August 19, 2014 — There is something charming about the simplicity of dining at a down-and-dirty dockside shack. Plastic cutlery is substituted for silverware, picnic tables dot wooden decks, the smell of deep-fried goodness soaks in the air, and boats bob in the water that stretches out in front of you, bringing in the day’s catch.
A proper seafood shack is as close to an actual “shack” as possible. These no-frills establishments are the quintessential summer destinations, iconic institutions that many a traveler and local would agree serve as cracking examples of how to best enjoy seafood. From their surroundings and their atmosphere, be they beachside retreats with the salty ocean air lingering on your skin or huts jutting out into a bay, to their ability to prepare some of the best fried clams, steamy chowder, roasted oysters, or the most buttered-up lobster roll whose juices have streamed down along yours hands and fingers, these seafood shacks turn out some of the best meals you can find — and their focus stays on the food.
It’s true that New England and seafood go together like, well, like fish and water. But while seafood shacks may seem like they are a trademark of New England, they are also very much present throughout the rest of the country. New England may be home to clams and lobster, but head down to other parts of the States and you’ll find they have their own regional specialties.
Be it fresh perch and wall-eye in the Great Lakes area or shrimp and crab on the Gulf Coast, oysters out West, or regional twists on otherwise famous New England dishes, like putting bacon in your clam chowder, each area of the States offers its own specialty dishes that are worth the trip.
Read the full story at Fox News