Monday, July 25, 2022

Hook And Reel Seafood In Your Neighborhood

 Usually you have to head to the shore if you want good seafood. yet thanks to Hook and Reel , that's notnecessary. This seafood restaurant offers a wide array of different seafood. You don't have todrive an hour for lobster or shrimp.

I visited my local one in elmwood park new Jersey the other day. I've seen their flyerss in my local ValPack and wondered about it and the menu. It looked interesting and was much closer than those places down at the Jersey shore. It's roots are Cajun so there re boils and some fiery spices. There is also the raw bar which offers blue point oysters , perfect for a hot summer's night.The appetizers are varied. We ordered the hushpuppies and garlic bread sticks. These came with cups of melted butter for dipping. They were crunchy and flavorful. The next time it's a definite order of the crab bites which are miniature crab cakes along with breaded chicken wings.(yes, they have them along iwth wings for a main course). There are also crabmeat fries (another must try) and coconut shrimp. There are also steamed oysters that come with a choice of sauces and fried calamari. The mozzarella sticks  are another must try. As for the main courses. There's are also soup and salad. Hook and Reel onlyu serves new england style clam chowder and lobster biaque for the soups. I had theclam chowder. It had a tangy taste, sort of like a warmed Ranch dressing, but rich with potatoes and large chunks of clam. Next time I'll have the lobster bisque. There are different salads from a simple Caesar to salads topped with chicken, shrimp or crab.

Hook and Reel are famously known for their boils. These are any kind of seafood , from something as big as a whole lobster or crab legs to calimari and crawfish. It';s then picking the sauce from  the dry rub Old Bay toCajun and garlic. Ther'es even a Hook and Reel Special blend that mixes fiery hot chili powder with fresh garlic, lemon pepper and herbs and spices. Then ther'es the heat, You can pick mild, spicy and fire. The whole things comes in a big plastic bag where' it's shaken at your table. It sort of looks like a popped Jiffy Pop  foil container in a giant pie pan. Diners are given elbow length plastic gloves to eatt this .It's a wild look for a  fun seafood festival. There are sides too, with corn on the cob and potatoes. There are mini boils (another must try on the next visit) of  half a pound of shrimp, black mussels or snow crab legs.  These too come with corn and potatoes.Their baskets are also filling with a choice of fried chicken, catfish ,oysters and flounder. For more lux there are baskets of fried jumbo shrimp and lobster tail. Po'Boy lovers will appreciate their mega big sandwiches. A cat fish po boy can feed too and it even comes with a generous side of sweet ptoat fries ro sou[p. There are also sliders and even a pasta dish chock full of shrimp and mussels. There's also a kids menu and a wide variety of alcoholic drinks to choose from. Unfortunately there are no desserts.

Try Hook and Reel for a tasty seafood dinner without heading to the shore. They have a wide variety of differnet seafood plush chicken that make for the perfect summer dinner. Try them for a fun night out.