Despite soggy skies, the first day of Shellabration 2014, a celebration of the bounty of local waters in Greenport, was, according to all accounts, a huge success.
The event continues Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. in Greenport.
Participating businesses were packed with patrons sampling Peconic Bay scallops and other culinary creations of Greenport’s leading chefs, with 14 participating restaurants offering $5 tapas-sized portions of local shellfish creations. Local wineries offered $3 wine tastings. Full glass options were available.
The event features the bounty of the North Fork, offered in a culinary walk that celebrates the recent regeneration of Peconic Bay.
Profits from wristband sales will go to the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training, or SPAT, and Community Action of Southold Town.Wristbands entitle guests to the first tasting of the day —a free glass of Greenport Harbor Ale, and a SPAT sponsored raw bar tasting of clams and oysters, as well as a tour map pinpointing the participating restaurants.
CAST was founded in 1965 as a safety net for Southold families from Laurel to Orient Point, to help neighbors in need in the areas of nutrition, employment, energy, housing and education.
SPAT was created to encourage local citizens to become involved in restoring shellfish to the local waters. Volunteers raise scallops, oysters and clams and then populate the local bays where they spawn and further enrich once-depleted areas.
Wristbands cost $15 and can be purchased here; tickets can also be purchased on Sunday at Greenport Harbor Brewery or Little Creek Oyster Company.
Participating restaurants include 1943 Pizza Bar, Biere, Blue Canoe, Bruce & Son, Cuvee Wine Bar, First and South, The Frisky Oyster, Front Street Station,Little Creek Oyster Company, Lucharitos, Rhumbline, Noah’s, Salamander’s and Scrimshaw.
