Travel&Spice: S01E05
Hola foodies/travellers! Presenting Episode-05 ofΒ Travel&SpiceΒ for yourΒ dose of spicy travel, where travellers share interesting stories about their favourite meal, restaurant or food encounters.
Today, Shelly Najjar shares her experience of trying something new; something that she was initially reluctant in trying. Shelly is a bucket list and travel blogger at The Goal List. She believes in making the most of every opportunity, whether at home or traveling, and leads a Facebook community of people achieving their goals.
Over to Shelly…
Iβm beyond hungry, firmly into βhangry,β where I could care less about what or where we eat. My travel companions have already declared the nearest collection of food options as βtoo touristyβ so I watch in desperation as they scroll through a seemingly endless list of Yelp reviews.
Weβre in Boston, MA, USA; so they want seafood and based on reviews, they pick James Hook & Co. for the lobster rolls, a local favorite.
βLobster rollβ sounds like some kind of sushi, which Iβm familiar with and love, so this could be okay. When I ask my friends about it, they give me strange looks.
βItβs a sandwich,β they say, showing me the pictures.
Iβm not sure Iβll like this. I enjoy trying the βlocal specialtyβ when Iβm traveling, but I really dislike lobster, so Iβm not that excited for this particular event. However, Iβm too hungry to raise an objection and start the decision process all over again.
James Hook & Co. is a small shop and restaurant selling fresh seafood. It has both indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting), and yes… it feels authentically βlocalβ instead of touristy. The raved-about lobster rolls are a specialty of theirs, available toasted or untoasted, and overflowing with piles of lobster salad. They also have a case of fresh seafood and other prepared foods to choose from.
After we order, I wait for my friends to take the obligatory travel food pictures, as I warily eye the crustacean-filled bread. It doesnβt look like thereβs enough bread to cover the taste of the lobster. Iβm nervous–what if I dislike it so much that I canβt eat it, and Iβm still hungry? I shouldnβt be worried. My stomachβs growling and Iβm so hungry Iβm willing to eat anything, making this the perfect time for me to try something I think I wonβt like. But as it usually turns out, itβs good to try new things when traveling, especially when itβs not something Iβd normally choose on my own.
The bread is perfect: toasted and crispy on the outside, with a soft inside. And the lobster is definitely fresh, and overall pretty good (and thatβs coming from someone who doesnβt like lobster). Itβs surprisingly tasty, and personally, although I wouldnβt go out of my way to eat it (still not a huge fan of lobster), itβs definitely a food Iβd be willing to eat again if I was with others wanting to try local Boston food. And my lobster-loving travel companions raved about it, so Iβd count that as a solid recommendation to try the lobster rolls.
It strikes me as we leave that this is a perfect example of the beauty of traveling with others, which always leads me to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. My recommendation to you, then, is to taste the local specialty wherever you go, even if you donβt think youβll like it, because you never know, you may end up learning to love the lobster roll.
James Hook & Co. is located at 15-17 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02110 and is open daily.
Check that out, guys. Thanks to The Goal List, you now know where to find a lobster roll worth fighting for in Boston.
**Image courtesy: James Hook & Co. **
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Eat β Travel β Enjoy
@Helene Choo – it was definitely affordable for fresh seafood!
@Michael – Good choice! Toasted and crispy was delicious π
@lexieanimetravel – So true! Sounds like you’re a bit more practiced than I am at this. It’s a nice surprise to try foods you don’t think you’ll like but end up liking. One more reason to stay open-minded when traveling (and in general life)!
@DTG – travel is an excellent time to step out of the comfort zone! Wishing you many more adventures (food and otherwise)
@CreativeTravelGuide – How was your weekend lobster? Is a trip to Boston in the works? π
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Haha.. good good.. best of luck in finding the best one!
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I love lobster and would love to try this!!! π Note to self – must find lobster to eat this weekend π
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Perfect!! Good to know you’re open to new food.. Thanks to Shelly for sharing her story π
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OH MY – how delicious and one of my fav’s – always always starving when I read you brilliant food posts. I always like to step out my comfort zone when I travel and try new foods.
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That’s right. It’s always good to try something new and stretch our limits, esp. when travelling with someone else or a big group.
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I love her story, its definitely a lesson to learn, sometimes when we travel alone, we tend to choose our own food preference, but when it comes to couple travelling like I do? it’s always a compromise and a challenge to try new for our taste buds. I abosolutely can relate to her situation. But yeah its a nice feeling to try those foods that you don’t really like!
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Pleasure! Such a drool-worthy story had to be shared with fellow travellers and foodies π
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Yes!! You know where to head to now
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Perfect then. This should be your pitstop! π
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I love Lobster, so toasted and crispy would be my choice.
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Woah I love lobster! I almost never have it because it’s usually so expensive… So now I know that I need to visit Boston to get a lobster roll:D Nom nom nom!
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Thanks Travelquartz for your kind words, and thanks Lyf&Spice for including my story! π
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HAha.. Me too.. I got hungry posting it π
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very nice post- enjoying reading it and got hungry in the end lol
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