Staying Fit
There is a recipe for a great seafood dive. To start, location. It should be on the water or close enough to see/smell/hear the waves. Two, the decor (or lack thereof) embraces coastal kitsch and gives the right amount of pause. (Mismatched chairs are a plus.) Three, the vibe is laid-back but not boring. You want to have fun with your fried shrimp. Which brings us to the not-so-secret final ingredient: fresh seafood. Delicious baskets and platters and sandwiches and chowders that you think about for months until you can travel back to that place again.
Here are 11 seafood dives for great food and fun by the water.
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The Bowpicker Fish & Chips restaurant in Astoria, Oregon, is a converted fishing boat.
Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce
1. Bowpicker Fish & Chips, Astoria, Oregon
The “restaurant” (bowpicker.com) is a converted fishing boat parked on a trailer two blocks from the Columbia River. The carryout-only menu consists in its entirety of fish and chips — absolutely fresh and perfectly deep-fried albacore tuna and steak fries. Orders are served with malt vinegar and tartar sauce, but the fish is so good you won’t need it.
Good to know: Cash only, and you’ll have to climb up and down a few steps. Bowpicker closes during bad weather, especially high winds. Check X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, for updates or call before you go.
Diners overlook Mill Creek at Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Maryland.
Patrick Semansky/AP Photo
2. Cantler’s Riverside Inn, Annapolis, Maryland
You know you’re in the right place when you see the line of locals waiting for a table at Cantler’s Riverside Inn (cantlers.com). Maryland is known for crab, and perhaps there’s no better place to enjoy the tasty crustacean than in this revered crab house located on Mill Creek. The menu features fresh steamed hard-shell crabs, cream of crab soup and a secret recipe crab dip, among other options.
Good to know: Cantler’s is open year-round. Hungry crab-loving customers arriving by boat can dock for free.
3. The Clam Bar at Napeague, Amagansett, New York
Cheery yellow umbrellas mark this Long Island summer favorite (clambarhamptons.com). Relax in the salty air (all seating is outdoors) with a lobster roll, whole-belly fried clams and clam chowder. Is that a celebrity at the next table? Maybe. After all, this is the Hamptons.
Good to know: Open April to October but may close on rainy days; check Facebook or Instagram. Once famously cash only, it now accepts credit cards. Parking is limited.
