Little Charlie's Clam Bar, 19 Kenmare St, Little Italy, NYC, R.I.P.  Little Italy in NYC
is now a real melting pot of all ethnic groups, but for many years it was an enclave of Italian Immigrants from all over Italy, espe-
cially the south.  My own father's family immigrated from Sciacca, in Sicily to Elizabeth Street around the turn of the century (1899)
and established themselves on a street full of other Italian and Sicilian immigrants.  Every ethnic group first brings their foodways
to a new region, and the Italians, who value food and communal eating were no exceptions.  One of these restaurants was
Little Charlie's Clam Bar, a Clam bar being a place where raw seafood was served, along with the southern Italian tradition
of deep frying very quickly the freshest calamari, shrimp, clams, scungilli and serving it with a fiery deep red sauce, flavored
with chilies, oil, garlic, oregano, and tomatoes.  A friselli ( a hard biscuit flecked with cracked black pepper) was at the base
of the dish, the seafood over it, then a ladleful of the hot sauce...or with less chili, medium sauce, or with no chili, sweet sauce.
Little Charlie's, Vincent's, Umberto's...old time names that served up these treats along with clams oreganato, fra diavolo with
pasta, etc.  I really hate when many of today's foodistas decry the "red sauce joints" and their heavy dated dishes.  A bad
restaurant is just a bad restaurant, the dishes when made right, are spectacular..  Unfortunately Little Charlie's was sold and
the space is now a restaurant called Travertine. I haven't been to it so I can't comment on it, but it is not the same type of
restaurant as Little Charlie's was. 
     One of my first jobs when I started working at a trading firm was to go to Little Charlie's to pick up steaming boxes of
mussels, clams, scungill', shrimp, and calamadd all with the sauces, cannoli, salads.  Tommy Tramazzo gave me the keys
to his car and a fist full of fifty dollar bills and said, "You better bring it all back hot...God Bless" and off I went.  That was 1982
and my love for Little Charlie's never waivered.  Trading firms located in Jersey City and NYC had a particular affinity for their
heated, crisp seafood, we just couldn't get enough of it.  One of the "sides" they sold were their Shrimp Balls...not a
great or appetizing name, but they reflected a cooks savvy with some bits and pieces from the kitchen.  Shrimp pieces
bound with egg, parsley, lots of garlic, grated cheese, hot pepper, breadcrumbs, rolled into balls, deep fried, then served
with the house hot sauce. Phenomenal.  Possibly just a way to use up some leftover eggwash and breadcrumbs to begin with.

The genesis of this post though, was while I was passing the Crab Shack on Mantoloking Rd. at the shore yesterday I
spotted the FRESH FLORIDA SHRIMP 10.95 a LB.  Wouldn't you stop?  FRESH denotes never frozen.  Florida Shrimp
up here in NJ at an affordable price, these were 16-20's.  I usually buy my seafood here anyway, so I bought a few
pounds to cook up for our St. Joseph's Day/Meatless Friday dinner.  But, dinner was hours away.  Lunch.  I was alone.
Little Charlie's Shrimp Balls popped into my head.  Don't ask.  Now, I had to make them and I did. 
Peel and devein 10 16-20 shrimp, I realize that to chop up nice big shrimp is almost a crime, but, they cook up nicer
than the small ones under the high heat.  Rinse and pat dry.  then chop into small chunks.  In a large bown, beat
1 egg with 2 tbs. of mayo. Add 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbs. red hot chili pepper flakes,
3 tbs. grated romano, 2 finely minced cloves of garlic, 1 tbs. olive oil, blend well, season with a little black pepper and
add 1 cup of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs. Mix well, Add the shrimp.  Form into small walnut sized balls and then
refrigerate for 1 hour.
















Start the sauce...2 tbs. of olive oil, on medium heat, 3 sliced cloves of garlic, 1 tbs. red hot chili pepper flakes, 1 tsp.
dried oregano rubbed between your hands.  Let this saute for about 5 minutes, if the garlic starts to turn brown
before that, immediately add a can of Imported Tomato Paste. 
  Blend the paste with the oil and cook on low for 5 minutes, then add
2 cans of water (the tomato paste can) to the mixture, blend, and let this cook on low for 1 hour.  After the first 1/2 hour, add 1
tbs. of a good Chili sauce, like Sriracha.

In a heavy frying pan, heat 1 1/2 inches of good vegetable oil.  Test a cube of bread, if it sizzles and begins to brown, the oil is
ready.  In batches, add no more than 5 balls at a time to the pan.  Give them about 5 minutes per side careful not to let
them burn.  Drain on paper towels.
   Not greasy, soft and airy on the inside,
these rock as an appetizer, a lunch, a main dish .
 Serve with the sauce, a dusting of chili flakes,
a garnish of fresh oregano or thyme( when the fresh herb is up against a hot item, the herbs' essence permeates the food) and
a wedge of lemon.

  Gone are the days when you can call
Little Charlie's and get these, but here they are...You could still get them at Vincent's, and maybe at Desy's Clam Bar in
Brooklyn (the kitchen staff of Little Charlie's is there now) but the icon is gone...put your memory to go use and recreate
a memory from your past that doesn't exist anymore...it's kitchen magic...I'm thinking, what if I have an accident with Tommy
Tramazzo's car????? Good memories to last a lifetime.