As someone who currently lives in Boston but who used to call Atlanta home, there are so many things I miss about the South, but Southern food is among the most notable. One dish I particularly miss is a good seafood boil. I’ve eaten them all over the Atlanta area and the South in general, and I’ve even written about the best wines to pair with a seafood boil. So, when I moved to Boston, I knew that I had to find a good spot that served the Cajun-seasoned shellfish I so deeply missed. The problem? I arrived in December of 2020, right at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Going out to a restaurant to eat a dish that can sometimes leave you licking sauce off of your fingers didn’t seem like a great idea in that context, so I looked for a restaurant that would deliver. I know the idea of a delivery seafood boil may sound disgusting and risky to some, but I was desperate. Luckily, I found Holly Crab.
Among Boston seafood restaurants, Holly Crab is unique for its Cajun flavors, and it has locations in both Allston and Lowell (I’ve only eaten at the former). Its cozy but unfussy atmosphere makes it a fun spot to hang out, but its super-fresh seafood and perfectly spiced boils — unusual in Boston, where unseasoned seafood seems to dominate — are the real appeal.
Honoring the seafood boil’s blended roots
The restaurateurs behind Holly Crab, brothers Ryan and Rick Kim, actually didn’t encounter a seafood boil for the first time in the South, but rather found their way to the dish in the West. Wondering why they couldn’t find a good seafood boil in Boston, they decided to open their own spot. They recognize that the dish has its roots in the South, but the Kims also pull inspiration from Vietnamese dishes…