Lobster Dinner at Boothbay Harbor

One of the things that Maine has to offer, especially during this time of the year, is their lobsters. It has been a tradition to have a Lobster Dinner during summer, because not only do lobsters taste great, they are much cheaper here, close to the sea, than in any other state. And the settings for dining can be spectacular. There are many restaurants with delightful views of cozy coves, of harbors filled with sailboats and working vessels, of nearby lighthouses, of the ocean crashing against the rugged rocky shosre. There are also numerous "lobster pounds" with indoor and outdoor seating, and lobster is available for lunch or dinner. We got our lobsters from the Lobsterman's Co-op, for $7.85/lb for the hardshell, still alive, as shown in this photo. (Kinda reminded me of Dampa in Parañaque where we could buy fresh and live seafoods then cooked as we wanted.)



Despite the recent red tide phenomenon, this part of Maine, the Boothbay Harbor, was lucky enough not to have been affected by it, and we got several of these large (live) clams as well.



My brother-in-law, Tony, is showing here one of the lobster just before being cooked. (I wanted to know if some Filipinos/Filipinas reading this knew whether we had bigger lobsters in the Philippines. I think we have them bigger. I would like to be able to show to my husband how big our lobsters are in the Philippines. Maybe you can give me a link?) The man behind was the lobsterman about to cook the lobsters...



...using this equipment, for 15-20 minutes. (Our lobsters occupied the right half, all placed in a net, with the cord anchored outside to a nail.)



Meanwhile, we enjoyed the view at the harbor.



Then we had our lunch at a nearby public park near the ocean. There were 2 lobsters alloted per person, dipped in butter (although my hubby is not a big fan of it and chose to have deep-fried scallops with tartar sauce instead). My sister-in-law brought potato salad and I, sliced cucumbers in my version of french dressing. The day was hot, and it was the perfect day to enjoy the sea breeze. However, the water was not too appealing for swimming.



I was quite surprised that me and my sons only managed to eat one lobster each, plus some clams, so we came home with these leftover lobsters and clams. Good thing we brought a cooler with lots of ice. Tomorrow we can then enjoy these either on a sandwich, or in a soup (I will see if I can get potatoes and carrots from my garden to make a seafood chowder).



Before we headed home, we went to the Downeast Fudge stall and got several taffies (cinnamon, peanut butter, and rootbeer flavors) plus a pound of chocolate fudge. My dad-in-law said that one day I should learn from his wife how to make fudge. I told him I am not sure whether I would like to learn because my husband with his sweet tooth might just have too much of it.



Ahhh, we had fun today! I really really love my family here. I am so lucky to now belong to this group of people who are down-to-earth and all-natural, sensible people. They are veyr much like my family in the Philippines. Me and my sons never felt out of place in their company.