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Tip: Drive only; no train. Combine with the Cliff Walk for a long food-and-history day.

More food day trips in Boston

The Berkshires (Lenox and Stockbridge) ★ 4.4

The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts are the city's farmstand source. Booking recommended. Reservations advised. A neighbourhood favourite.

Tip: Mass Pike from Boston, 2.5 hours each way. Tanglewood season (June to September) is the high tourist period.

Providence, Rhode Island ★ 4.3

Providence Rhode Island, an hour south of Boston by train, is the New England food deep cut. Olneyville New York System hot wieners since 1946.

Tip: Olneyville closes at 02:00 weekends; the 'all the way' wiener is the order. Take the Acela back to Boston after dinner.

Portland, Maine ★ 4.8

Portland Maine, two hours north of Boston, is New England's most decorated food city. Eventide Oyster Co, Fore Street, Duck Fat and a 100-restaurant Old Port.

Tip: Amtrak Downeaster from North Station runs five round trips a day. The brown-butter lobster roll at Eventide is the must-eat order.

Cape Cod (Wellfleet and Chatham) ★ 4.7

Cape Cod's outer flats produce Wellfleet oysters, the East Coast benchmark; Chatham boats land day-boat scallops at the Chatham Pier Fish Market.

Tip: Mac's Shack in Wellfleet for raw oysters; Chatham Pier Fish Market for scallops to take home. Summer-weekend traffic peaks Friday and Sunday afternoon.

Salem and Beverly ★ 4.2

Salem, 30 minutes north of Boston on the commuter rail, mixes Halloween tourist food with serious North Shore seafood. Reservations advised.

Tip: October is peak tourist month; the food scene runs year-round. Take commuter rail to skip parking.

Ipswich and Essex clam shacks ★ 4.7

Ipswich and Essex on Boston's North Shore are the original fried-clam towns. Lawrence Chubby Woodman invented the dish in Essex in 1916. Booking recommended.

Tip: Summer weekend lines at Clam Box and Woodman's run 60 to 90 minutes. Visit weekdays before 17:00 for the easy seat.

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