http://bitchinlifestyle.tv/crab-mania-fishermans-wharf-crab-festival/

I know what you’re thinking: GIMME ALL OF THE CRAB! Don’t feel bad, over zealous attendees pushed and clawed their way around each other just to stuff their faces with the very crustaceans you wish you were consuming right now. Let me tell you about it.

Usually I’m really good about keeping up with the festivals and events in California but this one snuck up on me out of nowhere. The fact that I’m such a huge fan of seafood and could have missed such a glorious event was an eye opener. Never again will I be unprepared for the awesomeness that is crab season and the Fisherman’s Wharf Crab Festival.

Yes, you need to be prepared for FWCBD Crab Fest because apparently, when people hear the words “crab” and “festival” all hell breaks loose. If you envisioned people climbing over each other and stabbing each other with seafood forks just to get more Dungeness crab, you should probably stop playing so many video games. Really, you have a very vivid imagination. It was however, pretty intense.

It’s each (wo)man for themselves at the terrace level of the Maritime Museum – where the event was being held. For three hours people just poured in to the venue, lining up at each stand creating wait times that left late comers empty handed. No crab cake, crab salad, or chowder was left uneaten. When the participants ran out of cups and bread, festival goers asked them to spoon crab onto their napkins. Like, savages.

It was exhilarating, in a fight-for-your-food-because-there’s-almost-nothing-left kinda way.

Participating restaurants included: Blue Mermaid Chowder House,
 Alioto’s Restaurant,
 Bistro Boudin,
Pescatore,
 Castagnola’s, Pier Market,
 Fog Harbor Fish House, and my personal favorite, Scoma’s Restaurant . As I mentioned earlier, there wasn’t much food remaining if you made the rookie mistake of showing up an hour in to the fest. So my first tip (and only tip) on navigating yummy food festivals – especially ones involving crab – would be to line up before the event is scheduled to start.

I managed to score a few samples of wine from the San Francisco City Cellars, G.Reedy Wines &
 Pushback Wines who were also present at the fest. Luckily, my plan of attack included nabbing food while people alternated between hoarding samples and downing more than their share of wine.

By the end of it all, I had to ask myself “What just happened?” I wish I had played my media card early enough to snack on those delectable dishes before the common folk because this festival is one of the popular ones. Come early and come prepared for battle.

By Angelique Picanco