Harbor lights
Crustaceans meet cowboys
at Redondo Lobster Fest
Sadly, a living creature has to lose its life to become part of the human diet. In the old days, dad or grandpa dispensed a barnyard animal to the afterlife out behind the barn with a knife to the throat or a quick “two to the head”.
Today we have people we never see out in some remote, unknown place who have taken over for dad and grandpa. We gladly pay a little extra for chicken or steak to avoid having to participate in the transformation from living being to lunch or dinner.
The only two remaining creatures that make the transition from sentient to nutrient in our presence are lobster and crab. The edible parts of both crustaceans degrade quickly after death and pose a health risk if they’re not cooked immediately.
If you’ve ever tossed live lobsters or crabs into a pot of boiling water then watched until they stopped moving, you know their transition to the afterlife was not entirely pleasant. You may have taken some comfort, as I often have, in reminding yourself they’re really just bugs. Do you really feel bad about killing a bug?
It becomes even easier when you think about it from a nutritional or culinary perspective. Ten minutes after you’ve gotten over your homicidal guilt, you’ll be dining on one of the tastiest forms of nearly pure protein on the planet.
This weekend the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and a handful of sponsors will enable thousands of hungry visitors to enjoy delicious lobster dinners without having to endure the messy (or guilty) process of preparing the meal. The 15th Annual Lobster Festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday, September 24 and continues on Saturday from noon until 11 p.m. and Sunday, from noon until 8 p.m.
Repeat visitors to the festival know that organizers go to great lengths to change enough elements to ensure each year has its own character and appeal. One of this year’s key changes will be to offer diners some surf and turf options.
You can avoid lobster altogether by choosing a steak dinner consisting of a broiled 12-ounce Certified Angus Beef Center-Cut New York Strip Steak. The Surf “N” Turf dinner combines a smaller, 8-ounce steak and a 4- to 5-ounce Maine lobster tail. A mixed group of other food vendors will offer everything from pizza to Thai and Chinese barbecue.
You don’t get to call your event a festival without some festivities. This year’s Lobster Festival will include an eclectic variety of nearly continuous live music. Ever wonder what your dentist does when he or she isn’t causing excruciating pain in the mouths of patients? Check out Open Wide, the All-Dentist Rock Band at 5 p.m. Friday and you might find out.
You’ll also get to hear rockabilly, big band and island steel band music among other styles. If you’re a fan of tribute bands you can catch bands that cover Steely Dan, The Beatles and The Beach Boys.
In keeping with the turf part of the surf and turf theme, the 15th running of the Lobster Festival will feature its own version of running with the bulls. Attendees will get to test their wrangling skills against a mechanical bull. You may not look as cool as John Travolta did in Urban Cowboy and the only significance turf you’ll have is when you’re thrown from the bucking steer and take a bite of the nearby lawn, but isn’t that half the fun? Wear a cowboy hat and some boots and, who knows, you might just catch the eye of a Debra Winger look-alike.
Parents who don’t feel agile enough to catch an airborne child who’s been launched from the bull will be happy to hear the festival also features arcade games for all ages. Younger kids will enjoy the inflatable Buccaneer Ship and Super Shark Slide.
Lobster only provides a portion of the fun visitors to this years Lobster Festival will experience. There’s something for everyone. Check it out at http://www.lobsterfestival.com/
Comment on this or any other King Harbor topic at www.kingharborboater.com click on the “blog” link. Harry Munns is a Redondo Beach Harbor Commissioner. ER