For many years, we have had cracked Dungeness crab for Christmas Eve dinner (we've had some interesting excursions finding crab, but that's another story for another time.). Last year, when we were in Mesa, Arizona, I checked a few stores, but could not find any. Then someone got the bright idea that we should go to Joe's Crab Shack.
Bill was fighting bronchitis, so he stayed home. But Leslie came with us along with our friends Tom and Juni who were also spending Christmas where it was warm. We had a great time, eating crab and lobster -- and the best part was that I didn't have to clean the crabs!
So when we joined up with Bill and Leslie here in Florida a week or so ago, we immediately decided that we would be going to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner on Christmas Eve. Leslie had already checked and discovered that there were THREE of them in the Orlando area! Which is sort of funny 'cause there were NONE in the Seattle or Portland area...
What is fun about the Joe's Crab Shack franchise is the variety they offer. You can order King, Queen, Snow or Dungeness crab or lobster or a combination thereof. Then you have to decide what kind of seasoning you want yours cooked with, a range from Cajun to Chesapeake to BBQ. They come in a pot with an ear of corn and a couple of boiled potatoes. There is a hole in the center of the table with a bucket in it for you to toss your shells into. You also get a roll of paper towels to use for napkins and a piece of newspaper for a place mat. If you order crab or lobster, you get a bib tied around your neck and you're given a couple of packets of hand cleaner wipe along with a nut cracker and one of Joe's pry tools (that say "stolen from Joe's Crab Shack on them.).
Bill and Leslie ordered a combination of King and Queen crabs while I stuck with my traditional Dungeness choice. And Forry -- he decided he was going to eat popcorn shrimp tonight! And then as if all the seafood wasn't enough, we all four shared a version of S'mores -- a decadent dessert of graham crackers on a bed of chocolate sauce, topped with a slice of chocolate cake that was topped with gooey toasted marshmallows! Scrumptious!
So after dining at Joe's Crab Shack two years in a row, it is now a tradition, right?
Cracked crab would be right down my alley. There is a Joe's Crab Shack in the Portland area. It's just across the I-5 bridge from Jantzen Beach in Vancouver --- 3 minutes away -- if there is no traffic.
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