So, I’d been hearing whispers about getting seafood straight off the boat down in Delcambre. You know, cutting out the middleman. The stuff in the stores lately just wasn’t cutting it for me, tasted kinda tired. I figured, why not give this Delcambre Direct Seafood thing a shot myself?
First thing I did was try to figure out how it actually worked. Found some information online, basically saying fishermen post what they have or when they’re coming in. Sounded simple enough. No fancy website ordering I saw, more like you gotta know when to show up. Felt a bit old school, which I kinda liked.
Heading Down There
Decided one Saturday morning to just drive down to the Port of Delcambre. Got there, wasn’t sure exactly where to go at first. It’s an active port, lots going on. Saw a few other folks milling around, looking like they had the same idea. I spotted the signs pointing towards the seafood marketplace area, that helped.
Walked over to where the boats tie up. Sure enough, there were a couple shrimp boats and one smaller boat with some fish. Fishermen were right there on deck, sorting their catch. It smelled like the ocean, real and strong, not fishy like a bad market.
Getting the Goods
I wandered over to one of the shrimp boats. Guy on board, weathered fella, asked what I was looking for. He had buckets of fresh shrimp, still glistening. Big ones too.
- I asked the price. Seemed fair, especially considering how fresh they looked.
- He scooped ’em right into an ice chest I brought. Always bring your own ice chest, folks.
- Paid him cash right there. Simple transaction, man to man.
Felt good, you know? Talking directly to the person who caught your food just hours before. No plastic wrap, no supermarket aisles.
The Payoff
Got the shrimp home. Wow. You could just tell the difference. Cleaned ’em up – they were super fresh, firm. Boiled some up right away with some corn and potatoes. The taste? Night and day. Sweet, briny, perfect snap. Miles better than anything I’d bought frozen or from a big chain store in ages.
Was it worth the drive and figuring it out? Absolutely. It takes a bit more effort than just running to the store, sure. You gotta check when boats might be in, make the trip. But for that quality? I’m doing it again. It’s not just about the food, it’s the whole experience. Seeing the boats, meeting the fishermen, knowing exactly where your meal came from. That’s hard to beat.
