#maine-heritage

#maine-heritage

Maine is known for its fresh seafood, specifically lobster, and has many other foods native to its culinary culture that are unbreakably tied to the state.

The haul of lobsters, Maine's best known export and a key piece of the state's identity and culture, has declined every year since 2021, and some scientists have cited as a reason warming oceans that spur migration to Canadian waters.

East Coast oysters are known and loved over the world for the clean minerality and distinctive salinity, which is reflective of the cold Atlantic waters where they come from. Although Maine and Maryland get a lot of credit, oysters are present along the continent's entire eastern coast, as far north as Canada's Prince Edward Island all the way down to South Florida.

Donny Pelletier has garnered quite the following on the internet (despite him claiming that he doesn't use the internet). Ask anyone in the Pine Tree State about the man and they'll likely tell you about how much they idolize him or about that one time they spotted him ripping down White Heat at Sunday River. He's one of the biggest legends the state has ever produced.

Life in Newfoundland is tied to the sea. For nearly 500 years, people here pulled a seemingly endless supply of Atlantic cod from the waters of the Grand Banks, then one of the world's richest fishing grounds. But by the early 1990s, industrial bottom trawlers had decimated cod stocks, and in 1992, the Canadian government instituted a moratorium on cod fishing, devastating the industry and ending a long-standing way of life.

Generally, East Coast oysters are brinier than West Coast oysters. Eastern oysters, raised either in the Atlantic Ocean or in its estuaries, live in a much saltier environment. West Coast oysters are mostly raised in protected bays, estuaries, and tidal rivers, where there is much less salt.

Vermont actually resembles California - not because of its beaches but due to its distinct regions. For example, Burlington correlates to the Bay Area. And in the Northeast Kingdom, where I grew up, we classified everything below White River Junction as 'Southern Vermont.' Down there, half the towns seem to channel Boston or New York City, kind of like Santa Barbara to L.A., which makes the Kingdom something like Humboldt County - rural and spectacular, with a recalcitrant outlaw streak.

But when you pull off that tail section, you will reveal inside the cavity something that stands out against all of the pink and white flesh - a strange green paste. For many bib-clad lobster eaters, this green stuff ends up in the bin along with the scraps of cracked and empty shells, but they don't know what they are missing. That green paste is called tomalley, and despite its potentially off-putting appearance, it's a part of the lobster experience begging to be savored.

In the summer of 2020, I started a directory of Black-owned businesses in Maine. I was looking for a way to support the Black community for people who couldn't attend protests. I also wanted to make a longer-term economic impact. It immediately took off. These were my neighbors and local businesses that I just hadn't heard about. That's the thing: People joke about Maine being the whitest state, but there are actually plenty of Black-owned businesses here.

"I saw the announcement that one of America's most enduring publications was set to close," Konrad said, "and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared."

Nothing screams summer in New England more than a fresh, buttery lobster roll. Whether you like yours served cold and loaded with creamy filling or you prefer a bun stacked with warm, naked claws, lobster rolls are a staple part of the Northeastern diet - and they're often enjoyed in other parts of the country too. If you're a fan, then there's another seafood sandwich you should try, especially if lobsters aren't commonly found in your area: Scallop rolls.

In New England, the official dipping buddy for creamy clam chowder is called a common cracker, and it's different than any other cracker in almost every possible way. For starters, it's larger (about the size of a Ritz cracker), rougher, and looks unmistakably old-school. The common cracker's flavor is also deliberately restrained. Wheaty, crunchy, and very hearty - these unleavened crackers swell slightly in creamy New England clam chowder. This makes them take on a dumpling-like quality, and it's not accidental.

In mid-January, I gathered my staff of 10 for a training session on what to do if ICE agents showed up at my restaurant. It came after days of hearing how concerned the team was following news of an increased presence of ICE agents in Portland. This is not the kind of information we, as restaurant workers, are accustomed to needing to know and relay. This is all so new. We're entering the unknown. And people are scared of the unknown.

Located just outside of Boston in Winthrop, Massachusetts, with Boston Logan International Airport right across the water, Belle Isle Seafood is a no-frills sort of joint - the kind of place where walls covered in taxidermied fish and aging interior decor belie what you know will be an excellent menu. When Anthony Bourdain visited Belle Isle seafood in an episode of "No Reservations," the voiceover specifically noted that the restaurants chosen for this particular episode were "not the best of Boston,"

I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state.

In the winter of 2021, as the pandemic pressed life inward, Jenny McBride and Jo Gray began doing what so many did to stay sane: they went for walks. Each day, the couple looped through their Newton neighborhood, circling the same streets, passing the same houses, nodding at the same passersby. At first, the walks felt like freedom, a way to stretch their legs and explore beyond the walls of their duplex.

However, not all Irish bars are the same. Every Boston local will have their own favorite spot. Some have been in operation for over 100 years and offer simple pours and a corner bar vibe, while others are new to the city's food and drink scene and offer refined takes on traditional Irish menus. You'll even find ones offering live Irish music several nights a week, and ones located central to others - perfect for a mini-pub tour.

The new year is already off to a great start when it comes to restaurant openings and fresh updates in Greater Boston's dining scene. In the months ahead, we have major restaurant openings from Michelin chefs and famous New York restaurateurs, as well as a swell of diverse and delicious smaller restaurants joining our neighborhoods. Each week, Boston.com will highlight the restaurant openings worth knowing about across the region.

Valentine's Day is about expressing love for special people in your life. One way to do so is to pamper that person as much as possible. That can mean starting the day off with delicious breakfast in bed. Muffins can be prepared in advance and are easy to enjoy in hand for a breakfast that involves lounging and love. Blackberry Crunch Muffins marry coffee cake and muffin elements and tart berries for something that is equal parts breakfast and dessert.

Stuffed clams are that perfect mixture of homey flavors - like garlic, butter, and breadcrumbs - and elevated seafood. But making the perfect stuffed clams isn't as easy as stuffing whatever clams you have. There are more than 10 different types of clams, and you must choose the clam with the right type of shell for your stuffing needs. Luckily, Tasting Table caught up with Franklin Becker, the chef/owner of Manhattan seafood restaurant Point Seven, who shelled out some pretty top-notch advice.

While many football fans are preparing to watch the upcoming Super Bowl, the team at Tasting Table is thinking about a different kind of bowl: a warm, cozy, soup-filled bowl, and the kind brimming with fresh clams, potatoes, and a creamy base, known fondly as clam chowder. There are plenty of clam chowder types to choose from. These include San Francisco clam chowder - a nod to the city hosting Super Bowl 2026 - and New England clam chowder, the well-known chowder powerhouse.