Larsen’s Fish Market, Martha’s Vineyard

You could plunk down a good deal of money for dinner at the fancy Home Port restaurant in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard, a tiny fishing town known for its beautiful sunsets. Or you could enjoy the sunset as the families who have been coming here for years do: bring your beach chairs and wine and make it a picnic.

About that wine: don’t forget to buy it from Edgartown or Oak Bluffs, since they don’t sell it “up island,” which is completely dry due to some rather antiquated blue laws. But wait until you get to Menemsha to buy your dinner, or you’ll be missing out on one of the town’s main attractions. Larsen’s, half seafood store, half take-out shop, dishes out lobsters, clams and oysters just hours after they’ve been plucked from the sea. This market also acts as the wholesaler supplier to many of the seafood places on the island, so when you come here, you’re getting it at the source.

A cup of silky clam chowder came with a film of melted butter on top, chunks of perfectly cooked potatoes underneath, and lots of clams in between.

This lobster chick, at top, which Larsen’s cooked and cracked for us, rang in at just $16 – a much better deal than the $40-plus lobsters in many Martha’s Vineyard restaurants. If you don’t mind eating with your hands on the beach, these lobsters yield the sweetest, most delicate meat, dipped in hot butter and enjoyed amid the best “restaurant decor” on the island.

Finding ourselves somewhat near Larsen’s on another afternoon, we couldn’t resist stopping in for a dozen clams on the half shell. The mix of littlenecks and cherrystones was shucked right before us, their liquor brimming to the edge of the shell. Larsen’s offers up cocktail sauce in a squeeze bottle, but all you really need is a squirt of lemon for these sparkling, saline little gems.

And here, you always know exactly where the seafood comes from. Bring your clams out on the back porch – there’s no indoor seating – and slurp them up in front of the fishing boats that have docked for the day.

If you come to Menemsha for a picnic, be sure to order your lobster early, before 5 or 5:30pm, and Larsen’s will give you a time to pick up your cooked package. You’re also more likely to find closer parking the earlier you arrive. After that, just kick back, relax and enjoy the sunset.

Larsen’s Fish Market
56 Basin Rd
Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard
508-645-2680
larsensfishmarket.com