Nautical Nibbles
Seas the Day with this nautical-inspired beach picnic full of yummy eats. Whether you are planning a romantic date night for two, a family beach day, or dinner with friends, this styled picnic is full of inspiration for all your seafood-loving pals.
The Look
Living at the beach, I often go, so you can imagine all the fun beach chairs and umbrellas I keep on my wishlist. My rule is that if we can’t carry it in one trip, it doesn’t get to come with us. So I invested in very specific pieces over the years to make beach excursions not just pretty but easy. My favorite items are all linked in this post, including my absolute must-have tote that fits everything from the beach blanket to the food and drink.
I have lots of beach umbrellas, but I love a pretty cabana. They create a more intimate atmosphere with a defined space, they are just as easy to unfold, and they’re, of course, a great shade structure. All of these pieces, including the blue striped collection, are from Business & Pleasure.
Vintage picnic baskets are my favorite thing to collect. You can typically find them at antique stores, and they’re usually full of cheap picnic essentials. They are easy to clean out and replace with your own cute pieces.
For the table, I layered these rattan seashell chargers from Pottery Barn with blue rimmed melamine plates. I always go with melamine and plastic glassware for the beach, as glass and ceramics are not allowed. Also, they are just as pretty, durable, reusable, and super lightweight. I topped it all off with the cutest crab and lobster napkin rings from Anthropologie and the necessary seafood utensils.
Appetizers
These plastic wine glasses have come in handy for all my picnic panache date nights! I paired them with these wine glass toppers, which I also use all the time instead of appetizer plates. They make it really easy to walk down the beach with your glass and appetizer in hand. I love a little charcuterie arrangement like this. I found the crab claw picks at Sur La Table!
Dinner
Starting with the basics, a necessary crab and shrimp boil covered in Old Bay seasoning and butter. I think this might be the easiest seafood meal to prepare for a large group. I like to use an oven bag to steam and transport.
For the scallop lovers, I gave these scallop grilling shells a try this summer, and I’m hooked! I used fresh scallops, butter, some minced garlic, and Old Bay seasoning. Broil on a baking pan for 6 minutes, flipping the scallops halfway, and they will be perfectly tender.
For the softshell crab eaters, these crabby patties are the cutest! This is a good idea for easy handheld eats on the beach. I picked up soft-shell crab (and sauce) ready-made from a restaurant and added the broiche bun and some butter lettuce for crunch. The black olive eyeballs complete the look!
Dessert
These sand dollar cinnamon sugar cookies were such a fun treat for the beach! Get the recipe here.
Happy Summer Feasting!
