In addition to the amazing Crab Feed put on at the 13th Annual Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival there were 14 restaurants and organizations offering variations on a theme of seafood. It was quite a challenge for me to sample one of everything and I must confess that I was not able to taste each of the combined 52 items listed on the menu handed out at the door. After all, I was only there for two and a half days! That's 5 meals, not counting breakfasts, which weren't served. But I did enjoy 10 different items. Among them, here are my favorites:
Crab Tostadas- Two toasty tostadas were covered with a delightful combination of diced tomato, onion, Dungeness crab meat and shrimp Ceviche. The unadulterated flavor of the crab was able to shine through, and all for only $9!
Caesar Crab Salad-It was a massive salad of Romaine lettuce, kissed with garlic dressing and topped with Parmesan cheese, croutons and , yes, you guessed it...crab meat! Another way to simply serve the best tasting crab in the world.
Crab Cocktail-A small plastic cup became the vehicle for crab meat and cole slaw to meet and drizzled with cocktail sauce, a bit too much cocktail sauce, to be exact. The tang had a tendency to at times overwhelm the delicate main ingredient.
Crab Poutine-A riff on the French Canadian specialty, a small paper boat cradled fries that were topped with brown (advertised as seafood) gravy and topped with cheese curds and a few specks of crab. What remnants of crab were present nearly drowned in the sodden gravy that was advertised as seafood based but in reality was very far from it, about as far as Port Angeles is from Montreal, the home of the poutine. It was mais non! at $14.
Crabcake Sandwich-Sadly there was nothing special about this $7 sandwich being mass produced from pressed pre-made crabcakes. It took more than some mayo to enhance the flavor that had long since jumped ship.
I did also enjoy some oysters on the half shell. Both the Kumamoto and the Shigoku had distinctive flavors and at $12 for a half dozen, were reasonably priced. Likewise the fried oysters were lightly breaded and not cloying or heavy.
The best of show was naturally the Crab Feed with an entire Dungeness crab crowding the plate and leaving little room for a delicious sweet ear of corn and a serving of coleslaw. It was on special Friday only for $24. That's $5 off! And the absolute worst? I have to say that the Northwest Clam Chowder was bereft of any truly authentic flavors of the bold and lively Northwest Pacific Coast. Sadly it reminded me of something New England style, a cream based chowder that had been cooked too long and not stirred enough.
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