alaskan crab feast

Did we warn you that we're posting a whole lot about our recent Alaska trip? Well, if you're not playing along at home, get with the program! Alaska is awesome, and there's no better way to experience it than on a cruise!

I know, I know. You think that cruises are all cookie-cutter and buffets full of cold, uninspired food. Well, you're exactly wrong. After our rainforest walk, our excursion--booked through the cruise line--included a "crab feast," which totally lived up to its name.

We arrived at the George Inlet Lodge to partake in their crushingly awesome crab feast. Okay, if you're allergic to shellfish, you're vegan, or you're keeping kosher, this is probably not for you. But if you love shellfish, and you're not afraid to get a little bit messy--well, this is probably the best way to spend an hour, or two-and-a-half hours, in Ketchikan.

We arrived to a big plate of Dungeness crab legs and a friendly server, Denise, who greeted us warmly and invited us to sit down for a crash course in how to get the most out of our succulent crab legs. She explained how to peel back the soft shell material at the base of the leg to create a "crab lollypop." She showed us how to efficiently crack the claw, and how to use the soft "v" in the leg sections to pull it apart with the tine of a fork. And that sharp pointy claw? Who needs a shellfish fork, when you can pick the meat out with the point of a claw?

I have to say, that we've eaten a fair amount of crab in our time, but I don't think we've ever had crab that was that fresh, sweet and flavorful. And it just kept coming! After we finished our first round, as the crab shell shrapnel started to fill up the bowl in the center of our table, more legs kept coming. Denise piled them onto our plate, dumped out the shell bowl, and returned with a pitcher of melted butter, to make sure we were taken care of throughout.

And the desert--a really delicious cheesecake with fresh wild Alaskan blueberry sauce. One of us didn't save room, but the other said it was absolutely delicious.

If you're looking for a true feast of fresh, delicious Alaska crab, we'd be more than happy to make that happen for you. Just let us know!

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