris Cunningham]

Ha ha. Register two vigorous votes on both. Add darkstar to the ff list and a DR night.

But, whatever you do, please do it as soon as you can. Must have great clam rolls. gspot fried chicken resurrected. All hail Freddy's!

Yes, we will have a DR night

[schulju]

Yes, we will have a DR night

Can't wait, sign me up!

[Choirgirl21]

Yes, we will have a DR night

When?! When?!

[ktmoomau]

Yes, we will have a DR night

Wooohooo!

[xcanuck]

Yes, we will have a DR night

Fantastic! And I'm especially excited to try some of Chris' cocktails. It's been too long.

[DonRocks]

Yes, we will have a DR night

Count DonRocks in, and depending on the night, MattRocks, too (and also possibly Magdalena + 1)

[Jeff Heineman]

Holy Cow! we appear to be open.
Who knew

[goodeats]

Hooray, hurrah & a BIG huzzah! Can't wait to visit. Congrats and a toast!

[Lydia R]

Holy Cow! we appear to be open.
Who knew

Update: Freddy's is closed today (Sunday) and tomorrow. The sign on the door states they'll be open on Tuesday the 17th. Better they open when they're ready, but this rainy PM would have been better with Freddy.

[sphere777]

Visited Freddy's on Saturday. Enjoyed the fried calamari and the tremendous lobster roll. Really nice balsamic dressing for the iceberg salad, though the salad itself only had tomatoes. Service was rough but hey, I came in less than three hours after its opening.

All in all, a success. I shall returm!

Rob

[DMVDining2]

Went to Freddy's on Saturday after we read it was open right here on DR.

Love, love, love the beer selection. Reasonably priced for Montgomery County standards. It's not very often you find Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout on tap, and for $6, I couldn't have been happier. Here's hoping they start some sort of Happy Hour during the week.

As for the food, I was pretty excited about the clam strips, but what I got were a handful of small strips overshadowed by a ton of onion rings. On top of that, some of the clams were lukewarm, and I told our waiter as well as the host about them and they said they would pass it onto the chef. Again, it was the first day they were open so I'll cut them some slack, but they definitely need to fix the proportion of clams to onion rings/fries - and make sure they're hot!

This place has promise as it's in a great location and was getting busy just from all the people walking by Cordell Ave. Looking forward to coming back, especially at the bar.

You can read more on what we thought in our blog entry - http://www.dmvdining...ster-and-clams/

[darkstar965]

Brief update. They were going to (re)open today but are finishing up a few things with planned lunch open tomorrow. So no dinner runs tonight but almost there!

[Jeff Heineman]

Brief update. They were going to (re)open today but are finishing up a few things with planned lunch open tomorrow. So no dinner runs tonight but almost there!

Exactly. We had to put a new epoxy coating on the bathroom tile, so we needed a day to let it dry. Seems Chris Cunningham refuses to work whenever the tilework is not to his standards. He comes from a long line of masons...

[Marty L.]

I was pretty excited about the clam strips, but what I got were a handful of small strips overshadowed by a ton of onion rings. On top of that, some of the clams were lukewarm, and I told our waiter as well as the host about them and they said they would pass it onto the chef. Again, it was the first day they were open so I'll cut them some slack, but they definitely need to fix the proportion of clams to onion rings/fries - and make sure they're hot!

I noticed both "clam strips" and "fried clams" on the menu. Is the latter (higher-priced) a reference to whole-belly clams? There ought to be quite a few of them to justify the fairly steep price. If the proprietors are looking in, do you have a New England platonic ideal of fired claims that you're hoping to emulate? (Trying to establish a baseline!)

[darkstar965]

I noticed both "clam strips" and "fried clams" on the menu. Is the latter (higher-priced) a reference to whole-belly clams? There ought to be quite a few of them to justify the fairly steep price. If the proprietors are looking in, do you have a New England platonic ideal of fired claims that you're hoping to emulate? (Trying to establish a baseline!)

Looking at the online menu it seems pretty clear that one can order either "clam strips" (as you've quoted fullly in box or platter versions) or "fried whole belly clams" (which you quoted in edited form dropping the "whole belly" in the item name). Worth noting also for the rolls, different from the lower menu, platter selections, only whole belly clams are offered.

Why not just give them a try? Having had a lot of clam rolls and fried clams in New England and elsewhere, I can tell you many spots (esp outside New England) just serve strips without any mention. Any New England "ideal" would have to be 1) as fresh as possible and 2) whole belly. Pretty simple stufff. And, for a platter, a $3 difference as Freddy's is charging doesn't even approach "steep" for me. Haven't yet tried the place but that's just reaction to the menu--all of which seems pretty reasonable and very promising to me.,

[darkstar965]

A Day One (er, kinda day 2) Review

Made it in today and, in keeping with the rule of not knocking anything in the first month or two of a restaurant's open (aka, "If you can't say anything nice....") will say there wasn't much to knock if I tried.

Freddy's is a hugely welcome addition to the consistently mediocre (though maybe slowly improving?) Bethesda dining scene. Thoughts on venue and product below. Not too much on service for now aside from saying that Gabe took great care of me at the bar; very nice and didn't want for anything.

Venue

Freddy's is as much 'New England clam shack' as one could want with just one exception: it's bigger than most. What I liked:

- it's big with lots of different seating options whether the large bar, tables in bar area, community tables or booths
- pretty authentic feeling without any thrills or real compromises. Big (forget the capacity) lobster tank. Open kitchen. Old clam, lobster, steamer, beer signs adorn the walls along with a few pics of new england fishing scenes and some kind of fishing award bestowed upon Jeff.
- good sized flat screens above the bar showing espn
- As for the careful bathroom tile work resultant from generations of masons' experience, ah, maybe not but the bathrooms are like the rest of the venue: bright, good sized and functional/comfortable in every way

Food

Really enjoyed Freddy's and will go back regularly. Why?

- A Light Hand. This was a consistent theme with everything I tried today:

* Lobster Stew: this is really a bisque and damn if it wasn't exactly what a bisque should be but rarely is. No thickeners whatsoever. A good 3oz or so (estimate) of fresh lump tail and claw meat. Light on the cream and seasoning.

* Clam roll: real deal and instantly becomes a best of region entrant for the category (without much competition admittedly aside from Kinkeads). Truly whole bellied and lightly breaded so the clam--and not breading or seasoning--is the star.

* Fries: thin/shoestring. lightly salted. after all, good fries are about flavorful potato more than salt...or at least should be in my view as these are

* Side 'o slaw: clear fresh and just lightly dressed. almost seemed healthy.

- Flavor. Of course, this is about ingredient quality along with careful seasoning.

* Clams: whole bellied and generously portioned. Maybe I had 6-8 big ones on my roll and, from the looks of it from a nearby diner, the box of whole bellied clams comes with even a few more at a dollar or two less. these are chesapeake clams but could easily hold their own on Mass' north shore or the cape. A Great Thing whether platter, box or roll.

* Stew/bisque: as mentioned above, this was delicious more because what it wasn't (overdone with butter or filler) and because of what it was (fresh, gently cooked chunk lobster)

* Blueberry muffin: this surprisingly came with the bisque but wasn't on the menu. I sometimes get blueberry muffins in bakeries and coffee places and this one, light and packed with fresh blueberries with light sugar, was as good as any I've had in a long time. One of those to go paired with some good coffee would be a great breakfast.

On cost/value, I wouldn't highlight this as one of Freddy's greatest spikes in terms of anything being a "steal" but I think the prices are very fair all around. Some will no doubt complain that they're a tad high but I'd beg to differ. It's a big place in Bethesda. It's priced in line with the few other top tier providers of seafood like this. And, most important, portions are all reasonable/generious and quality is great.

I'll leave to others with more expertise than me to comment on the 'tails and brews but will say the "Booze List" seemed pretty impressive with a dozen beers on tap (allagash, tripel, fullers, flying dog, can't recall all the others) and the first couple of pages of Chris' cocktails all seemed readily recognizeable as the work of a skilled mixologist....as he is.

My only complaint is I wish this place was in DC or Bethesda Row.

Freddy's rocks. Congrats, welcome and best wishes for a very, very long run and great success!

[Cuddlyone]

So we went to Freddy's for lunch when we found out Pizzeria Da Marco was closed. A little shaky, but, duh, it's their very first lunch. At lunch, you order at the counter and they bring your lunch to the table. Pretty efficient service for their first day. Fried whole belly clams: delish! Onion rings: way too greasy. Fried shrimp: ok. Iceberg lettuce salad: brown lettuce and pink under-ripe tomatoes. White clam chowder:excellent, lots of clams, not too heavy. Service staff: very pleasant, trying their best. We will be back.

[Jeff Heineman]

and some kind of fishing award bestowed upon Jeff.

Saltwater fishing Citation from the State of North Carolina for a 60 pound Wahoo I caught in the Outer Banks last year. Has nothing to do with the theme, or New England, but I am quite proud since I don't fish much (at all, really).

Thanks for the kind words.

eta - 60 pounds is still 124 pounds shy of the world record for Wahoo

[V.H.]

* Blueberry muffin: this surprisingly came with the bisque but wasn't on the menu. I sometimes get blueberry muffins in bakeries and coffee places and this one, light and packed with fresh blueberries with light sugar, was as good as any I've had in a long time. One of those to go paired with some good coffee would be a great breakfast.

I believe this is a New England thing. My coworker's wife is from Massachusetts and I remember him saying something about always ordering the seafood stew at a restaurant for the blueberry muffin alone.

[darkstar965]

I believe this is a New England thing. My coworker's wife is from Massachusetts and I remember him saying something about always ordering the seafood stew at a restaurant for the blueberry muffin alone.

Guess it must be so. I spent a number of years in NE and had a large number of seafood stews/chowders/bisques and don't think I ever had one served with a blueberry muffin. But the server today told me the same thing---er, that it was a NE thing. I was intrigued by that but wow'ed by the lightness and flavor of the muffin. Totally unexpected but a clear answer to what I find myself asking all the time in spots that are supposed to do muffins well: can't anyone make a good muffin? And this is a seafood place--you just never know.

[darkstar965]

eta - 60 pounds is still 124 pounds shy of the world record for Wahoo

Yeah, but that one was caught by a 15 year old so can't really compete with that

[ol_ironstomach]

What can you say about such a place? Oh yeah: way to go, Jeff! This isn't a concept I would have imagined for that part of Bethesda, with its shingle-style interior and rustic pseudo-castaway patio, but the food is even more evocative of the flavors of coastal New England. I hope the eaters of Bethesda appreciate it, instead of complaining that it doesn't resemble their megachain or supermarket heat-and-eat references.

darkstar's description of the lobster 'stew' was spot-on. Chunks and chunks of lobster meats in a deceptively thin base, capturing all of the flavor with none of the paste. The whole belly clams today were from Massachusetts; plump, juicy, and rich. And properly fried in a simple dredge, and also really quite fragile. Eat them as soon as they hit the table, before the thin blanket of residual heat dissipates, or the clam liquor defeats the crisp crust.

This now becomes our casual shellfish go-to, a role formerly satisfied by the late, lamented Bobby's Crabcakes. And when I mentioned this to Jeff as we were leaving, no more than 20 seconds later Bobby Bloch walked in the door. Kismet?

[ol_ironstomach]

Also, although Gillian Clark will be frying chickens on Wednesdays for the time being, I am told that next week only she's bumped it to Thursday due to a schedule conflict. I think I remembered that correctly.

[DiningInFrederick]

darkstar's description of the lobster 'stew' was spot-on. Chunks and chunks of lobster meats in a deceptively thin base, capturing all of the flavor with none of the paste. The whole belly clams today were from Massachusetts; plump, juicy, and rich. And properly fried in a simple dredge, and also really quite fragile. Eat them as soon as they hit the table, before the thin blanket of residual heat dissipates, or the clam liquor defeats the crisp crust.

Curious, did you folks (ol_ironstomach and darkstar) get the small or regular size portions of the stew? Trying to guage the size and value. I'm intrigued to stop in today.

Pax,
Brian

[DiningInFrederick]

I stopped by this afternoon for an early dinner to try some of the tempting things I had been reading about. I got my food as a take out order but I tried to eat some of my food in my car because I knew ol_ironstomach was surely as right as he always is when it comes to the inevitable sogginess of the fried foods in those insulating styrofoam containers. My overall of takeaway from this one meal was pretty positive, but I feel a little more reserved in praise than some of the other reports.

My clear favorite was the whole belly clam roll. I'm a sucker for properly cooked clams, and these fried clams managed to raise the temperature of those slimy suckers to scalding hot while still keeping them liquidy/squirty/juicy. The strips are attached, too, and those didn't get too rubbery, either, and that's the greater challenge. The batter for me was just pretty good but not great. For me, it was certainly better than average, just not great enough to make this dish as transcendant as I was hoping for. But it did do the important job of preserving the clams. Though it's not a perfect dish or other-worldly, it's definitely damn good. Certainly good enough that it will be tough for me to not get the fried whole belly clams again.

All the rolls come with a huge side of shoestring fries, which, being fried potatoes, are inherently tastier than most foods in the world even if the chef effs them up, so these were a welcome and generous accompaniment. Great fries? No. For a comparison, I'd put them a notch or two above Mussel Bar's fries, which are neither praise worthy nor embarrasments, so it puts Freddy's solidly in the middle of the pack.

My wife wanted a cold lobster roll and I knew she would expect me to immediately take a bite, so I did and I liked what I tasted and concluded that it warrants future research. I'll go for the hot butter one, though, and I'll compare it to the heavenly Red Hook Lobster Truck Connecticut roll I had at the Landon Azalea Festival a few weeks ago that was overflowing with claw meat (my personal preference anyway). If memory serves me right, there was more meat in Red Hook's.

The last item I ordered was the regular(online menu)/large (chalkboard menu) portion of the lobster stew. The previous descriptions of the broth and the amount of lobster are spot on, though I found my lobster meat to be fairly rubbery, which, if it's cooked and left in the pot seams inevitable, but it'd be better if it could be avoided. The $12 price I'm sure will be seen as steep by many people, but there is certainly a lot of lobster chunks, the broth is tasty, and, let's be honest, if that soup was served next door in Grapeseed, Jeff could charge $12 for a third of the serving that you get at Freddy's. I think that's a pretty important realization to keep at the forefront of one's mind, but I also think I'd be less forgiving of rubbery lobster meat.

Lastly, the muffin that comes with the stew was not a success at a for me. This was the item that I ate last (about an hour later) but I did open it up to see what it was in my car. It looked undercooked, so I felt it and it was overly most. By the time I ate it, it was downright soggy, but I presume that wouldn't happen to someone dining in. It just wasn't close to the great blueberry muffins I've had twice now a few blocks away at Tout de Sweet.

Now, I hate to end my description of my experience on such a negative item review after saying in my opening that overall I had a positive experience, but I think it might be appropriate b/c I also l wanted a little bit more from Freddy's and I hope that it gets stronger when I come back over the next few weeks. It could have been ol_ironstomach's summoning the spirits of Bobby's Crabcakes, but I felt Bobby's was a better overall experience. Maybe that's not fair though, especially b/c Bobby's is shuttered and Freddy's I think will be successful. One thing I'd love for Freddy's to do though: steal Bobby's french fries. (a little more lighting inside wouldn't hurt, either). I'm going to be back with high hopes and an empty belly.

Pax,
Brian
P.S. The bar area and outdoor seating will be great spaces and I also hope they'll have a happy hour (especially a teacher-friendly 3 PM start time) so I can sample some of those beers on tap.

[darkstar965]

Curious, did you folks (ol_ironstomach and darkstar) get the small or regular size portions of the stew? Trying to guage the size and value. I'm intrigued to stop in today.

Pax,
Brian

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I ordered the small stew. For one person along with other items, it was more than enough. Even as light and delicious as it is, it is rich so, for me, the lesser amount was the way to go. The larger size may be the better value on a per oz basis but I wasn't thinking about it that way. Hope you enjoyed your visit.

[darkstar965]

Also, although Gillian Clark will be frying chickens on Wednesdays for the time being, I am told that next week only she's bumped it to Thursday due to a schedule conflict. I think I remembered that correctly.

I was told yesterday that the fried chicken would start next Wednesday but hopefully they'll let us and others know either here or via their website/facebook page.

[DanielK]

I was told yesterday that the fried chicken would start next Wednesday but hopefully they'll let us and others know either here or via their website/facebook page.

It does start next week, but Gillian is reporting on her facebook page that next week it will actually be on Thursday, before it shifts to Wednesdays starting in June.