Seafood Lovers, Rejoice: Dungeness Crab Season Is On

Dungeness crab season in California has officially begun after a delay issued by the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife. The month-long wait allowed whales to safely migrate south for the winter without getting caught in crab fishing lines.

In a video posted earlier this week, Berkeley- and San Francisco-based sustainable fishmonger Monterey Fish Market showed boats collecting bucket loads that have already arrived at Bay Area restaurants by now.

Chef Edward Wooley, who runs Oakland pop-up Chef Smelly, posted a photo yesterday showing a pair of crabs dressed in garlic and butter on a glistening bed of noodles. While Sister on Grand Avenue has incorporated the crustaceans into their pasta dishes, starting Dec. 31 they'll feature whole and half crabs paired with absinthe cocktails. You can expect crabs to crawl into many more Bay Area restaurants and holiday dinners in the coming months.