HAPPY AS CLAMS

Hampton Clambake’s catered beach parties now come in a do-it-yourself package for the perfect small get-together.

The best place for any casual summer soirée is in the open air with a salty ocean breeze blowing, and the popular local caterer Hampton Clambake has been driving its kitchen trailers right onto the beach for more than 25 years. But now the company is offering the same beachy feasts in a ready-made to-go package. While its catered parties are designed for large groups, the to-go packages are ideal for gatherings of 15 people or fewer, are priced at a reasonable $59 per person, and can be picked up from the kitchen at Bay Kitchen Bar, Hampton Clambake’s sister company.

“The minimum number of staff I can send to a party is three, which costs about $600. For a smaller party, that’s a huge per-person expense in addition to the menu,” says Marc Miller, Bay Kitchen Bar’s general manager and director of events. “So we said, ‘Why don’t we just have them pick up the food and go out to the beach wherever they want?’”

But don’t expect the smaller size to mean a reduction in quality. “The to-go clambakes offer a pared-down menu,” says Miller, “with guacamole and salsa with chips as a starter, the Hampton Clambake from our regular menu—lobster, mussels, steamers, and corn—and handmade strawberry shortcake for dessert.”

Putting together the perfect impromptu party just got a whole lot easier—and the food a lot more delicious. Bay Kitchen Bar and Hampton Clambake, 39 Gann Road, East Hampton, 631-3248620; hampton clambake.com

’S CATERED BEACH PARTIES NOW COME IN A DO-IT-YOURSELF PACKAGE FOR THE PERFECT SMALL GET-TOGETHER. BY TIM LATTERNER