THE GREAT LOBSTER HUNT
Later in the afternoon, we stroll down to the waterfront, where we join Mark and Cody Jenkins, brothers and fourth-generation fishermen who have been operating their Top-Notch Lobster Tour's lobster-fishing excursions for the past several years. “It used to be known as the ‘poor man’s food’ here in PEI. But now, lobster's a local delicacy like no other,” says Mark. “It’s a big industry.” And certainly, one that has paid off well for the pair, who regularly takes customers on a “lobster-fishing crash course,” in which guests get to haul two lobster traps and a crab trap in a span of two-and-a-half hours and, of course, finish off with the requisite lobster dinner.
As the boat motors away from shore, Cody serves chilled drinks from the cooler, while Mark enthusiastically regales us with facts on all things lobster. “One of the largest ones ever caught was in Nova Scotia – it was nearly 4ft long, 44 pounds and 130 years old,” he says, illuminating us on the prized crustacean’s life cycle, before allowing us to play fishermen and haul traps.
Later, over the crunching sounds and appreciative silence of guests busily tucking into a delicious supper of lobster, potato salad and crusty rolls, Mark shares more about what life is like on the island. It’s serious back-to-nature stuff when they’re not conducting tours, with the brothers spending about 10 to 12 hours a day during the season on their lobster run checking traps. Winter is when they get a much-needed break. That’s when, he says with a grin, they’re true Canadians who play hockey and drink lots of beer.
Jokes aside, it’s clear that lobster fishing separates the men from the boys. The brothers make their own traps - cutting the trees, milling the timber, and building about 200 traps at a time. The utilitarian pieces of equipment, too, have their own history. They are usually made of juniper wood (which is rot-resistant), and the Jenkins say there’s still a trap in circulation, which their father built over 20 years ago.
The arrival of the lobster season each year is a highly anticipated event for locals like the Jenkins and is tightly woven into the culinary fabric of the island. You’ll get seafood all year round, but there are some especially good times to visit. PEI has a plentiful catch that runs from May to June on the island’s north side, and August to September on the south.
Whether it's enjoyed on a boat trip, at a picnic table in the backyard with friends or at a no-frills “lobster supper” held in dining halls and churches throughout the island, this is the classic PEI dining experience you shouldn’t miss. Two of the most renowned places to enjoy a lobster supper are New Glasgow Lobster Suppers (proudly serving since 1958), in New Glasgow with spectacular views of the River Clyde, and the Fisherman's Wharf Lobster Suppers in beautiful North Rustico.
But there are other contenders to the seafood throne too. No trip to PEI is complete without indulging in another of its signature seafoods – oysters. Just around the corner from our residence on Great George Street in Charlottetown is the intimate Claddagh Oyster House - one of the best places in PEI to savor mollusks. Sitting at the bar, we order a dozen on the half shell (each with evocative names like Lucky Limes, Raspberry Points and Shiny Seas), and settle down to watch the servers ply their trade.
Behind the bar, waiter, and oyster shucker Brett Wilson is hard at work. He deftly feels an oyster to find its most vulnerable point of entry, then skillfully sweeps the blade of his knife through the muscle connected to the shell. Within moments, an exquisite display of a dozen plump mollusks are placed in front of us ready to be savored unadorned. Or, if you insist, with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of hot sauce. And to wash it all down with? “A stout or a chilled sauvignon blanc,” which, according to Wilson, are 'the perfect partner for oysters.'
Other notable places to sample seafood on PEI include Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, Carr’s Oyster Bar in Stanley Bridge (on the north coast) and Clam Diggers Beach House & Restaurant located on the waterfront in Cardigan on the east coast. Clam Diggers is typical of many of the island’s restaurants, where seafood comes straight from the boats of local fishmongers and fisherman. Scallops arrive in cheesecloth sacks, lobsters caught within a mile or two are dropped off, and fish like whole halibut come packed in ice, fresh from the ocean. It’s the perfect backdrop against which to spend a memorable evening – try tucking into their delicious ocean fresh chowder, fried scallops, clam dinner or shellfish platter while sipping a chilled beer and taking in the spectacular sunset views from the outside deck.