New Bedford Restaurant Brings Seafood Boils to the Next Level

Right off the bat, if someone were to tell me that there's a new restaurant in New Bedford that's different than anything else the city has to offer, I'd be hesitant, to say the least.

It's not a bad thing, it's just that the number of restaurants is very high. So, when Krave Restaurant and Bar on Acushnet Avenue came along, I was curious to see what they had up their sleeves to mix up the common Portuguese or gastropub scene in New Bedford.

If you recall, Krave is now where Chuck's China Inn once reigned. Chuck's was my old stomping grounds for hands-down the best scorpion bowl you could get anywhere on the SouthCoast. It's quite the statement, but it's an opinion I'm willing to take to the grave, even if they're no longer around.

Get our free mobile app

Now that Krave has taken over, I was eager to check the place out, and let me tell you: I was not disappointed.

Two local women, Boramy Green and Kerrie Gomes, have come up with a concept that can't be found anywhere. Of course, you can drive to Providence for some Shaking Crab, but what separates Krave from the competition is the Asian-infused recipe. The heat, the spice, the flavor, all of it blends so smoothly when face-to-face with a seafood boil.

Unaware of what to order, I simply asked Green and Gomes to bring out their best recommendations. There's not a single fussy bone in my body and I was ready to take on anything placed in front of me.

What happened next was jaw-dropping.

A solid 5 to 7 pounds of fresh seafood that gave off the most enticing aroma. Soaked, marinated, and cooked in my sauce of choice. As far as sauces go, you're given three options:

• Krave = The house sauce that blends perfectly with seafood, mild heat.
• Lemon Garlic = Subtle and soft with no heat. Perfect marriage between bold and bitter with an aftertaste that's kissed with a touch of citrus.
• Cajun = The real deal when it comes to perfecting that "sweet heat" spice and flavor. Warms the tongue with a medium bite of spiciness.

These Krave boils can be made to your liking and are served in a variety of sizes, depending on how much seafood you'd like to add to the pot. I went with the grand-daddy of them all, the Krave Party Boil, which had everything from lobster tails to Alaskan king crab legs, to mussels, crawfish, potatoes, chourico, corn and shrimp. The cajun sauce was my marinade and it was a meal fit for a king.

Again, you don't have to get the large plate. Order to your level of hungriness. Save yourself the drive to Boston or Providence and take a chance on Krave. There's so much more to offer, but I'll let you figure that out on your own.

Fair warning: You're going to get messy so plan accordingly and take advantage of their complimentary bibs, napkins and wet wipes. They're a necessity you never knew you needed, but will surely come in handy (get it?).