The Stovebolt Site Forums The Side Lot Old Dominion Stovebolt Society (MD, VA, West VA, DC, DE and PA) Sea Food

Being a forever Midwesterner, I have a hankering for some fresh sea food.
Hope to check in HQ Thursday around noon, then the hotel, then get supper at a sea food place.
Any suggestions on a place around the California area.
Reasonable priced and good food?
Thinking about this place in Johnstown, across the Patuxent river bridge.
http://anglers-seafood.com/
Also the wife wants me to bring some raw sea food home.
Is there a good place to get that and suggestions on getting it home?

What say you, that have grew up, eating crab your whole life?
I'm sure some other LDT members, would also like to know.

Don

Don,

I'm really from Maine so I have some elitist views when it comes to seafood (cod and lobsters, baby!). But when it comes to oysters and crabs, I will gladly hand the laurels to the Marylanders -- this is certainly the place for crabs! Talk to Mike Roache and I offline. We have some great seafood providers very close to HQ and we can hook you up. Not sure you'll want to take raw seafood home, but Mike will be the one to talk to about that.

As far as a local joint, we don't think you can do any better than Clarks Landing it's close to where you will be staying and we've made forays there in Homecomings past. Peggy and I took Scott Ward there, too. Ron has been there.

Anything in Solomons means a trip over the big scary bridge and rubbing shoulders with the high rollers ...

But ... you raise a good point ... should we do some Maryland seafood Friday night???

John
I have had fresh Maine lobster in Kennebunkport and you are right.
When I got back home, I had a chance to get lobster at a good St' Louis restaurant.
There was no comparison and have not eaten it since.
Oysters I have only had once, skiing in Colorado, and the only crab I have had, has been here in Missouri.
Wanting to try out, what the local fresh fare is.
As for bringing some home at that distance, it would have to be frozen.
It would be like the stuff we can get in our local freezer dept grocery store.

Fresh deep fried Crappie and Blue Catfish are the favorites around here.
We do a lot of deep frying at get together's.
Maybe I should rethink, what I'll bring to the main meal Saturday.
Hardshell is smoking, how about deep fry the rest of it, eat as it comes out of the pot.
Fries/tators, hush puppies, thin sliced pork, wings, and the list can go on and on.
Of course this will have to be done outside.

Let me think about this a little more.
I have all the deep frying gear, including a 15x24 stainless fryer that sets good on two of the burners on a three burner propane gas stand.
The third burner can be used for another cast iron fry pot if need be. A roaster oven to keep it warm as it come out of the pot.
All in peanut oil.

We call it a fry fest and no, it's not healthy for you.
Hardshell, hope you read this. Still want you to smoke and I will bring a pork butt for you also.
Input from the group, will help me decide soon.

Don

Not this landlubber.

We used to be strictly Clarkes landing fans for the local seafood, lately we drive the extra distance for the Foxy Fish in Charlotte Hall. My new favorite is the fried Snake Head, man is that some good eating! Hard crabs, etc....you name it..

Captain Leonards in Oraville, Thompsons Seafood in Mechanicsville(take out only), Kevins Corner Cafe (Thompsons Seafoods son) well versed in Southern Maryland cooking. Don, you have hit on a good idea. Thompsons Seafood can supply the seafood to be cooked or we get it done already.

I'm in on whatever the gang wants, but have never cooked seafood.
I have a real nice deep fryer setup for fish and sides.
Let Hardshell smoke and some one help me with the fryer, it could be a surf and turf dinner.

Don

In regards to frying, is that a lot of stuff and work or easy enough?
If the main purpose is trucks with tasty food further down the list how much time and effort should go into the food part?

Grigg

Grigg
Deep frying does not take very long.
Yes, a whole turkey does but, small stuff does not.
It is real easy to over cook things.
The set up can be done the day before and it will take about 20 minutes to get the oil to 275 degrees. 3/8" SS thick bottom and 1/4"x 7" sides. Once it is hot it will hold the temp better and you can really do some frying.
Things like fries or sliced potatoes are real quick.
Get it warmed up and grab the food out of the cooler.
Have a roaster oven on warm lined with either aluminium foil or aluminium pan, lined with paper towels.
Keep the lid angled 45 degrees so the food does not get soggy.
Anyone helping or just giving moral support, get to taste as it come out of the pot.
Here is the type of stand we use.
http://www.basspro.com/Browning-3Burner-Camp-Stove/product/1302160526237/
The big pot covers two burners and the third burner can be something like a pot of baked beans.
The back of a 65 GMC flatbed would work good as a cooking table.
Will also need a runner to feed the roaster/s it the food table, to guard and protect against those that are not helping the cook.
I'm really leaning toward doing a fry and have done a lot of blue Cat and Crappie. Fries or sliced taters, hush puppies cubed pork, deer back strap, and shoe leather the list goes on.
It all taste good as long as you don't over cook it.

I have never deep fried sea food and could use advice from anyone that has done it, or seen it done.

The burner stand can also be used to cook breakfast.
All can be done outside the house, in one of the shops.

Don

I'm getting hungry just reading this thread!

Don, I'll be glad to help you or be a runner. It makes no difference to me, as long as taste tests are allowed!!

Thanks,

If its for Friday evening. Maybe a truck cruise to a local seafood restarant and have dinner done right and cruise home and not lose alot of wrench time. Thats for the powers to be to decide. I also forgot about Drift Inn which has a real nice river picture place. Oh, might as well add Sandgates Inn also on the river.

Ya guys are killing me! Ha! Here in the southern high plains fresh seafood like y'all are a yakn in about, means flash frozen crapola from who knows how many days ago. Spent more time over the years your way to truly be thankful for the blessing of having enjoyed many fine meals of really fresh lobster, crab, shrimp, and a variety of fish. Sure wish I could join y'all and partake of the commraderi and great food. A hoist of a Sam Adams to y'all!!!

Brother Roache does make a rather excellent point ... Sandgates is as pretty a cruise, too, as we get around here, even it it would be a touch short. However, comma, so does Grigg -- We have done the dinner cruise in the past, and the food is good, cruise is fun, etc etc. But I think lately, we've been too much into wrenching (and non-chewy menu items, if you kno wot I mean ) to herd up the cats for a cruise ... But we can leave that open -- if a group wants to cruise someplace for a seafood dinner, that would be fun. Not everyone would want to do it, however.

Brother Sparky -- Sounds like you had just better get up here. I can see your "Seafood Low" warning light flashing from here

I'm in on a cruise and dinner.
I'll have to hitch a ride as the 65 will not have all it's lights working by then, although it does have tags and insurance.
May even do a trial run for late lunch/dinner Thursday afternoon.
Anytime we get a group like this together, food is important.
Doing some checking and sounds like we should call, where ever we go, and let them know we are coming.

Don

Sandgates Inn or Drift Inn won't be an issue unless everyone decides to do a dinner cruise. MAYBE.

As far as seating is concerned tables of four are more conducive to good conversation...we don't need a table for 20, you can't have a conversation with people two seats away, well, everybody except Mikey. Tables of 4 or 6 will be served together rather than the hop-scotch method of a large table.

Oh, BTW, great idea cruise and seafood, I loved it when we did it in the past!

The President has spoken and I like his thoughts.

Don

And also I

So who is volunteering to take this on and plan/coordinate it?

I vote for Mike to lead this expedition.
I'll volunteer to make a trial run Thursday afternoon.

Don

I was born about 100 miles north of HQ and my father brought live crab home from Baltimore on weekends. $5.00 a bushel back in the mid to late 50's. The last I bought was $175.00 a bushel in the 80's sometime and they had gotten a lot smaller. They say they are dying out because of chemical runoff from farms. The last time had crab was 1997, my cousin lived on a tributary to the bay and the man down the road was a crabber and dropped a bushel off at her house on the way home. Her brother lived in Baltimore and did crab feast catering on weekends so we had our cook on hand.

You can't blame it all on the farmers, Ron -- The industrial and urban sources (storm water runoff from the concrete jungles of PG, Montgomery and Baltimore counties) put far more nitrogen and polluted sediment into the bay than farmers do. And all of the Harry Homeowners in their developments dumping chemicals all over their lawns right about now ...

And then there's the Wicomico Dam ...

It's easy to blame the farmers ... We're all too tired from filling out endless reports to fight back.

Amen John,
Our farm and most of our county drains into the bay. The city runoff (lawn fertilizer, etc) adds much more than my cow [censored] etc that usually gets blamed.

OK boys and girls, this can turn political real quick.

Back on topic.
Who is going to lead the LDT, to some good seafood?

Don

Let me research and report back.

Don, my father had a friend that came to visit a couple of times a year from Maryland and brought a couple mason jars of fresh oysters every time with no problems. 12 hrs. on the road.

Thanks Ron.
I'll play it from ear during the weekend.
We freeze cat and crappie in water and it stays fresh.
So and 24 hour trip in a cooler on ice, it should be OK to cook or freeze in water when I get home.

I'll be asking a lot of questions at the reunion.
Don

Leo
Your PM box is full and I could not PM you.
It happened to me about a monthe ago, I didn't know there was a limit.

Don

Not sure why that happened, it's almost empty.

Maybe you block certain people Leo ????????

OK
Just over a week before I head east.
What about the seafood I'm craving?
Hope to be at HQ about noon Thursday drop trailer, unload truck, then hit a seafood place not too far away and then check into the Country Inn for about a 12 hour cleanup/rest.

I thought Mike Roach was supposed to do some research and report back.
Is he slacking off on his duties and could be considered for dereliction of his assigned duty?

Don

Been a busy weekend here. My Fire Department just moved into our new firehouse Friday. Been moving equipment and cleaning up the firetrucks after almost two years of neglect. I'll find out something this week and if I don't, we'll be fine. We'll make a reservation for however many we have and we'll go to eat. Leaning towards Sandgates Inn. Close, good food, on the river, and close to HQ.

Thanks Mike.
I hope to check out Sandgate's, Thursday afternoon after I check in at HQ.
Report will happen that night or Friday at HQ.

Don

"Is he slacking off on his duties and could be considered for dereliction of his assigned duty?"

Mikey, he'll be cruising for a filet-o-fish with comments like about my Assistant Camp Commandant!!!!

Concur. If I may direct the court's attention to Brother Roache's post #1210969 of Thu Mar 30 2017 at 09:09 PM. You may read it for yourself. Seems to show ample evidence of research AND is a report.

Speaking as the ODSS Lead Prosecutor for such matters, I see no chargeable offence here and implore the court to cease any further inquiry along these lines. In fact, I see a diligent, committed and outstanding Brother carrying out his assigned duties in an exemplary fashion who deserves laudatory recognition of the highest order. If there be any chargeable offense here, it might be "wanton impugnment of a Brother's integrity and dedication." (an offense punishable by having to publicly perform ... the dance of the flaming poopy suit!)

You can be sure my office will be looking into this very carefully.

"Flaming Poopy Suit"!! OH MY GOD!! Now you have gone and done it. You have wriled the Grand Poohbah. It's on.

The "Flaming poopy suit dance" can only be performed, three hours after a large ingestion of the Grand Poopbah beans.

So I ask now, who is in question of any charges?

Consider your charges carefully, gather your evidence. The time will be evident when the floor will be opened to those who may wish to bring their charges before the assembled court (usually Saturday evening), presiding judge is the Honorable Cosmo.

And yes, I am highly, visibly and inexorably wriled. Whatever THAT means ...

I have a good plan to get us all enjoying some tasty venison! However, fried seafood is always a good idea! We may have to find a way to do that Don!!

Jim