Tags: lobster in NYC, lobster restaurants
By Oliver Hartman, www.oliverhartman.com
It may be hard to believe, but growing up in Maine, I didn’t love lobster. I was more impressed with my mother’s measured consumption of every scrap of meat from the contours of the curved claws and knuckled legs. She always remained at the table after we had all bolted, picking and digging away. I’ve since matured  and now can’t imagine a better summer dinner than lobster, corn on the cob, and a bottle of muscadet. For non-Mainers, lobster - served red and whole on a checkered tablecloth or chopped and dumped in a top-loaded bun – joins coastal estates, blue-blooded yachts, and salty breezes of Maine to conjure an image of utopian summer.
But you don't have to travel all the way up to my home state to enjoy our favorite dish. Below is a short list of places to help city slickers get a slice of Vacation Land in New York City.
Luke’s Lobster
Son to a lobster processor, the eponymous owner is a young Mainer from Casco Bay who serves $15 lobster rolls with meat procured from Vinalhaven, Propsect Harbor, and Casco Bay that goes from boat to bun in 72 hours. Consistent with its simple shack decorum and limited seating, the lobster is served without distraction – the celery salt is a great touch.
7th Street ; Upper East Side location opening in June.
93 E.7th Street; 212/387-8487.
Pearl Oyster Bar
More upscale and twice the cost - ambiance and shoestring fries included - Pearl Oyster Bar is also known for its roll, which uses meat from the claw, knuckle, and tail. For fans of fancier surroundings and more mayonnaise, Pearl is the place.
18 Cornelia Street 212/691-8211.
Red Hook Lobster Pound
If you prefer to cook your own goose, you should go to the Red Hook Lobster Pound where husband-wife duo Jen Susan-Panch and Ralph Goram van down lobsters from around Portland and Kennebunkport. In addition to live lobsters, the pound serves Maine-style rolls (cold with mayo) and Connecticut (warm with butter) style for $15. This month they will be opening an eating area that seats 40.
284 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn; 646/ 326-7650.
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