1375 Lafayette
Santa Clara, CA
Yes, you read it correctly. It's "All-You-Can-Eat" crab. But there's more! For only $40 a person, not only do you have access to unlimited crab, you also have unlimited salad, garlic bread, soda, and best of all... wine and beer!
Twice a year, the S.E.S. Corporation (A Portuguese community organization founded in 1896) hosts their infamous all-you-can-eat crabfeed. The first one usually takes place around the third weekend of January and the second is around the third weekend of November. This is definitely my kind of way to start and end the year!
My mother invited me to my very first crabfeed. I was off to college the first time she attended with her friends and the thought of her having all-you-can-eat crab without me was proposterous! She definitely invited me to the next one and I had no idea how much fun it would be!
It was advised to be early so we showed up at 4:00pm for a 4:30pm serving. We were given a number when we arrived, but the waiting area was already packed! At 4:30, they began calling numbers numerically to line-up in front of the door in the corner of the room. We followed a long line through a hallway and down a narrow stairwell. This is when I began to smell the delicious scent of well cooked crab. At the bottom of the stairway was a person who asked, "How many people?""Four."
We turned the corner and saw rows and rows of tables covered in white paper. I had no idea so many people knew about this event! On each table were empty buckets (for crab shells), pitchers of wine, rolls of paper towels, plates of garlic bread and bibs for everyone to wear during the event.
On our way to our seats, we passed the kitchen and were able to see the large pots of crab being cooked. As the cooks stirred the pots in this factory-like setting, the crab scent only got stronger and my appetite did nothing but grow.
People filed in one by one and no seat was left opened. As each table was being filled, bowls of salad were being served to the tables and people were already helping themselves to several glasses of wine. Everyone was already have a good time as the noise level got louder. A few minutes went by and quickly, all tables were filled. Those who were not seated had to wait until others were done and left for the evening.
Next came the chanting. Yes, there was chanting. "Crab! Crab! Crab!..." was being shouted throughout the room. Soon enough, loud cheers were exhaulted as the first bowl of crab left the kitchen and was served to the first table.
Let the games begin.Now, the veterans to the crabfeed knew no condiments were available. My mother was one of them and had brought her own dipping sauces. Us Asians love our crab with vinegar, but she had also packed a few lemons and some melted butter. When she pulled out all her homemade sauces, we all began to dig in and in only a few minutes, our bowl of crab was nearly empty. My sister asked, "Do we want more crab?"
"Of course!"
She picked up the empty bowl over her head and yelled, "more crab!!!"
Immediately, a worker came by the table with a new bowl of crab and took away the empty one. It was the same procedure for if you wanted a drink. There were so many workers that it was easy to ask for refills on anything. After an hour or so. I felt like I would never decide to eat crab again. I had over eaten but couldn't help thinking that it would've been so much fun with more people! So what did I do when November came around???
We might have been the youngest crowd in the room, but we had just as much fun as the group next to us. A few of my friends might have overdosed on the unlimited beer, though. To them, it's not the crabfeed anymore. It's the "beer"feed. "All-you-can-drink beer; crab included."
To add to the fun, the waiting area was turned into a dance floor while everyone was eating crab in the basement! It was unlike any bar in the city, but a DJ post-beerfeed can't go wrong. It was a night to remember and a tradition I will maintain in the years to come.
