Make no mistake, fishing and clamming for a living is grueling. There are days when I honestly feel my body is going to give out and finally call it quits. These days, the wind howls and punishes us more than it ever used to. And this winter, we alternated between breaking ice in the harbor just to get to productive spots in the bay, to tucking our clamming boat into alcoves, just to seek refuge from the wind.
No matter how exhausting the work, everything comes into focus when you return to shore with bags of the freshest and most delicious clams and oysters in the world. So even though our catering business is flourishing, it’s why I’ll never give this up. Before every catered event, I’m out the door as the sun peeks over the horizon to gather the day’s sea harvest.
Honestly, there’s no better feeling than watching someone at one of our raw bars or clambakes sample a fresh oyster or clam. It usually goes something like this:
Oh my God. Why is this so delicious? I’ve never had such fresh seafood in my life!
Well, now you know why. Because it’s just THAT fresh.
That’s what sets Schultzy’s apart from other caterers. There are so many great off-premise seafood catering companies on Long Island, but no one would be crazy enough to actually catch their own product. So, yes. I know I’m a little nuts. But who else can say this is what their commute home looks like!?
Thanks to John Taylor for snapping this shot over the winter. Happy days ahead. See you on the water.
