Petey’s has been around for a long time and although all of my family and friends have been I had never been there until recently. Petey’s is located at 1323 Ocean Blvd. in Rye NH. And guess what? They are open year-round! Many restaurants in this area are only open seasonally, but not Petey’s. There are a number of restaurants in Maine and NH that do close for the winter but my favorite time to visit those restaurants is early spring and fall. You get the same menu with far fewer people as the tourists are much less, so there is little to no wait time. This holds true for Petey’s as well although they did have a busy lunch crowd when we arrived!
My friend Judy and I arrived and were able to get a seat right away. Of course, Judy has been here but she knows how much I love scallops and asked if I had ever had fried scallops. Believe it or not, I never have and scallops are my absolute favorite seafood. I cook it at home and eat it out quite often. I was very skeptical as scallops are so light and sweet I have always thought deep frying would take away that balance. Judy ordered the fried scallops as an appetizer for us and this came with tartar sauce. All I can say is I have been missing out for a very long time. These scallops were delicious. The batter was not heavy at all but added a nice crisp texture to the sweet scallops. I will be ordering these often!
Judy had the baked stuffed lobster. Look at those huge lobster pieces sneaking through that gorgeous crispy crumb topping! A squeeze of lemon with some extra drawn butter, this is what life is about…right here this is it. Judy had a baked potato and coleslaw on the side. But really…can you look at anything beyond that lobster? Judy loves her dish, but it’s one of her favorites on the menu!
I told you how much I love scallops right? Well, here it is again! Baked stuffed scallops with a side of rice and coleslaw. This was a fantastic lunch. The scallops cooked just right with the crisp topping and a squeeze of lemon was just the perfect bite. The rice was good but the coleslaw needs a little shout out. This is one of the best, if not the best coleslaw, I have had. It was a little sweet, a little tangy with a nice crisp bite from the veggies. Really, really good. Judy and I left happy and full!
Petey’s is a must-stop if you are in the area. Great food, excellent service. They catch their own lobsters, they cater and have won many awards including best seafood, best chowder, best lobster roll…the list goes on. In the summer they have an outside picnic area. If you can’t come to Petey’s, Petey’s can come to you, as they ship fresh live lobsters, steamers, and lobster meat right to your door.
Be sure to check their website for hours of operation, the full menu and catering information! http://www.peteys.com/
Enjoy!