Oh, Fried Clams, fresh out of molten hot oil, piled together, bellies and all, with a wedge of lemon and tartar sauce. We have missed you!

Many of us supported our local restaurants and created a takeout routine last year. And as much as we like to treat ourselves ordering takeout, fried foods are tough. The magic fades by the time you get home in the car. You can reheat fries, but the delicate fried clam cannot be resurrected in any way.

Summer is back on the Vineyard — the first real summer in two years — and already we are in full swing, so we decided to get our clam fantasy satisfied now. We made a plan to sample four well-known clam spots on the Island. More than four felt indulgent; this was a good starting point. So with our vaccinated freedom, off we went (over several days) to The Net Result, Giordano’s, Nancy’s, and John’s Fish Market.

This wasn’t a contest, and you won’t find the clam shacks ranked here. In fact, it was all bliss — sitting outside, minutes after the clams tumbled out of the fryer and onto their paper containers. We spritzed them with lemon and dragged them through the creamy tartar sauce, and it dawned on us: We are going to be okay.

Happy clam eating, Edible readers!