Lobster Lover

"Lobster for breakfast, lobster for lunch. Fuckin' lotta lobster." — Daisy Arujo, "Mystic Pizza"

[lobsterlover]

National Fry Day 7/13!

This Thursday, July 13th, is National Fry Day, and New York City French fry shop 375°  is offering a Lobster Poutine special! Available through July 16th only, the dish features the restaurant’s thrice-cooked fries topped with lobster bisque, Maine lobster, cheese curds and herbs. Diners can also select a free dipping sauce from a selection of 16 with any order of Classic or Belgian Thick-Cut fries. Visit 375° at 124 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side.

[themermaidnyc-blog]

#TacoTuesday enjoy #lobster tacos w: chipotle, sweet pepper cream & tomatillo Red Chili Con Carne tacos w/ scallion, radish, & cotija cheese ($23) #uws (at The Mermaid Inn)

[lobsterlover]

I NEED THESE IN MY LIFE.

[lobsterlover]

[lobsterlover]

My goal this summer: to try every lobster roll on this list. 

Photo via 230 Fifth/Thrillist

[lobsterlover]

Lobster Alert: Bungalow Bar Pop-Up at Refinery Hotel

Far Rockaway’s Bungalow Bar has launched a pop-up lobster shack featuring items like a $20 lobster grilled cheese (pictured above) at the Refinery Hotel in Manhattan. The pop-up is open every day from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. through May 7th.

Photo via Thrillist

[lobsterlover]

The New York City location of Burger & Lobster (39 W. 19th St. in Manhattan) that I first posted about back in July 2014 is finally open! Just like at the London units, you have the choice of ordering either a burger or a lobster with French fries and a side salad for $20. They’ve also got fresh steamed lobsters for market price and a combo of two burgers, two desserts and a whole lobster for $60. The lobster roll is fresh and delicious — one of the best in the city, especially for the price — and the fries and salad are pretty great too. 

[lobsterlover]

Review: Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in Noank, CT

Last weekend I took a quick trip to Connecticut for my great uncle's 80th birthday—a perfect excuse for having dinner at Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in Noank. My friend and I ordered a seafood feast that included the restaurant's Famous Hot Lobster Rolls, steamed clams and lobster deviled eggs. 

The lobster roll features a heaping scoop of warm, fresh, perfectly cooked lobster meat doused with melted butter. It's served on a grilled sesame seed hamburger bun—an unusual but surprisingly effective choice. 

The sandwich comes with a decent coleslaw and Abbott's own potato chips, which are a bit too greasy and bland for my taste.

Besides lobster, my other favorite New England specialty is a delicacy called "steamahs." The whole steamed clams dipped in broth and butter are sweet and plump—like candy of the sea.

The only real disappointment were the lobster deviled eggs, which didn't seem to actually contain any lobster as far as I could tell [update: Apparently we were given the classic deviled eggs by mistake]. In fact, the chewy egg whites topped with a relish-heavy yolk-and-mayo filling were bad even by normal deviled egg standards. 

No matter—I will definitely be back to enjoy the lovely ocean view, the sweet steamers and the buttery lobster rolls, though next time I'm getting the LOL Lobster Roll, which features a full pound of lobster meat. Abbott's sure knows the way to a Lobster Lover's heart. 

[lobsterlover]

Review: Burger & Lobster in London — Coming Soon to NYC!

On a recent trip to the UK, I made it a top priority to stop by Burger & Lobster in London. The restaurant, which has six locations in the city (we went to the Soho unit), serves just two things: burgers and lobsters. 

The lobster comes as a lobster roll or steamed whole — both for $20 — with a lovely mixed greens salad and perfectly cooked french fries on the side. I, of course, went for the lobster roll, which comprises fresh lobster flown in from Canada, tossed with just a touch of Japanese mayo and sprinkled with chives. It's served in a buttered grilled split-top bun (not brioche as stated above) and a completely unnecessary lemon wedge. 

The roll was so tasty, I almost forgot I was in England and not New England for a minute. The fries and salad were delicious as well. The couple next to us ordered one burger and one lobster roll to split and share, making me jealous that I hadn't thought of it (though my husband doesn't eat meat, so it wouldn't have worked anyway).

In addition to the 1.5-pound lobsters, Burger & Lobster also offers jumbo lobsters ranging from 2 pounds 11 ounces to 10 pounds 4 ounces (?!?!), priced between $47 and $179 each, that are meant to be shared and feature unlimited fries and salad.

Beverages include beer, wine and mixed drinks, which are listed under the sections "Burger Cocktails" and "Lobster Cocktails." I opted for a selection from the latter category: the BL Gin Fizz, made with Beefeater gin, orange, cream, egg white, rhubarb and soda. It tasted like a refreshing alcoholic orange creamsicle. 

Fortunately, you won't have to fly across the Atlantic to enjoy these delights for much longer: Burger & Lobster is opening a location in New York City at 39 W. 19th St. this fall! 

Photos and text by Amber Drea © 2014

[lobsterlover]

Review: North River Lobster Company in New York City

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I made my way to Pier 81 at 41st Street to check out the new floating restaurant North River Lobster Company.

I got there in time to catch the 6:30 sail. All the seats on the outdoor deck were taken, so I found a table inside the extremely air-conditioned second level, where an array of chilled seafood was on display. 

While the whole lobster looked appetizing, I ordered the classic Lobster Roll ($16), which comes with Miss Vickie's Kettle Cooked Potato Chips and tangy coleslaw. 

Served in a buttered toasted hot dog bun, the roll overflowed with hearty chunks of fresh lobster claw, knuckle and tail meat, tossed in a light coating of mayo and topped with chopped chives. I could barely hold onto this monstrosity!

I washed it all down with the Batten Down the Hatches, which mixes Captain Morgan and Malibu rums, orange and pineapple juices, and grenadine, with a floater of Margaritaville Dark rum, served in a mason jar. 

Once I finished my meal, I headed up to the deck to enjoy the lovely (albeit cloudy) view of the New Jersey and Manhattan shorelines. For less than $30, you can enjoy a delicious lobster roll, a boozy cocktail and a 30-minute cruise on the Hudson River -- not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening!

Photos and text by Amber Drea © 2014

[lobsterlover]

A new food stand sells poutine that's anything but routine: when it opens in Bushwick today, The Diggs will be topping fries with everything from lobster to smoked tempeh.

Yes, please!

[lobsterlover]

What Some People Do To Lobster Rolls May Appall You

"The hot dog bun is the only correct way to do this, people. ... Unless you plan on eating it with a fork and knife, in which case please click away and never return to here."

Words of wisdom from Gothamist

[lobsterlover]

According to Thrillist, Giuseppe Tentori says lobster is the most overrated seafood, noting that it has "little flavor." I even gave GT Fish & Oyster's lobster roll at the 2011 Lobster Roll Rumble a good review. For shame!

[lobsterlover]

Lobster Alert: North River Lobster Company!

What better place to enjoy a lobster roll than on a boat that sails the Hudson River? North River Lobster Company debuted this weekend at Pier 81 (at 41st Street) in Manhattan, with 45-minute cruises taking place four times daily. The menu includes a $6 lobster bisque, a $13 chilled half North Atlantic lobster, an $18 lobster roll, and a $29 1 1/4-pound butter-poached lobster with homemade coleslaw and salt potatoes. You can also splurge on the raw bar’s Cadillac Mountain for $149, which features 12 shrimp, 24 oysters, 12 littleneck clams, eight Jonah crab claws and chilled whole lobster. For drinks, this floating lobster shack offers beer by the bottle ($6 to $7) or bucket (five for $24 to $28); a selection of white, red, rosé, sparkling and fortified wines ($7 to $9 a glass; $27 to $36 a bottle), including a white Port; and an array of mason jar cocktails ($12; for an optional souvenir mason jar, add $4), such as the Batten Down the Hatches, made with Captain Morgan Spiced rum, Malibu rum, orange and pineapple juices, grenadine and a float of Margaritaville Dark rum. Ahoy, mateys!

[lobsterlover]

Last night I attended the first annual Lobster de Mayo at Capitale in Manhattan's Lower East Side. The event was created by Jordan Elkin and Brian McGovern, the co-owners of New York City lobster supplier Homarus, and it benefited City Harvest, a charity that helps feed 2 million hungry New Yorkers every year. Katie Lee, host of Food Network's "The Kitchen," hosted the lobster extravaganza, which featured dishes from some of the city's best restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, The General, Marc Forgione and Marea. Apparently Dascha Polanco, aka Daya from Orange Is the New Black, also made an appearance, but I was too focused on eating all the lobster to gawk at celebrities, even if they do star on one of my favorite television shows. Though I did get a chance to chat with Hung Huynh (pictured above), executive chef of Catch and winner of Top Chef's third season, who told me the secret to his yummy lobster mac and cheese: lobster heads! Below are my favorite six of the 22 dishes I actually tried (sorry, I just couldn't force myself to eat one more lobster taco).

1. Catch's Macaroni and Lobster Cream: a delicious blend of Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses with tender lobster and elbow noodles

2. Jean-Georges' Lobster Burger: a juicy patty of chopped lobster meat with spicy chili sauce, crisp lettuce and a vinegary pickle, served on a soft potato bun

3. Betony's Poached Lobster: The lobster was perfectly poached and doused in a tangy sabayon.

4. Tao's Bacon-Wrapped Lobster Sausage: I'm usually anti-bacon when it comes to my seafood, but the pork didn't overpower the lobster in this case, and the moist sausage was perfectly complemented by a green papaya salad.

5. The Wayfarer's Poached Lobster: The sweet lobster paired nicely with the fresh peas, spring garlic and truffle vinaigrette.

6. ABC Cocina's Lobster Taco: A blend of chili and fennel gave this crunchy taco an extra kick of flavor. 

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Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! @lobsterloverBK

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Lobster Alert: Luke's Lobster to Open Midtown Outpost!

As rumored, Luke's Lobster is indeed planning a new outpost in Midtown. The rapidly expanding seafood roll specialist currently has outposts in the Lower East Side, the FiDi, Brooklyn,...

[lobsterlover]

First Annual Lobster de Mayo on May 10th!

Next month, Food Network star Katie Lee will host a lobster-and-Tequila extravaganza highlighting Mexican-style cuisine from Manhattan's best eateries! Celebrating the fifth anniversary of New York City lobster supplier Homarus, Lobster de Mayo takes place on Saturday, May 10th, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Capitale on the Lower East Side and proceeds from the event's silent auction benefit City Harvest. The participating restaurants include Tao, Lavo, Catch, La Cenita, Empellón, Marea, ABC Kitchen, Gramercy Tavern, Marc Forgione, Bodega Negra and more! General admission ($295) offers unlimited lobster dishes and Patrón cocktails, along with a build-your-own-Margarita bar, while VIP access ($450) allows entry to a special lounge that features a raw bar and ultra-premium Tequila tastings—plus you get a $30 Uber credit and FreshDirect gift cards. Purchase tickets here before they sell out!