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Saturday, October 9, 2010

Some Episcopalian Lobsters

This was our fourth annual trip up to Salter Path to enjoy some fresh cooked lobsters.  Saint Francis by the Sea is the site of the annual Lobster-fest. The church sold 840 lobsters back in 2007 on the Saturday of our first visit.

The 2010 event managed to cook and serve 1100 lobsters.  Obviously the event is growing in popularity.  We timed it just right this year arriving just before 1 PM.  As we were handing in our tickets, we heard the staff turn away a couple because they had already sold out of lobsters.

Besides dining in, you can get your lobsters live or cooked to take home.  We have alway enjoyed being served our lobsters in the church sanctuary.   It is very pleasant place to have a meal, and we always meet someone nice and have an enjoyable conversation to go with our meal.

This most recent trip was no exception.  We met a couple from Cedar Point who know my friend, Ed, who was born in Cedar Point and has lived there all his life.

After your tickets are collected in the upstairs sanctuary, you are given a plate and an opportunity to pick up your sides, potato salad, cole slaw, and a roll.  In addition to that you have a choice of some lovely homemade desserts.  Then you take a seat at one of the tables and wait for your lobsters to show up.

The event is very well organized.  We only waited a couple of minutes for our lobsters to be handed out by the smiling staff.  It took me about a minute to do the preliminary cracking for my wife's lobster, and then I was off to the races with my own lobster.

Actually I took my time eating my lobster.  I only have one a year now, and I want to make certain that I enjoy it.  This one was perfectly cooked, and the sides were all delicious.  I did stay focused on the lobster.  As I was sucking the last bit out of the tiny legs, I noticed that I had forgotten to even have a drink of my iced tea.

Our timing was near perfect.  When we finally got back outside, folks were lined up waiting for parking places.  We had walked right in and eaten our lobsters.  It was like we had called ahead and placed our orders.  I believe each of our meals was $22.  I don't see enough lobsters these days to be an expert, but I would guess these were around 1.5 pounds each.  It was a good meal well worth the money, and the drive.

It is always a treat to see so many lobsters in one place.

We have a little special history with lobsters. On my first date with my wife back in 1973, I cooked her a lobster meal.  Thirty-seven years later, I am still cracking lobster claws for her.  I pretty sure that she could handle it herself, but helping her with her lobster is good way to bring some memories of that first date.

Assuming Saint Francis holds the event again in 2011, we will be back.

After leaving the church parking lot we drove through Salter Path, and I stopped to take a picture of the tractors and boats in place for the annual mullet blow.

Later after showing a couple of houses, I took some friends for a boat ride to Swansboro Harbor.  It was the best way to visit the Mullet Festival of Saturday.  With some luck we might actually walk the booths late on Sunday afternoon after the crowds have cleared.

Speaking of cleared, the water in the White Oak is stick a little different color from all the rain.  Perhaps we will see some changes soon.

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