End of Summer Celebration

Midwesterners call it a hootenanny (or hoot), New Englanders call it a clambake, and Lousianians call it a shrimp boil. We’re calling it a block party – without closing off any streets. 

On Saturday, Sept. 2, Bex is planning to hold an event to celebrate summer and what lay beyond. 

Genesis of the Idea 

Chef Becky: “I mixed the ideas of the shrimp boil, block party, and Supper Club. Why not combine them all? As always, I’m interested in creating community, and summer is so weird: it can either fly by or drag on, but I think it’s important to have an event to mark the moment.” The Chef combines crowd-pleasing ingredients like lobster, shrimp, clams, and Andouille sausage into a big pot, boils ‘em up, and will dump them out on newsprint at certain times. You’ll have to put some work into your meal since shelled creatures do not give up their tender flesh so easily!

Beasts of the NJ Wild 

In 2012, an independent film called Beasts of the Southern Wild gained momentum among critics and moviegoers. It told the story of a father-daughter relationship in a hard-livin’ part of Louisiana frequented by intense hurricanes. In a now-iconic scene, a young girl learns how to open up a boiled crab for the first time. Her father instructs her to just use her hands and “beast it!” It’s an amazing scene in which the girl gains life skills and self-confidence. 

Clambake Origins 

Interestingly, the clambake event surged in popularity after the American Civil War. The tiny but mighty state of Rhode Island is credited with the first clambake recipe, although its deeper origins are disputed. From Rhode Island, it spread outward to New England, which the clambake is now associated with. 

All Roads Lead to Louisiana

The shrimp boil is a Cajun tradition rooted in Louisiana culture, given the state’s many waterways, Gulf of Mexico proximity, and history of French influence on cuisine. Interesting regional variations exist outside of Louisiana, such as Frogmore Stew and Lowcountry Stew. One-pot cooking is popular around the world. The Japanese, clever as always, even have a word, Nabemono, which literally means “things in a pot.” 

Just Plain Fun 

Eating clambake-style brings out the kid in adults and makes kids do more work than eating a processed chicken finger. A messy pile of delicious food is also just plain to pick and choose from and set to work cracking open. Everyone is eating the same thing, so it puts people on the same page and creates a shared experience. Eating can be a very passive experience, but clambake-style eating makes eating more active. 

Interested in Joining Us? 

If you’d like to participate, we’d love to have you. Check out this link. 

The clambake will be 12 – 4 pm, with three dumpings/pourings of food at 12, 1:30, and 3. You can select which timeslot you’d like. You can also order off the Bex menu and/or get grab & go items.