Catch of the Day

Crustacean lovers rejoice! Today is day one of the Bermudian lobster season, a much-anticipated seven-month stretch that has fishermen’s pockets overflowing with cash and diners’ fingers dripping with clarified butter. But don’t expect a pair of claws to show up on your plate. Sweeter than their New England counterparts, Caribbean spiny lobster are clawless (see above) and inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. And they’re yummy. Really, really, yummy. How good you might ask? So good that local restaurants fetch up to $70 per tail—a price happily paid across the island. By all accounts they’ll be plenty to go around too: According to the Royal Gazette, the government is considering allowing commercial fishermen to catch lobsters within the reef line, a practice formerly banned to help boost populations. It’s a big debate actually, although one I’m admittedly not all that interested in. I say serve ‘em up (just make sure there are enough left behind to repopulate for next year’s dinner, okay?). So what are you waiting for? If you’re craving a sweet Caribbean lobster tail don’t miss Port O Call, a Front Street favorite specializing in simple preparations of fresh local fish and The Lobster Pot (where else?), a Hamilton staple perennially jammed with locals. Go ahead, make your reservation today. I’ll be the one with the bib on.