THERE'S BUTTER... in all of its forms: solid, pat, melty, cubed. But drawn butter? That's pure poetry, to the crustacean-minded seafoodie. It's simply clarified butter, with some of the foamier elements that develop upon heating removed, and is it a succulent symphony when paired with lobster, crab, and shrimp? Indeed. It is the middle of the three fishy favorites that gains eat-outers' attention come mid-December, at least 'round Bodega Bay, when the Tides Wharf Restaurant kicks off its annual Crab Feeds. Indeed, chilled Dungeness crab is tops on this list, given that it is the "crab" in Crab Feed, but also important? Drawn butter's in the house.
AS ARE... green salad, pasta, clam chowder -- please, it's practically the law that one must enjoy chowder at the Tides Wharf -- and French bread, the crab's crustiest carb-based bestie. Plus: Two more dippables, if drawn butter isn't your deal. (And if it isn't, best reconsider that position; we asked politely.) Dippable one? Cocktail sauce, natch. Zingy condiments and briny crab are a pairing nearly as old as sea and sky. Well, not nearly, but practically. And dippable two? The Tides' Mustard Sauce, which is drawn butter's more robust sidekick, on the crab-eating front.
DATES AND PRICES: The feed goes down over a series of Fridays: Dec. 13, Dec. 20, Jan. 10, and Jan. 24. Price is a nickel under fifty bucks, and you'll need to set some extra dough aside for tax and tip. Oh, and wear a shirt that can handle some drawn butter backsplash. We're not saying you're a messy person, per se, but, if you are, might as well go at it with gusto. Dungeness crab season only shimmies onto shore once a year.
