I have to smile at how our early experiences color our water preferences. Our son, “born” on the beach, hated summer camp with its mud-bottomed lake. He needed the clean feel of sand.
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https://nuttybarstand.com/
Midwest/Iowa favorite.
No beaches in KC, and lakes were for fishing.
Oregon beaches are for brooding walks, not
Beach Blanket Bingo.
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Best fried calamari I’ve ever had was in Newport at a place on the water - it was coated and mixed with banana pepper slices in the same coating as the squid and served with a wonderful mango dipping sauce. You never knew in each bite if you were getting calamari or spicy pepper. It was genius.
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Was there tentacles. Sounds fabulous.
I know what Clam Chowder is - both the Manhattan style and one with cream (cannot have due to cow milk intolerance); however, what are CHOWDER FRIES ?
My “beach” memory was not a beach per se…we would drive from northern RI, stop in Providence for Kentucky Fried Chicken with all the sides (this was back when KFC was good, revealing my age). Mom had all the Korean sides packed (kimchee, rice, and other banchan). And then we headed to the opposite end of the state, to Beavertail Park in Jamestown. We would find a spot on the rocks (there are like 5 different parking areas and it was never hard to find a spot far away from anyone else back then). And my brother and I would spend a glorious day, away from judging eyes (not many Asian folks in RI back then, so we always felt uncomfortable at beaches), free to eat our Korean-American meal in peace and scamper on the rocks, check out tide pools, sun on the rocks.
I should cross-ref this to the Food Memories thread.
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Oh, and once in a while, we’d bring a Korean grandmom, who would harvest kelp, embarrassing me and my brother to no end. Only as adults did we come to appreciate this.
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French fries topped with New England clam chowder and melted cheddar cheese. Sort of a cousin of poutine, chili cheese fries or disco fries. I had the chowder fries at Sea Level in Salem.
Not my thing, too rich, too soggy.
I do like fries topped with lobster and Hollandaise aka lobster poutine, a brunch dish at some restaurants.
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I WANT THIS RIGHT NOW. Well, not right now. When it cools off. I’m going through a trashy food phase, I think. Just bought some pimiento-stuffed olives because suddenly my castelvetranos are just too damn fancy for me.
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Yes, tentacles and sliced rings. I love calamari!
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No thanks to chowder fries, otoh I’d be all over the lobster poutine. There’s a Canadian takeoff on Triple D called You Gotta Eat Here! On one show there was a crab cake eggs Benedict dish. I was like hold the eggs. French fries, English muffins., seafood and Hollandaise sauce all go together
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The following is rated R.
Mid 70’s the girlfriend and I would go to the beach at Galveston and ingest a chocolate bar to help set off the LSD we had just taken. We’d lay where the tide washed in for hours.
Afterward we would recharge at a small restaurant in a house in Houston. There was french bread, gumbo, and a choice of shrimp creole or beef tips.
Good food to get one back to life. 
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Couldn’t read the article. I guess I’ve used up my WaPo freebies for the month and hit the paywall.
My brother lives in Santa Monica, and I used to live nearby. I don’t think either of us ever went to the beach to eat. Beaches might be the only thing that distracts me from food.
When I travel ( and lately I’m thinking in Europe and Mediterranean), there always seems to be a tradeoff when you eat with a view of the beach, but sometimes I do it anyway. I’m sure those with friends know how to avoid it.
My earliest beach food memories are of trying get to Jones Beach in NY, and passing and eating fried chicken in traffic on the way home. Being able to park near and look at beaches in Santa Monica was an epiphany. 25 cents at a meter in the late eighties!
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Nothing finer than a sand sandwich.
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Just no. It looks like some eco variety of packing material with lithium wheel bearing grease.
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Thank you …
Yes, I truly appreciate it …
In reality, I dislike soggy French Fries or Patatas Bravas !!! I prefer to dip but never put the sauce on top of my fries !! We all have our preferences. Food is very subjective.
I can see it is a fun dish for sharing …
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The way back to Houston from Surfside Beach meant a trip by a local store that fried chicken and catfish in lard.
It was a must stop. Alas it’s gone. 
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Our fried chicken was made my Aunt Helen, AKA “whip-it”. She used to say “I’ll rip off your leg and whip you with the wet end”. And i hear she had sort of restaurant.
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Near the Beach: Taco Temple
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