On the Bourdain trail

Calumet Fisheries
Chicago, IL

clam strips and scallops

view from Calumet Park.  That is Indiana in the horizon...

After hitting the eco-pasty truck I had the thought to hit this place up on my way out of town.  I'd seen it on Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" (Travel Channel) and was intensely intrigued by its history and remote location.  Located in an industrial area, Calumet fisheries serves all things aquatic fried or smoked.  I hope they're not fishing them out of the river from the back porch.  it's a tiny spot (i felt awkward and touristy snapping pics inside so I passed on that) so I heeded the advice of some online reviews and headed to a nearby park- good choice on my part!  it was a lovely day and I got to dip my feet in Lake Michigan.  Both the clams and the scallops were quite good- well-seasoned and accompanied by a spicy sauce.

On the Waterfront. . .

Main Ave. Fish Market
Down by the River
Washington, DC

It was not my plan to take my vegan girlfriend to the fish market when we set out that morning but when we ended up there in the course of the day I thought to make the best of it. I tried halfheartedly to convince her it was romantic/nostalgic since we'd met at a crab-bake (and I did genuinely feel that way, but I knew any shred of sentimentality I could wring from the experience would be outweighed by her sheer horror at the sight of live crabs next to cooked ones). Still, she suffered through it and earned major points for being a sport.

It's hard to describe the fish market fully, but basically it's the kind of place that the Sea Captain from the Simpsons would hang out. Most stalls offer a wide array of fish and crustaceans for sale, in living and not-so-living forms. So the freshness can't be beat. Crabs, specifically the blue kind (right? some native of this area that pronounces their "o's" funny can weigh in here if they'd like), are a big deal in the Chesapeake Bay. Short of getting a bag-full and eating them off the trunk of a car while drinking heavily, this was the closest I could come to having a food experience out of "The Wire."
The choices were overwhelming so I picked a stall and ordered some fried softshell crab. When I went up to order I realized the stall was actually floating in the water, tied to dock. The crab's pretty good on its own and seasoned before being fried so it didn't need a ton of condiments. Another plus is you can eat it as-is without bothering with any claw-crackers and having to really work for your food.

You get your crab and two pieces of white bread, which you take over to a little dining area right on the water that's basically like a covered pier with a shelf all around it you can rest your food on. No seating to be had (again, that's sort of in keeping with the place's gritty, no-frills vibe). The makeshift sandwich I put together was damn good with just lemon and hot sauce.
This was the first part of a sadly-unfinished two part series on seafood in The District. Our second destination, Fish In The Hood, was closed when we went, but I'll make that happen sometime in the future. Consider this a teaser for that post.