What does late Fall mean?

A couple of things.

It means Winter is almost here, whatever that means to you (some are joyful, others despondent).  Cold water makes for flavourful seafood, but unpleasant commuting.  And pity the fishermen.

We see the arrival of the Red King Crab from the Bering Sea.  Available both by reservation and free agency, if you’re lucky.

We see the Sand Dune Oyster, Tommy Joe MacDonald’s ne plus ultra of PEI (‘malpeque’) Oysters, appear on the beds.  They tend to sell out by evening – might be worth a lunch visit to catch these beauties.

We see all five species of Oysters that we generally eat in North America – c. virginica, c. gigas, o. lurida, o. edulis and c. sikamea. It’s a great time if you are a completist, and want to have as rounded an Oyster-eating moment as you can, or if you’re a fan of dead languages (we’re looking at you, Latin).  And in general, the Oyster is at its very best right now. Veni, vidi, copi.

It means a lot of parties, and sometimes that means we don’t have tables to give away, or there’s a longer than usual wait at the door.

It means the bottle of Port and the Wheel of Stilton. Pine branches, xmas lights and a cedar-y smell.  Takeout Oysters and rum, and then a bit of a rest.

The late Fall means it’s basically 2016. Tempus fugit. Yikes.