Lobster, Let's Go!

Think sitting at a weatherworn picnic table with a cold lager sweating in the sun, mere feet from where the bugs are being hauled in is the only way to truly eat lobster? Then, Mike Urban has your next ocean kissed, butter-dipped tour planned in his "Lobster Shacks: A Road-Trip Guide to New England's Best Lobster Joints." (The Countryman Press, May 24, 2016 Paperback $19.95)

More than a primer on where to get your bug on, Urban's tome profiles the storied pasts of 60 shacks throughout Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod and introduces us to their sweet lobster dishes and the shacks' colorful proprietors.

Shack Cooking at Home

While recipes for everything from lobster vichyssoise to Bud's deviled stuffed clams bring the seafood shacks and shops of New England right into your own kitchen, the photos and profiles in Urban's, "The New England Seafood Markets Cookbook" (The Countryman Press, May 24, 2016 Paperback $19.95) will make you want to plan a trip anyway.

More than 150 recipes from seafood shops, lobster pounds, and clam shacks from Maine to Rhode Island pay homage to the sea and the purity and glory plucked from it.

The recipes, many simple treatments of the freshest the ocean has to offer, are bolstered with tales of the men and women who own and frequent the seaside gems.

Heading out for some summer fun in the dog days? Check out EDGE's top seafood market picks in New England...

Wulf's Fish Market
Brookline, Massachusetts
If you want the real deal, old school experience, Wulf's no frills open ice tables will do the trick. The catch brought in daily from Boston is laid out without pretense, adorned only by the expertise of the very knowledgeable staff.

Browne Trading Market
Portland, Maine
For a little more refinement, Browne Trading Market sells not only today's catch, but is known for their spectacular selection of caviar. With a wine and cheese selection as well, it's a one stop for all of your frou frou picnic needs.

Hatch's Fish Market
Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Don't be fooled by its size, Hatch's is a one stop shop for all of your fresh summer needs, fully stocked with the freshest of fresh catches and boasting a local produce market to boot.

Flanders Fish Market
East Lyme, Connecticut
Not only do they have fresh fish and seafood hauled in daily from Boston Fish Market, but they'll help you learn to cook it. Flanders boasts cooking classes in their unique "Demo Kitchen".

New Deal Fish Market
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Beyond the standard New England fair, New Deal carries specialties such as sea bream and bluefish. With a Japanese bent, their well stocked dry goods selection ranges from standard jarred seafood treats to a wide array of sushi-making products.