We’re gonna have a Seafood Party tonight…alright! We’re gonna have a seafood boil alright…tonight!
With the most hardcore of apologies to Mr. Ginn, if one were to whole-heartedly stage a classic seafood party, you’d probably need to look no further than the nautical soiree’s namesake, Seafood Party, at 3417 N. Classen Blvd., for all of your festive needs…
Built with a naval theme on the old remnants of the short-lived Party Base Korean BBQ—loved their chicken feet—this watery incarnation offers a tempting mix of (mostly) Poseidon-based treats, from appetizers like hush puppies, fried calamari and sweet potatoes to fried baskets featuring butterfly shrimp, tilapia and that ever-lovin’ Okie aphrodisiac, fried oysters, probably not on the half-shell.
Now that’s all well and good, but for a real seafood party—I’m talking a medium trash-bag full of boiled shrimp, crab-legs, sausage and various bits of other assorted goods delivered right to your table—Seafood Party’s eponymous Seafood Party Boiling Platter ($24.99) is a waterlogged must-have, the ultimate multiple-person fiesta de mariscos, be it shared between two (or three) lovers on a romantic night out or an ill-advised one-man lunch on a scorching Oklahoma summer’s day in.
Guess which one I chose.
Served with my requested flavoring—a mild Cajun spice, thank you—my introductory bite was deep into a sausage medallion that was, undoubtedly, not from the sea, but still paired rather nicely with the hot potatoes and a steamy corn on the cob. The leggy shrimp, on the other hand fin, had bits of seasoning buried deep into and under the shell and veins, a dull heat judgmentally coating everything with a gritty Louisiana flavor.
Putting them off for finality’s sake, included in the bag were crab legs and, look, if I’m being honest, I’ve never really have had crab legs before; luckily my friend showed me how to properly dismantle and dissect the intimidating crustacean, snapping the leg and earning a momentary piece of meat, uselessly exerting myself for such a barren prize.
Thank the Lord there were no lobsters.
Swimming about in the bottom of the bag, however, was a lone hardboiled egg that I very nearly threw away. Why these poultry-based orbs are always in seafood boils I’ll never truly know, but it was damn good to have it there as a sulfurous dessert of sorts, the perfect intestinal treat to the rousing Cajun mix that, even today, I still catch a whiff of on my upper-lipped facial-hair anytime a breeze hits my mouth-mane just right.
So if you got nothing better to do, than to sit around and gnaw on some boiled seafood, don’t talk about anywhere else, because I don’t wanna go—I’m dedicated to this tasty cove; it’s a Seafood Party, tonight. Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis on Twitter at @LouisFowler and Instagram at @louisfowler78.
You put the eggs in the pot and “fish” one out every now and then and give it a spin. If the egg is done, the fish is done. TRADITION!
How does it come to be in a bag? Is it baked in it or sous vide or what? Sounds good to me anyhow.
Louis – you must go on tour of your top 10 places and let us join you. I bet some of us will even buy your meal. Pick some of the places your have loved or want to try – let us know and we will be there.
These places never make it. I know of 2 that have closed in the last 6 months. That said, the time I tried one of them, it was great. However, gotta pass on the crab legs. They’re not worth the effort, from their harvest ala Deadliest Catch to the frustrating and annoying work it takes for one small morsel.