Spring is quite possibly my favorite time of year here on Martha’s Vineyard. You can almost taste the anticipation in the air as we all work hard to prepare the Island for another busy season, and it is a little extra-potent this year, as our winter hibernation was even more isolating than usual. Businesses are coming back to life, and each reopening announcement feels more exciting than the last. When I heard that Larsen’s Fish Market had opened for the season, I recovered my beach chairs from the basement and was off to Menemsha faster than you can say “lobster roll.” In my opinion, there are few things more Vineyard-ish than enjoying some of the freshest seafood the Island has to offer, while squishing my toes in sand and clapping as the sun goes down in Menemsha. Yes, I am a local, and I still think every Menemsha sunset is worthy of applause.
There is nothing like seeing the fishermen unload their day’s catch as you peruse the local menu options, which is exactly the experience Larsen’s has to offer. I wished I had brought a cooler so I could bring some fresh fish fillets home as well, but I would have to stick to the prepared “From the Kitchen” menu, which is most certainly just as well. This included a multitude of options from lobsters cooked to order, steamers, mussels, chowder, and more. I decided to go for some littlenecks on the half-shell, some chowder, and a lobster roll. Scott Larsen took my order, and was extremely kind and accommodating while helping me navigate the process, with my semi-newfound gluten intolerance. Ordering half a dozen littlenecks ($1.34 apiece) is always a given for me. I learned that Larsen’s offers its clam chowder ($5.50 a cup) Rhode Island–style, which is a lighter, broth-based, and thickener-free version, and you receive a deliciously large portion of lobster salad when you order without the bun. My dining partner ordered a lobster roll ($16.75) and the creamy original clam chowder, so we could offer a well-rounded dining review, and let me tell you, I could happily spend the rest of my days sitting in the Menemsha sand, eating food from Larsen’s, and becoming pretty “well rounded” myself.
I’ve been told that shellfish are at their peak of deliciousness during months with the letter R in the name, but I have to say there was something extra special about the littlenecks Larsen’s is serving right now. The sweet and refreshing briny flavor tasted just like springtime on the half-shell. Not to mention, they were packaged perfectly in order to make the trek from Larsen’s over to my beach chair in the sand. The lobster salad had the perfect mayo-to-meat ratio, and it included those big chunks of claw and tail meat that we all love. I was incredibly impressed with my first Rhode Island clam chowder experience. The broth remained light while still bursting with flavor, and I could taste the freshness in every clam-filled bite. I asked my dining partner how his traditional chowder was, and he gave me that “don’t talk to me while I am eating something this delicious” look that speaks volumes for itself.
Larsen’s Fish Market is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm during spring, and I would highly recommend treating yourself before finding parking up there becomes what we call a “Menemsha Miracle,” and the summer crowd returns to one of the best seafood spots on-Island. If someone were to ask me to summarize Martha’s Vineyard in a flavor or experience, I would tell them to head to Larsen’s Fish Market, 56 Basin Road, Menemsha; 508-645-2680.
