Description: The Fish Market isn't located in the most scenic spot in DC -- far from it, as it's next to a large elevated interstate overpass, right next to the waterfront. Even though it's not far from the Mall, it's far off the tourist radar, which means that it's one place in town that doesn't overcharge for its wares or tart things up beyond endurance. It's just a good, solid, open-air seafood market, one of the few remaining ones on the Eastern seaboard.

As the fish market is popular with locals, parking near it can be a bit of a challenge, but we've really never had to go all that far to find a spot. Commerce really picks up on the weekends, especially on Fridays through Sundays, when the place bustles with customers snapping up blue crabs and freshly caught fish, or sitting at one of the vendors' counters noshing on clam chowder or crab cakes.

I'd like to think that most of the seafood sold here comes from the Chesapeake Bay, but realistically I know that the day when virtually everything was brought in on barges from the Bay to be sold here is long gone. Still, I've been impressed by the quality and variety of seafood here. There's so much on offer, it's actually a bit daunting to make a choice, although I suspect that those who come often have favorite vendors, which must simplify the process.

Coming to the fish market is one of those sensory-overload experiences, as the entire place seems to pulsate with activity and purpose. Wafting on the breeze is a strong smell of fish, of course, but also the rich sent of Old Bay carried on steam and the tart scent of lemons, all underpinned with an undeniable pong of garbage. This isn't the world's most spotless place on earth, to be honest, but what good seafood market worth its salt is?

The last time we went, after going to a jazz festival downtown on the Mall, my husband was on a mission -- to find the best steamed crabs for the price. He's a connoisseur of the crab, if you will, and seems perpetually on the hunt for fresh ones. Alas, the blue crab population has been on the decline for quite some time, with the crabs getting smaller and the prices getting higher each successive year. Still, he persists.

On this particular day, he found a couple dozen medium-sized crabs to his liking and had them steamed to his specification, with lots of Old Bay. Meantime, I'd reconnoitered the entire market several times over and had decided that I was in the mood for some fresh bay scallops. (I've never liked picking crab -- entirely too much work, in my book, though I'll happily eat any tasty bits anyone cares to send my way.) The prices at the fish market are not all that much better than at places such as Price Club, but the quality is better, plus you can select exactly which fish or shellfish you want. There's that "hands on" feeling that any true seafood lover relishes.

My favorite part of going to the fish market, however, is watching people work. Lots of WORK going on here. Honestly, I could watch for hours: the oyster shucker plying his craft, the fellow sorting crabs with blazing speed, and the deft motions of the guys who gut and fillet fish. It's positively mesmerizing, not to mention timeless. This sort of commerce was going on a hundred years ago, and it's still going on today. Three cheers for the fish market! Close