Lobster Fest

Nikko, Jen and I traveled north yesterday to capitalize on the relatively cheap price of lobster.

There are several ways to eat a lobster. A brief review of two on display yesterday:

1) The scavenger (Nikko's approach): Lobsters contain meat in weird places. Typically I leave the meat in the head and chest cavity of a lobster alone. I figure the law of diminishing returns dictates it would take a lot of effort to extract a small amount of meat. Nikko, however, prefers to eat as much of the meat on every lobster. I admire her resourcefulness.

2) The butter soaker (my approach): Recognizing that the lobster in many ways is just a butter delivery device, I tear apart the lobster meat and let it sit in the butter for thirty seconds or so before I consume it (I hope my doctor isn't reading this).

There are also several ways to find lobster. You can buy your own and cook it at home, which is the cheapest method. You can go to a restaurant for a more elegant experience. Or you can travel to a "lobster pound" (basically the place where the lobsters go after they leave the boat). Many lobster pounds in New England have their own dining rooms where they serve lobster and various fried seafood items.

Yesterday, we went to two lobster pounds north of Boston. First, we crossed the New Hampshire boarder and visited Brown's in Seabrook. Here's my review:

Positives (+)

-- They crack the lobster shell for you, making it far easier to eat.
-- They sell several lobster sizes. Generally I aim for a smaller lobster (buying more than one as necessary), as the meat is more tender.
-- The view was awesome.
-- The picnic benches in the dining room felt authentic.

Negatives (-)

-- The clam chowder left a lot to be desired (Jen called it potato chowder).

Second, we drove a few miles south, back into Massachusetts, to find Bob Lobster in Newbury.
Again, my review:

Positives (+)

-- You might get to see Bob (we didn't, but we were told he often comes in).
-- They give you a lobster cracker.
-- They provide a bib (Brown's did not)
-- Again, multiple size lobsters.
-- They sell desert (ice cream!)
-- The dining room has a fireplace (fake wood, but still, pretty cool)

Negatives (-)

-- The lobster shell wasn't cracked, so it was harder to eat (no injuries were sustained)

As you can see, in both cases, the positives outweighed the negatives. So if you are in the area, you should check them out.

By the way, there is an interesting article on Slate.com that talks about why the prices on lobster are low. Enjoy!