James Hook and Co. started in 1925 with a father and his 3 sons trucking their catch to Boston. It is still a family run business with 4 of the third generation siblings. Somewhere along the line they developed retail outlets while still selling to restaurants and shipping across the U.S. We visited a retail site near the water that also had a food truck on premises selling options. Inside the little house were a couple tables to eat but mostly had tanks containing various sizes of lobsters and shelves with memorabilia and cooking supplies. The retail counter had a number of fish and shellfish but also the lobster rolls, which they are famous for. They come in 2 sizes and are cold with mayo or hot with butter. Outside at the truck you could get the mayo variety and whole cooked lobsters as well as soups and some sides. There is a large outdoor seating area to enjoy your selections. Continue reading
It’s been a year since we visited (and 2 since I’ve written up) Galatoire’s and we were excited to be vaccinated and out once again. The food is just as good but a few changes include well spaced tables, masked staff and required reservations – even for dining on the first floor. Even with 75% dining capacity the room still got really noisy but part of the place is the energy in the room. Less waitstaff are on for each shift so you also may need to stray from your usual person. The menu is on line and in past write-ups but it hasn’t changed except for a price increase here and there. The fresh catch is updated daily and the food and service is consistently excellent. One caution, don’t fill up on the hot bread and butter while waiting, which is really easy to do. 
Dametra Café specializes in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. The small cafe opened in 2008 and is even smaller now having only outdoor dining due to Covid 19 restrictions of California. The same table set up runs along the street in front of the building with tables divided by planters and heaters and separated from the street by a wooden fence. The narrow, small tables are covered with bright yellow oil-cloth tableclothes and set at street level rather than sidewalk. It makes some difficult to get in and out but didn’t seem to keep the crowd away. It’s reputation is that there is often a line for walk-up guests but we were lucky and got a table when we arrived. They offer the same menu at lunch and dinner but add sandwiches to the lunch offerings. They also have a more limited menu for curbside pickup. Service was friendly, helpful and efficient. Even with an ever-changing supply of table guests they did not rush us to finish up our wine so they could reseat the table. 
