Where to get FRESH, LIVE crab???

[WORX4FUDE]

Aloha folks... Planning on doing an east-coast style crab boil. Problem: I can't for the LIFE of me find any fresh, live crab.

I TRIED SANTA MONICA SEAFOOD without success, although they had just about everything else.

I was wondering if y'all knew where to find FRESH LIVE crab. I am willing to shell out some dough, but I'm not going to buying a gross (a dozen dozen, or 144) or anything absurd like that.

I'm willing to travel about an hour or two; perhaps as far as Santa Barbara, or San Diego.

Thanks, 'hounds.

[iano]

Hollywood Farmers Market ( Ivar between Hollywood & Sunset) on Sundays. At the south end of the market there's a booth called "Sea Food Fever" run by John Wilson who is a Fishing Captain out of Santa Barbara. he has live local crab and great fish. Have been getting the "California white sea bass" ( sounds better than Croaker) from him.....really good. ( in season through August I think)

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Hollywood Farmers Market
1600 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

[J.L.]

In the future, if you feel like fresh crab, but don't feel like cooking them...

Fresh boiled or steamed crab can be had at Pacific Fish Center, on the Redondo Beach Pier! Giant prawn also!

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Pacific Fish Center & Restaurant
131 Fishermans Wharf, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

[Barbara76137]

When I lived in San Diego a few years ago I got live dungeness crabs at an asian market there and they were DEFINITELY not on death's doorstep! I had borrowed a vegetarian friend's SUV to go shopping and the crabs got loose in the SUV. I almost got in a wreck! They sure were fiesty!! And they sure tasted good as Singapore Chili Crabs! :)

[TomSwift]

In my experience the blue crabs at 99 Ranch are at death's door, although their Dungeness is alive in the tank. Quality Seafood at the Redondo Beach Pier has live blue crabs that are not moribund.

[JEN10]

Love Quality Seafood, they have everything you would need for a crab boil.

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Quality Seafood
130 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA

[WORX4FUDE]

Yeah... I noticed and grabbed for the feistiest in the lot. The rock crab, however.... well, it rocked. =) Gonna boil 'em at high noon. Poor bastards won't know what hit 'em. Mmmmmm.

[MalibuQT]

So which store did u end up buying the crabs from and did they sell live blue crab as well or just the rock crabs? Im dying to find some live blue crabs. Its been two years since I moved to the Los Angeles area and I haven't found any yet :-(

[granadafan]

Most Asian supermarkets have live crab, mussels, fish, clams, etc. As others have said, pick out the ones that are the liveliest (not always on top).

[disconform]

Pacific Fish Center in Redondo Beach will do the trick, if you want to head into the South Bay.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/546547

[jkao1817]

any 99 ranch market

BTW they were about $5.99/lb last week.
Spot Prawns $12.99....they were so sweet

[WORX4FUDE]

I called over there.... and they have THREE types: Dungeness, Rock, AND Blue. YOU ARE MY HERO!!! Thanks. I can't wait!!!

[jkao1817]

just make sure the Blues are alive....like Tom Swift said. Some of them are 4 feet into deaths dorr.

They also have Maila clams and shrimp for your boil.....Not sure I would put spot prawns into the boil though

What time is dinner? :o)

[WORX4FUDE]

The prawns will go in their own separate cooking vessel. Never sucked the infamous brain from a prawn - Anthony Bourdain made it look mighty appealing, though. =)

[wilafur]

the live spot prawns from 99 ranch make for some AWESOME amaebi.

[rickym13]

hmm..interesting. never thought of having them raw but makes sense....