Special Foodventure #75: Port of Los Angeles Lobster Fest, Whale and Ale (San Pedro)

"WHAT?! You haven't done the Lobster Fest ever? How can you be a foodie and not have gone yet?"

At least three friends have said something to this effect recently (with three festivals going on in the LA area this month, I guess it's hard to not have these giant clawed, big tailed critters on people's minds).

Obviously, this is something I have to resolve right away, even though lobsters have never been my favorite of crustaceans; I'd much prefer the fattier and more flavorful crab or the easier to portion and prepare shrimp. Heck, it barely edges over crayfish on the bottom of the list and only because it provides a bigger payload of meat for all the shell-breaking I have to do.

But I gave it a go anyways, it's been quite a while since I had unadulterated lobster (i.e. not concealed in a mac 'n cheese or a pot pie), I have a friend who really wants to go after missing out on the Long Beach one two weeks prior and it gives me an excuse to check out my favorite British pub in the area (more on that later).

As usual with food events, I try to get their as early as possible to avoid long lines and the running out of foods. Apparently with this festival, I wasn't the only one.
Thankfully, the line moved quickly and we got our tickets, into the entrance, found the lobster stall and through the queue in about 15 to 20 minutes, with our single lobster meal ($17) in hand . . .
Nice! Remembering my dislike for the messy and occasionally painful process of shelling these suckers, we ran them to the cracking table where the pros gave shells a smackdown! Then off to find a table (easy!) and let the feasting begin!
What can I say? Well for starters the lobster is well cooked. It's not rubbery nor waterlogged soggy, but firm and tender. I am not exactly reminded of the Northern Atlantic Ocean when I sink my teeth in, but it doesn't taste like grungy port the event's held at either. For the $23 (it was another $6 for admission) it's alright. I wish the accompaniments were better. The packaged cole-slaw was too sweet and not crunchy enough, and the "buttery dipping sauce" had the texture of gravy and tasted like Papa John's Garlic Butter sauce (minus the garlic). So yea, I mostly had the lobster with a squeeze of lemon and used the bread to soaked up the unappetizingly green but unbelievably creamy guts, which had no off-flavors and was actually a pleasant combo of sweet 'n briny.

Here's what the meal looked like I've decimated it (hold on to your stomachs!) . . .
We were weighing on whether to split another lobster, but decided to try out some of the other stall foods too.
I got the fish taco, ($4), about twice as big as the traditional size. The fish had an good texture for being pan-fried: very crispy and flaky. I asked for tartar sauce on the side but they topped the taco with it anyways, and that's pretty much how it tasted like. I managed to pick a few stray, un-sauced pieces of fish. It was completely bland.
My friend got the curious-sounding lobster balls, it's basically spheres of surimi (a.k.a. imitation -insert seafood here-). And I am starting to get sick of the tartar cover-up.

Feeling the sweet tooth and the alchy cravings coming but finding the funnel cake stall closed, we ventured out to downtown San Pedro to one of my favorite British pubs, the Whale and Ale. As usual, service was neighborhoody friendly and our bartender, Gail, gave us lots of pointers on places to see, things to try, all the while making menu and beer suggestions (and offering us some samples of the latter).
We finally settled upon splitting their sherry trifle. As for the trifle itself, it was as tasty as I remembered it: strawberries and pound cake macerated in sherry, topped with a layer of lightly-whipped cream. Though we wished we had more cream (or eaten it more evenly at the beginning) since it was nearly sherry straight-up at the end. For drinks, my friend got the Magners Irish Cider, which he liked 'cause it's drier than the more popular Wyder's and Woodchuck varieties, and I had their house amber ale, which had a nice hop flavors and a clean, mildly bitter finish, making for a refreshing, quaffable drink.
Feeling a second wind coming on, we got an off-the-menu specialty that I remembered from my last trip here: Yorkshire pudding cups topped with prime rib. Again, every bit as good as I remembered, toasty yet light pudding cups and juicy pieces of tender beef, with a dollop of creamy horseradish and drizzle of mustard to round things out.

Finishing it all off, we both got a Bailey's and coffee after noticing that they carried flavored varieties on the bar (I got the Mint Chocolate Bailey's, he had the Caramel -- both still tasted unmistakably like the classic version, but with a nice hint of refreshing mint-chocolate and toasty caramel notes at the end). A yummy way to finish off our snacking and drinking here, and made me wonder why I don't drink hard coffees more often --- it's the classic caffeine + alcohol combo, and better-tasting than the energy drink plus spirits combo.

So did lobster climb up my list? Yes and no, I still prefer crab and shrimp more, but it is closing the gap (so made I just had badly prepared ones all this time). And I definitely would consider making a return trip next year -- and bringing my own accompaniments.

For another take on the festival, here's Gourmet Pigs' report.

Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival
Ports O'Call Village, San Pedro, CA
www.lobsterfest.com

Whale and Ale
327 W 7th St.
San Pedro, CA
(310) 833-4833
www.whaleandale.com/

Friday Quickies #31: Wine sales, Eating the World, Food Events and Community Sponsored Agriculture.

Wine sales going, going . . .: In case you missed out on Wally's Tent Sale last weekend, there's still a chance for you grab some great finds at the Last Chance Web-Only sale. Or you can check out the other ongoing bargain, BevMo's buy one get one for five-cent special expiring this Sunday! Cheers!

Eating the world, one country at a time: Thanks to Eater LA for pointing my attention to Man Bites World, written by an ambitious local (or loco?) foodblogger who's aiming to eat a different country's food every single day. Home cooking and shipped orders don't count either, so it'll be mostly LA and occasionally Vegas that he'll be dining. Are our cuisines THAT worldly? Guess we'll find out. He's about two weeks in and crossed off common finds of Mexico, Vietnam and Thailand -- but has also explored the likes of North Korea, Trinidad & Tobago and Serbia. I'm definitely having fun checking out his local-global tour and inspired to try out for more ethnic eats myself!

Beer vs. Wine Dinner: Not exactly LA-OC (it's in San Diego) but a fun enough concept to be worth mentioning (and thanks to Urbandaddy for the heads-up) - El Bizcocho in the Rancho Bernardo Inn is hosting a six-course beer versus wine dinner on October 17 (a rematch, apparently, from the same event last year), with beer from Stone Brewing Co. facing off against wine from Trinchero Family Estates. So will it be the grapes or the hops? Have both and decide!

As for my own events schedule: Tomorrow I'm checking out my The LobsterFest at Port of Los Angeles (my first lobster festival ever!) Here's hoping for short lines and delicious shellfish. Just to refresh memories, admission is $8 ($2 discount if you print the coupon off their Web site) and the meal is $17 for one 1.25 pound lobster, or $31 for two.

On Sunday, I've been invited to check out Savor the Season (I guess their PR folks noticed my enthusiasm after my initial post on the event). From what they sent me, it sounds like a lot of delicious fun. Here's the breakdown of the participating businesses/chefs and what they'll be serving:
Boneyard Bistro, Aaron Robins
Fried Mac n' Cheese Fritters
Fire-roasted Albacore Salad on Heirloom Tomatoes with Caper Aioli
brix@1601, Michael McDonald & Renee Ward
Duck Confit Spring Rolls
Truffle Lollipops
Catering By Field, Lisa Field & Corinna Conti
Chilled Avocado Bisque
Tandoori Chicken Croquette
The Edison, Andrew Meieran
English Afterthought
The Green Fairy and Absinthe Cart
The Edison Specialty Drinks
El Cholo, Gerardo Ochoa
Green Corn Tamales
El Cholo Flan
Geoffrey's Malibu, Bijan Shokatfard
Lobster Salad in Filo Cups
Chocolate Crunch Bites
Jer-ne at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, Chad Minton
Mayan Chocolate and Caramel Fleur de Sel Truffle Pops
MAX & The Oinkster, André Guerrero & Jan Purdy
Firecracker Shrimp Spring Rolls
Mini Pastrami Sandwiches
Assorted Pastries
Salt Creek Grille, Scott Floyd
Stuffed Shrimp with Chipotle Honey Glaze
All-natural Brandt Beef with Port Demi Glaze
Tanzore, Gautam Chaudhry
Lotus Root Chips with Tuna Tartare
Chocolate Cardamom Cake
Tasca Wine Bar, Nano Crespo
Arancini
Jamon Serrano & Burratta Toast

There is also a VIP Tasting Garden where various food purveyors and experts will be doing tastings of their specialties, including the Saltistry's flavored salts, Madame Chocolat's bon bons and truffles, Faerie's Finest's flavor-infused sugars and oils, assorted caviar from Beverly Hills Caviar and artisanal cheeses from the recently opened Andrew's Cheese Shop.

And of course, it benefits a great cause (Break the Cycle) so both your conscience and your tastebuds will be very happy. Takes place at the Vibiana (downtown) from 6 to 9 p.m. - tickets are $100 for regular admission, $250 for VIP.

Community-Sponsored Agriculture comes to San Marino: For adventurous cooks around Pasadena who support the Slow Food movement, Julienne's will be lending its space as a drop-off / pick-up point for community-sponsored agriculture. You pledge a certain amount of money, and get in return a regular supply of seasonal produce. It's a surprise every time and no picking-and-choosing, but you will get a recipe card on how to prepare them.

Gin-food pairings and end-of-summer dinner: If you're a gin lover with no plans tonight, Campanile is doing a twist on its usual Friday Night Flights, and featuring three gin drinks paired with small plate dishes: curried shrimp / plymouth gin basil martini; scallop ceviche with mango relish / bluecoat gin aviation; grilled halibut and cucumber salad / junipero gin martinez (wine lovers don't need to worry, they still have two wine-food flights that night). Their upcoming chef's dinner looks pretty interesting too, commemorating the end of summer with six-courses of light and refreshing dishes such as clear tomato broth with ginger, leeks and carrots; eggplant and crab gnocchi; grilled tuna with tomato-basil vinaigrette and vanilla panna cotta with balsamic sauteéd strawberries. Friday night flight is $38/person, the chef's tasting is $85 ($35 for wine pairings).