When Shellabration founder John Kramer owned a house on Jockey Creek in Southold, he liked nothing more than clamming and oystering right outside his front door during the winter. The abundance of shellfish he caught led to him hosting an annual party he called “Clamabration.”
“The parties started around 2004. I would catch about 500 clams and 500 oysters and I would invite friends and neighbors to my house,” said Kramer. “My guests were required to bring the best shellfish dish they could make with my local clams and oysters.”
The party grew bigger every year and the group of 20 or 30 friends blossomed into a crowd of 125 people, so Kramer moved Clamabration to the Founders Landing Wharf House. After relocating to Greenport he no longer held the party, but an idea formed in his head to carry the celebration forward to Greenport Village.
In 2012, Shellabration was born.
This weekend the restaurant walk featuring local shellfish, wine and beer will take place in Greenport Village for the sixth year running. Restaurants throughout the village will offer $5 small plates, showing off their best culinary creations. Local beer and wine pours are $3.
Kramer credits the enthusiasm of several local restaurant owners who encouraged him to bring Shellabration to Greenport Village.
“I talked to Scott Bollman at Bruce & Son, Robbie Beaver at The Frisky Oyster and Noah Schwartz at Noah’s,” said Kramer. “All three were immediately on board.”
Kramer then brought the idea to the rest of Greenport’s restaurants, and to local wineries and breweries, inviting them to participate; most immediately agreed to join in. He also felt that Shellabration would be a good opportunity to raise funds for SPAT (Suffolk Project for Aquaculture Training) at Cornell Cooperative Extension and other local organizations.
“The natural and logical beneficiary was SPAT,” said Kramer. “But when I ran Shelllabration I split the money between SPAT and CAST or the American Legion in Greenport.”
After three successful years of managing Shellabration, Kramer handed over the torch to Kim Barbour and her team at Cornell Cooperative Extension, who have been coordinating it since 2015. Proceeds from the event benefit CCE’s Back to the Bays Initiative and SPAT.
“Local merchants and accommodation specialists participate also, holding special promotions,” said Barbour. “They help make Shellabration a great kickoff to the holiday season in Greenport Village.”
Participation in the event has grown from about 600 the first year to the maximum of 1,000, a limit put in place so as not to overwhelm the local restaurants. As of Monday afternoon, 750 tickets have been sold.
Tickets are available at the Shellabration website. The $25 ticket includes the first pairing of the day — a sampling of oysters and a tasting pour from Greenport Harbor Brewery.
Shellabration takes place on Dec. 2 and 3 from noon to 4 p.m. in Greenport Village.
