If there’s one thing you need to eat and experience if you’re on Martha’s Vineyard this month, is the Lobster Clambake Dinner from Katama General Store. Every Monday in August, they will be bringing you all the amazing tastes and experience of a classic. Lobster Clambake dinner but a take home version that you take home or enjoy at your leisure on the beach! Keep reading for more details.
Nothing says New England summer more than a true lobster bake, but with social distancing in place and friends not having parties on the beach as they normally would, Katama General has pivoted in the best sense of the word! They are offering these Lobster Clambake Dinners every Monday in August and we were lucky enough to score a dinner last Monday for our date night, and let me tell you, it was divine. But before I dive into all about the food, let’s talk about the experience!
We arrived a little earlier than our pick up time and had a chance to see clambake master Doug tend to the fire and get ready to remove the lobsters, clams, mussels, and corn from it. It was surreal – the heat, the smell of fire in the air, the expectation of sweet lobster for dinner.
Their seasoned hard wood fire and fresh seaweed is the key to the remarkable flavoring of their tender native lobsters, succulent clams and Morning Glory Farm grown corn-on-the-cob. They use their “sealed package” method to gently steam (never boil!) the lobsters, clams and corn, in an above-ground pit. This method allows the key elements of the clambake, or also known as a Lobster Bake, to all cook together to produce an unforgettable dining experience. A lobster cooked this way is unlike any other lobster you’ve ever tasted – it was out of this world!
Being able to talk to Doug and Chef Charlie about the bake was also so fun! They are full of great advice and know what they are doing, so watching experts truly is always one thing I want to be around. You learn from watching them closely, and asking timely questions. I didn’t grow up eating clambakes, so this was all new to me, an experience unlike any other.
Now, let’s talk about the food! The menu included Steamed Native 1 1/4# Lobster, Littleneck Clams & Mussels, Morning Glory Farm Corn on the Cob, Katama General Store Garden Herby Potato Salad, Mustardy Summer Slaw, Savory Country Corn Bread, Drawn Sweet Butter, Clambake Broth, and Fresh Lemons!
The lobster, clams, and mussels were perfectly cooked and the sides were just so perfect. The Morning Glory Corn is hands down the sweetest you’ll ever taste, the potato salad was lovely because it was just vinegar and herb based, so very light and fresh! But our favorite side to the lobster? The cornbread – that cornbread was INSANE and I am asking them for the recipe ASAP.
In the meantime, if you find yourself on Martha’s Vineyard this August, make sure to order your Lobster Clambake Dinner at Katama General Store. Order by 5pm Saturday for the following Monday. Follow this link to order.