Last Tuesday evening my husband Bill and I went to Woods Hole for a fine meal of New England seafood, at one of our favorite restaurants. Shuckers is one of those cozy places that we all enjoy discovering while on vacation.It is tucked away at 91A Water Street, down a cobblestone alleyway, in the heart of Woods Hole Village. The owner, Kevin Murphy and his excellent staff know how to serve up a proper New England feast. Shuckers is a place where the food is artfully prepared and presented but the dress and atmosphere are casual.and relaxed.
Those of you who have visited Shuckers in the past will be pleased to know that during the off season, Kevin was busy giving the place a fresh new look without compromising its charm. The bar was redesigned to look like the hull of a wooden boat. The walls have been painted bright sparkling white, the new tables, chairs and artfully designed table ware all come together to make a pleasantly inviting atmosphere.
The restaurant’s space is divided into three areas. The first area is outside, undercover dining on the brick patio. Then there is the enclosed bar area seating plus several high top tables and chairs. The third section is located out in the open, on a floating dock. Which ever area you choose, you will have a beautiful view of Woods Hole’s legendary Eel Pond, with its boats and charming floating boat houses. In addition you will be able toto watch the activities in the adjacent Woods Hole Marina. While dining you may see one of the marina’s boat owners unloading his day’s catch and bring it ashore.
Shuckers is open for lunch and dinner from May to October. Lobster is the speciality of the house, however, if you just want cocktails, it is good to know that many are served with freshly squeezed juices.
They are well known in the community for their fine raw bar. The raw bar includes: Cherrystones, boutique oysters, little necks, and much more. Some of the appetizers are: seafood chowder, Portuguese mussels, stuffed quahogs, crab cakes, marinated calamari, lobster bisque, and Shuckers’ bruschetta. I decided to make a meal of two appetizers, the lobster bisque and the bruschetta. The bisque was creamy and chock full of sweet lobster meat. The bruschetta was equally outstanding. It was toasted garlic bread topped with fresh tomatoes, scallions, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. It was delicious. Bill had baked stuffed scrod which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Shuckers also has a “Lighter Side” menu that offers such things as Asian seared tuna salad, beet salad, and a Ceasar salad with lobster, yum. A number of sandwiches are also offered. Among them are: of course a black angus hamburger with lettuce and tomato, a veggie wrap that is filled with local greens, avocado and red pepper hummus spread.Bill and I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, chatting with Kevin and strolling down Water street. We even stopped to admire the new Rachel Carson memorial. It is quite striking but that is a subject for another day’s blog.