NORTH ATLANTIC
The Captain’s
207/967-2341
Comfort food, pure and simple. The Captain’s has been dishing up quality seafood—fried, grilled, or baked—for
25 years. Fried clams make a special
trip worthwhile. So do The Captain’s freshly baked pies and cakes. Operating hours are seasonal, so call first.
• 1 Pier Road, Cape Porpoise, Maine
Bayview Lobster
207/236-2005
The excellent clam chowder at this friendly place on Camden Harbor’s
busy boardwalk makes a fine prelude
to a deliciously unadorned lobster roll. The restaurant provides plenty of comfortable seating both inside and out.
• Camden Harbor, Camden, Maine; bayviewlobster.com
Clam Box of Ipswich
978/356-9707
Clam Box rejects two fixtures of modern life: credit cards and frozen seafood. On the rare occasions when it can’t find fresh clams, it does without. Fortunately, the fish, scallops, and oysters taste as good as the fried clams and chowder. You can’t miss this 68-year-old structure—look for the building shaped like a clam box.
• 246 High Street, Ipswich, Massachusetts; ipswichma.com/clambox
MID-ATLANTIC
Ed’s Chicken & Crabs
302/227-9484
“Chicken Ed’s” enjoys a cult following for its fresh, steamed blue crabs dusted with Old Bay seasoning. Grab a friend and some cold beers (it’s BYOB), and order at the takeout window. Also try the renowned barbecued chicken and such tempting “fillers” as buttery corn on the cob and hush puppies. Ed’s operates from April until the end of crab season, around November.
• Highway 1 and Swedes Street, Dewey Beach, Delaware
Town Dock Restaurant
410/745-5577
You’ll want to savor every spoonful of the rich crab bisque before your shellfish-laden eggs St. Michaels arrives, but refrain from licking the bowl. With white tablecloths covering the Sunday brunch tables that overlook the harbor, Town Dock rates at the classy end of the “dives” spectrum. We also love the chunky hash browns with red and green bell peppers.
• 125 Mulberry Street, St. Michaels, Maryland; town-dock.com
Crab Shack
757/245-2722
Sunset takes center stage at this hangout on the east end of the James River Bridge. Seafood fans show their enthusiasm by often filling all 200 seats and by voting in WTKR-TV’s annual poll, which has named the Crab Shack Newport News’ “Best Seafood Restaurant,” “Best Restaurant with a View,” and purveyor of the “Best She-crab Soup.” From May’s first full moon until late summer, feast on soft-shell crab. Any time, dig into the zesty coleslaw with shredded red and green cabbage and spicy mayo.
• 7601 River Road, Newport News, Virginia; crabshackonthejames.com
