
New Jersey might be picky about what its call our favorite breakfast meat — Taylor ham or pork roll? But it seems we aren’t picky about how we eat it.
The savory Jersey staple has once again found a way into our hearts beyond the bagel. It’s in vodka, ice cream, banh mis, Cuban sandwiches and now… clams?
Perla Oyster Bar in Maplewood shucks dozens of oysters and clams daily. But their most recent addition to the menu has a Jersey spin on it.
Taylor clam and cheese. No, that’s not a typo.
Mixing pork roll with clams might sound like sacrilegious seafood. But clams casino, a steakhouse staple, features clams with bacon, breadcrumbs and cheese. So maybe it’s not as crazy as it sounds.
Owner Matthew Chappina holding the ‘Taylor’ clam and cheese dish at Perla Oyster Bar in Maplewood, NJ (Lauren Musni | NJ Advance Media)Lauren Musni
Perla owner Matthew Chappina confirmed clams casino was indeed the inspiration for the dish. He was in the supermarket one day and found himself looking at a giant hunk of Taylor ham. In that moment, the dish clicked for him.
“I just realized, Taylor ham clam. (Taylor ham) is the quintessential New Jersey dish and I figured we play around with that,” Chappina said. “That was it, simple as that.”
For Perla’s “Taylor clam and cheese” dish, crispy bits of Taylor ham are mixed with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic butter before being placed in New Jersey littleneck clams and baked. The clams are then topped with parsley plus even more parmesan, and served with a lemon wedge.
“You want to squeeze that lemon on there to get some acid into the dish,” Chappina said. “The cheese and the ham and the butter, it’s really rich. So that that squeeze of lemon just brightens up the whole thing.”
Inside Perla Oyster Bar in Maplewood, NJ (Lauren Musni | NJ Advance Media)Lauren Musni
I previously sampled Perla’s exquisite oysters when I visited their oyster bar on wheels over the summer, before Chappina opened the brick-and-mortar in October. I was eager to return, this time in a new setting.
The six Taylor ham clams ($19) were presented beautifully, laid upon faced down half-shell clams. Taking Chappina’s advice, I squeezed every drop out of the lemon wedge — making sure each clam was nicely dressed.

‘Taylor’ clam and cheese dish at Perla Oyster Bar in Maplewood, NJ (Lauren Musni | NJ Advance Media)Lauren Musni
Perla Oyster Bar once again didn’t disappoint. The combination of the briny clams, salty Taylor ham, fresh garlic and melty parmesan shined even more with the help of the lemon. Each bite was even better than the next. My only issue is the dish comes with only six clams — I could have easily eaten a dozen of these.
Okay, and I didn’t like that they call it Taylor ham — but that’s because I’m from Central Jersey. I’ll let that slide.
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Lauren Musni may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Laurengmusni. Find NJ.com on Facebook.