Harvey Cedar's Clambar, aka No Cell Phones, on Long Beach Island

We call it No Cell Phones. Of course, that's not the real name of the place, but a printout tapped to the wall reads, "No Cell Phones." A hard-working, fast-shucking woman is quick to enforce the rule, so don't tempt her. Another sign tapped above the register inside reveals more about the lady in charge. It reads, "Nel Lally, Seafood Diva." Lally presides over a place called Harvey Cedar's Clambar on Centre Street in Beach Haven, New Jersey.

Beach Haven is a borough of Ocean County. It's one of the few parcels of land that make up Long Beach Island, a sprawling, flat, north-to-south slice of land just east of mainland New Jersey. We spent last weekend there. We'd been before, and each time we go we make it a point to visit Lally and occupy a few of the 30 barstools that line the old U-shaped wooden bar.

The menu is exactly what you want in a seaside, beach town eatery. Good, simple, no frills food prepared well, seasoned properly, and cooked perfectly. Picky eaters get chicken fingers and fries. Everyone else gets everything else. Here's what we had.

A Dozen Top Necks ($15.90) - Fresh meaty clams come with horse radish, cocktail sauce, and lemon. If you aren't a clam lover, get at least a half dozen. It's worth it just to watch Lally shuck the mollusks.

Clams Marinara ($10.95) - A deep, rich tomato sauce you know has been cooking for hours. Brightened up with fresh parsley and tons of dried oregano. The loaf of sesame seed bread they give you might not be enough to sop up all the left over sauce, so ask for it to go and cook eggs in it the next morning.

Sauteed Mussels ($10.95/qt) - A pad or two of butter thickens the white wine sauce to the point that it covers each mussel like a light glaze. Freshy parsley and Parmesean Reggiano (one of the only times we break the seafood with cheese rule) make their way to just about every mussel. Damn good.

Drink that straight from the bowl. Trust us, it's fine. You're on vacation.

Fried Flounder w/ Fries ($9.95 as sandwich, $12.95 as plate) - Lally will tell you the fries are the best ones on the island. We haven't had enough to attest, but she makes a good argument. The founder is lightly breaded and fried to golden brown. It's moist and flaky and the delicate, hand-picked pieces of romaine add a subtle earthiness and crisp bite to the sandwich.

Harvey Cedar's is BYOB and there are barrels filled with ice inside to keep your B in. It's a nice touch. Harvey's is also the restaurant location for Harvey Cedar's Shellfish Company, located a few miles north of the restaurant on the other side of the Manahawkin Bay Bridge. Harvey's does high-volume, so there's a no reservation policy. Just put your name on the white board, with the number of people in your party, and sit outside under the summer sun and wait for your name to be called. It's worth it.

506 Centre Street | 609-492-2459 | www | map