So, the other day, I got this real craving for some decent seafood. Not the frozen stuff from the supermarket that tastes like cardboard, you know? I wanted something fresh, something that reminded me of how seafood should taste. It’s funny how hard that can be to find sometimes, even living relatively close to the coast. Lots of places just don’t get it right, or they’re more about the fancy tablecloths than what’s on the plate.
Anyway, I remembered someone mentioning Ocean Catch over in Wakefield, RI. Hadn’t been there before, but I figured, why not give it a shot? Sometimes you just gotta go out and find these spots yourself. So, I hopped in the car and made the drive over. Wasn’t too hard to find, which is always a plus in my book. I hate driving around in circles for ages.
First Impressions and the Catch
Walking in, it was pretty much what I hoped for. No fancy bells and whistles, just a straightforward seafood place. You could smell the clean, briny air – a good sign. I always say, if a seafood place smells overly “fishy,” you might want to walk the other way. This smelled like the ocean, which is exactly what you want.
They had a nice display of fresh fish, shellfish, all glistening on ice. Looked like it had just come off the boat. I took my time looking around. You gotta use your eyes, you know? See what looks good, what seems to be the freshest. That’s the real practice, I think – learning to spot quality. It’s not something you learn overnight. Took me years of buying so-so fish before I got a better sense of it.
I ended up getting a few things:
- Some beautiful, thick cod fillets. Perfect for a simple pan-fry.
- A pound of local sea scallops. They were huge and looked amazing.
- And a couple of their stuffed clams – because why not? Always good to try what they make in-house.
The folks working there were friendly enough. Not overly chatty, but they knew their stuff, answered a couple of questions I had. That’s another thing I appreciate. You don’t need a song and dance, just good service and people who know what they’re selling. It’s like that old garage I used to go to – the mechanic barely said two words, but he fixed cars like nobody else. You trusted him because he was all about the work.
Bringing it Home
Got back home, and couldn’t wait to cook it all up. The cod was fantastic. Flaky, sweet, just melted in your mouth with a bit of lemon and butter. The scallops? Oh man, seared them just right, and they were like candy from the sea. Even those stuffed clams were pretty darn good, full of flavor.
It’s experiences like this that make you realize how important it is to have these kinds of places around. These local joints that focus on quality and don’t cut corners. We’ve lost so many of them over the years, replaced by big chains that all sell the same mediocre stuff. It’s a shame, really. Finding a place like Ocean Catch, it’s like finding a little gem. It’s not just about the food, though that was great. It’s about the whole experience, knowing you’re getting something genuine.
So yeah, that was my little trip to Ocean Catch in Wakefield. Definitely felt like a successful bit of practice in finding the good stuff. It’s a simple thing, getting fresh seafood, but it makes all the difference. Makes you want to cook, makes you want to eat, and just makes you feel good. And in this day and age, feeling good is something to hold onto.
