Creative New York City chefs and restaurants are using lobster as an ingredient in everything from Bloody Mary drinks to Mac & Cheese, because there’s more ways to enjoy lobster than steamed, broiled or stuffed in a roll.
Here’s where to indulge in lobster without wearing a bib or wielding a shell cracking device:
SEE ALSO The NYC on the Cheap list of best lobster restaurants
Lobster Bloody Mary: The enormous Lobster Claw Bloody Mary ($12) comes topped with celery, olives, a pickle and, yes, a perfectly tender crustacean claw. The Greenpoint location also serves lobster in chowder, salad, roll, grilled cheese and steamed form, too. 1073 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, 718-389-8990, thelobsterjoint.com). (The location in Queens serves only lobster rolls.)
Lobster Ravioli: The big draw at East Harlem’s Ricardo Steakhouse is, obviously, the steak. But don’t sleep on the restaurant’s Lobster Ravioli ($26), which comes bathed in a delicate vodka sauce. The plump pasta pockets are stuffed with a mixture of lobster meat, shrimp, and scallops, which gives the filling great texture. 2145 2nd Avenue, East Harlem, 212-289-5895; ricardosteakhouse.com
Lobster Poutine: There are more than a dozen poutines on the menu at The Gentry in Greenpoint, but for our purposes here we’ll focus on the one made with lobster. The restaurant’s “French & Maine” offering ($18) takes a page from the lobster bisque playbook by topping crisp fries with the seafood soup and adding shaved gruyere cheese to the proceedings. 592 Manhattan Avenue, 718-383-3490; gentrybistro.com
Lobster Tom Kha Toothsome noodles and tender chunks of lobster swim in a spicy and sour broth at Dale Talde’s eponymous Talde eatery in Park Slope. The stew ($18), which has origins in Thailand and Laos, gets more richness courtesy of coconut milk, which bathes the rice noodles, seafood and vegetables in a velvety embrace. Pops of corn complement the natural sweetness of the lobster. 369 7th Avenue, Park Slope, 347-916-0031; taldebrooklyn.com
Lobster Mac & Cheese Pasta cups holding velvety cheese sauce. Toasted breadcrumbs, crunchy and salty. And chunks of lobster. That’s what awaits at Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo, where they’re serving lobster in pretty much every classic permutation you can imagine, including Mac N Cheese ($20). 222 Lafayette Street, 212-343-3236; lobsterbarnyc.com
Lobster Newberg A version of this dish has been on the menu at Delmonico’s since 1876, so you’ll be dining on a bit of NYC history as well as indulging in the decadently creamy dish. Split lobster comes doused in a cream, egg, butter, brandy and cayenne sauce, ready to be plucked from the shell and devoured with haste before the cream sauce cools. 56 Beaver Street, Financial District, 212-509-1144; delmonicosrestaurant.com
Lobster BLT Chef Rob McCue’s Upper West Side gastropub The Fat Monk has added a Lobster BLT ($26) to its summer menu, timed to debut around National Lobster Day. Deep water Maine lobster seasoned with parsley and Pernod butter joins the usual suspects in a BLT. On the side: triple fried chips and a backyard brine pickle. 949 Columbus Avenue, Upper West Side, 212-837-2334; thefatmonknyc.com
Stir-Fried Lobster You have to be in-the-know to get this dish at Mandarin Court in Chinatown, because it’s an off-menu bonus treat. Order any other entree from the menu—there are dozens of shrimp applications, plus scallops in Szechuan style, fried squid with spicy salt, and clams with black bean sauce—and you’ll be able to order two lobsters for $30. Pick a sauce (scallion and garlic or ginger and scallion are a few options) and they’ll deliver two lobsters, chopped up, stir-fried and doused in sauce to your table. 61 Mott Street in Chinatown, 212-608-3838; goldenmandarincourtny.com
This list was adapted from one published originally by Gothamist, on National Lobster Day, June 15th.
photo courtesy Gothamist
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