A TRADITION FOR EVERY MONTH: We can easily name the must-dos/must-sees behind March -- college basketball -- and what's going down around town in June (typically, some morning fog). But what does September deliver to Southern California, beyond the first Halloween-themed products hitting the shelves and all of the many, many pumpkin-flavored treats stocking the sweets cases of our stores? Yes, that ol' Santa Ana wind is a correct answer, and school starting again, but in terms of tastes, September equates to lobster time around Los Angeles. A trio of big bust-out-the-butter gatherings lines up along the coastline over a clutch of close-together weekends, adding up to a lot of by-the-water lobster dining for the lobster fan during the ninth month of the year. But the locally based lobsterist does not need to wait for September to kick into gear; the eighth month of the year has its own crustacean-cool confab, and pretty early in the month, too. It's the Newport Beach Lobsterfest, and it clacks its claws on Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort.
AFTERNOON AFFAIR: The seafood soiree is a daylight-into-evening thing, so be at the resort from 3 o'clock to 8 p.m. if you want to dig into lobster goodness. There shall be one whole Maine lobster in your meal, and lots of classic sides, from red potatoes and corn on the cob to rolls and the gotta-have-it drawn butter. A general ticket? It's sixty bucks, and some of the money raised from the day goes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland Empire. The amount donated each year? Five thousand, says the organization hosting the feast.
LOBSTER MASCOTS... and dining in the sunshine (if the weather plays nice) and a bit of butter on your shirt all say one thing: The seafoodiest stretch of the year has arrived in Southern California. And you didn't even have to wait for September. Though we're guessing you might put in an appearance at September's Big Lobster 3, too.
