Woodman s of Essex has been a New England tradition since 1914 when Lawrence Woodman invented the fried clam. The restaurant continues to serve its signature fried clams, in addition to other menu items, such as fried lobster tails, lobster rolls, fried jumbo shrimp, and Woodman s award-winning clam chowder and onion rings. In 2001, Woodman s was included in Forbes magazine s 50 of America s Best list in the seafood category. It was also dubbed the best local food in Massachusetts, by Yankee Magazine. Woodman s also has a catering crew for events up to 5,000 people, and it will ship its fresh seafood overnight.