About Traveling Foodie a.k.a DrFoodie

Saturday, October 8, 2011

2011 Hampton Beach Annual Seafood Festival (Hampton Beach, NH)

*Update:
2012 Hampton Beach Seafood Festival will be held: Sept. 8-9

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September 2011

Well worth the trip! Only 5 bucks for a wristband to enter and the tapas range from $3-$10.  I spent about $60-70 on food, desserts, and a water over 1.5 hours and it was worth it!
I'm still in a lobster coma!

First stop:

"Ray's Seafood" (Rye, NH):
Ray's actually had 2 stands...is that cheating??

*The Lobster quesadilla was great fresh chunks of lobster smothered in cheese inside a warm tortilla.  I think a mango salsa would be great with this app.

*Grilled lobster tail was fantastic...tender half lobster tail taken right off the grill on a skewer and doused in sherry butter!

*Their fried clam strips, hot out of the oil, were great but the homemade tartar sauce was just so-so.

*My companion had their hot lobster roll and really loved it!  Her only complaint was the soggy bread which prevented her from picking the roll up in one piece.
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"Brown's" Lobster Pound (Seabrook, NH):

*Cold lobster roll...this was absolutely amazing!  I am new on the lobster roll scene and Brown's did not disappoint!  The toasted buttered roll was fantastic and lobster salad was fresh and rich.  Loved it!
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"Spud's Restaurant & Pub" (Rowley and Saugus, Mass.):

*THE best coconut shrimp EVER!  The batter was sweet (almost like funnel cake/fried dough batter) with crunchy flakes of coconut.  The shrimp was of decent size and portions.  I held on to these for awhile...savoring every bite!

*Though I was not yet ready for desserts, their fried ice cream looked awesome!  Just out of the deep fryer, they covered it with whipped cream and chocolate sauce!

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"Rye Harbor Lobster Pound" (Rye, NH):

*The lobster alfredo pizza was gross!  I think it had a lot to do with them serving it undercooked to move the line a bit.  It was an interesting concept but was not executed very well.

*On the other hand...their clam chowder was fantastic!  It had great seasoning and the clam was tender vs. chewy.  It was a save.
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"Ertie's"

*This booth only served samples of their seafood and corn bisque but it was THE HIGHLIGHT of the Festival.  I can't find a website for them on the net (HELP!) , but I was blown away by this bisque...it was a perfect blend of seafood, spice, and freshness (from the corn).  I loved it and was so disappointed that they weren't selling bowls :0(
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"Crepes Ooh La La" (Wolfeboro, NH):

*Lobster Crepe:  This freshly made crepe was stuffed with chunks of fresh lobster with a creamy sherry drizzle atop!  It was heaven!

The ladies running the booth were wonderful!  Very friendly and upbeat wearing adorable lobster claw hats.  They actually took your name when you placed your order and called you when the dish was ready.  Very professional and organized.
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"Seafood Shack"

*The shrimp bisque was just so-so.
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"LeBec Rouge" (Hampton, NH):

*The shrimp ceviche was awful!  I think they should research ceviche and try again!
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"Clyde's Cupcakes" (Exeter, NH)

*I took two cupcakes to go and am now enjoying them with a cold glass of Crios Torrontes!

*The Oreo surprise was a chocolate-lovers dream.  The cake was moist and SURPRISE!!! There was a whole chocolate Oreo serving as the base!  AMAZING!

*The lemon-ginger cupcake was spicy!  You can really taste the fresh ginger and the lemon provided an awesome citrus finish that cleansed the palate nicely!  Biting into this wonderful creation was like taking a bite out of Autumn!!!

Dear Clyde:  
I am a forever fan!!!
I must have more!!!  I am soooo excited to find out that I can have these amazing cakes shipped to Brookline!!!
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