Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Lovin' Lobstah at Richard's on PEI

This past week, I took some vacation time to stand in my bestie's wedding on PEI.  It. Was. Awesome!  The wedding was lovely, but the party that followed was one for the books.  And the next day, we had to get all gussied up again!  The groom is an art director, and had planned a series of photoshoots with Halifax photographer Scott Munn; what a day.

After the wedding, the party and the photoshoot, we were all pretty pooped and decided to have some beach time and one last incredible meal.  I wish I had taken a photo of the view as we sat on the rooftop deck at
Richard's Fresh Seafood Eatery and looked out onto the bay.
Richard's is an institution on PEI.  It's a place where the line goes down the street and the wait is 45 minutes - but it's worth every minute.

My friend and I split two items on the menu:  the fish & chips for about $12.95 and the lobster roll for $11.  Holy Cannoli - that shit was good!

The fish & chips were delicious.  THREE pieces of panko-breaded haddock were lightly fried and had the most amazing crunch.  The fish within was still soft, flaky and moist.  Buried underneath all that fishy goodness was a basket of yummy fries that were golden brown and crispy - just the right amount of salt too.  
Fish & Chips

The lobster roll though, was absolutely incredible.  The toasted, buttery bun was piled high with huge lobster chunks, a very light mayo dressing and just a hint of  onion to impart flavour and celery to give it crunch.  These islanders really know how to do it.  In fact, it made me a little envious.  The lobster comes off the boat around the corner, enabling them their low $11 price tag.  A roll like this in Hali would easily have cost $18.  It took alot of effort to pass half of it over to my friend...

Lobster Roll
Jam-packed with fresh lobster goodness!

Richard's also serves house made tartar sauce.  This was a new flavour combo to me, but one I'd buy in bulk if it were available.  With a creamy base, there were hints of sundried tomato, dill, smoked paprika and hot pepper that made for one intriguing bite.
After dinner, and as the sun set, we had a lovely walk on the beach.   The sand between my toes and the sun on my face made me giddy with satisfaction.  With my belly full and my body letting go of the tension that lingered during the busy day, I was happy as the clams lurking in the sand beneath my feet.

7 comments:

kristen said...

I was in PEI a month ago for a wedding and we went to Richard's for lobster rolls between the ceremony and the reception. I agree with you- absolutely delicious.

It was raining when we went so there was only a short wait but when we tried to go back another day to try more (I really wanted to try those fish and chips) they were shutting it down early. There were so many orders waiting to be cooked that they had to close early. Disappointing, but a testament to how great the food is!

I guess I'll just have to go back to PEI one day to try more.

With Bite said...

You and me both! I'd make the drive simply for one more of these puppies!!

I hope you managed a good walk on the beach!

Unknown said...

Is that the one on fisherman's wharf in Brackley Beach? We go there every summer for family vacation - love it! It's a beautiful park and the food there is as fresh as you can get

Joy @ PEIMaritimes said...

Seriously, "the shit was good" is my all-time favourite quote about food. Also, house made tartar sauce is always the way to go! (Good to see you had fun, too!)

With Bite said...

Found it Kim! It's in Stanhope.

I agree - it's a beautiful spot!

http://www.richardsfreshseafood.com/the_eatery.html

With Bite said...

Lol- Thanks Joy! My momma tells me never to swear on my blog...but sometimes it's neccessary to get my point across!

Thanks for dropping by. :-)

Sean in Vancouver said...

I was there about a week after you were. I also had the lobster roll, but I have to say they had the best scallops I've ever tasted. I could have eaten those all day.