On an old and worn pier stretching into the Boston Harbor, New Englanders gather once a year to celebrate the Boston Seafood Festival to dine on all things shucked, scaled, fried and fished from their salty seas. Their love for seafood runs deeper than casual affection. The famous Boston lobster, fresh oysters, New England clam chowder, and lobster rolls are some of Boston’s seafood favorites.
For this year’s Boston Seafood Festival we got a little bit of lightening and a lot a bit of rain. It was so rainy! But the clouds parted ever so often to give the seafood lovers a break from the relentless showers. However, rain or shine the seafood festival was the place to be!
And what’s a seafood festival without a good shuck? A shucking contest that is! Boston’s top shuckers, all from local restaurants, lined up to shuck-it like no one’s watching. And when the judge yelled “Ready, set, shuck!”, oyster shells went flying, the crowd started cheering and it was game on. In about 2 minutes flat, the winner emerged with 12 beautifully shucked oysters and earned bragging rights for years to come.
The food, as I am sure you can imagine, was so spectacular! Oyster farmers drove from all over to show off their freshest shellfish. I have a thing for fresh oysters – there truly is nothing quite like it! I could eat a whole platter of oysters, then easily order another round. They pair perfectly with a good bloody mary too! Ahhh.. But today I am being conservative and only ordered a few fresh varieties – a mix of oysters and littleneck clams, driven fresh from Rhode Island that morning.
We then migrated from the raw bar to all things hot and fried, feasting on battered oysters, fried into crispy goodness.
The Yankee Lobster Co. was dishing out some dynamite crab cakes; freshly fried with a perfectly moist, flakey inside. The drizzled zingy, spicy mayo set these small bites over the edge.
My absolute favorite dish at the Boston Seafood Festival was the lobster guacamole! Maybe it’s because of my Southwestern Arizona roots or the fact that these gorgeous avocados were perfectly in season, this chips and guac combo was all kinds of yummy!
After stuffing ourselves full of delicious ocean critters, we checked out the starfish and sea anemone touch pools, talked with conservationists about sustainable seafood and fishing practices, then posed for one last picture.
Yes, that's me - a pirate. Coming to seal your seafood booty!
Just as we began to leave, another wave of rain descended upon us, which made for our perfect grand exit. You definitely don’t have to wait till next year’s Boston Seafood Festival to enjoy the freshest catch – but it would be worth the wait if you did!
Interested in attending the Boston Seafood Festival next summer? Click here for info & tickets.
A previous post you might like: How to Eat an Oyster
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