Tuesday, April 11, 2006

The Lobsters' High Calling

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia Street
New York, NY 10014
Tel: (1) 212-692-8211


Lobster roll

After being out in the cold since 7ish in the morning labouring as a hardworking tourist, attempting to inch out the hoard of tourist at Liberty Island, we made a collective decision and concluded that enough for enough, let’s have lunch. There was however one large problem, we were stuck on a ferry and it would be a good 30 minutes or so before we made it back to Manhattan. Stuck on the ferry, hungry and with nothing much to do, we begin to fantasise about lunch at the Pearl Oyster Bar. My pre-conceived notion of the lobster roll was something similar to a Vietnamese spring roll—lobster flesh wrapped in rice paper wrapper and herbs—something really light and filled with herbs, oh how wrong was I!

Thankfully, we eventually get off the ferry. In fact, I think we meandered our way to the front of the ferry to position ourselves as the first 50 of so people off the ferry and brisk walked our way to the main road to flag a yellow cab down. To Bleeker Street, to the Pearl Oyster Bar to seek the famous lobster roll that owner/Chef Rebecca Charles makes. We find the restaurant with ease and are seated at the last table available. It iscozyosy place that has a bar and an adjacent dining area.

Scratched on the blackboard along Today’s Specials is the item we are looking for, the market price of the lobster roll, $24 with a serving of shoestring fries. The lobster roll was nothing like I imagined. No rice paper wrappers, no forest of herbs, nothing close. Instead, what arrived was a warm and crusty to touch but soft on the inside hot dog bun that was crammed with shards of mayonnaise dressed red and white flesh that was accompanied by fireworks of shoestring fries. I wonder how many lobsters were sacrificed for this roll. It was ethereal. The lobsters died for a good cause.

The other sea creatures that we sampled were equally delicious. In the raw we had Market Oysters and Little Neck Clams. Both had a higher natural salt content that what I’m used to tasting, different but good. As for the cook items, the Salt Crusted Shrimp was as it sounds, salty and crunchy (it made a good cracking noise when cut) on the outside with a sweet tasting shrimp inside and the New England Clam Chowder with Smoked Bacon was rich, with a slight powdery texture, warm and comforting, re-charging me to be a better tourist for the rest of the day. Lunch at the Pearl Oyster Bar was superb; it warmed the cockles of my heart. (haha)

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1 Comments:

Blogger StaceyBelle said...

You're hitting all the hot spots! I *love* Pearl Oyster. They have a superb raw bar. Unfortunately, I don't have the purse strings to afford it as much as I would like!

If you're still there try Norma's in the Parker Meridian Hotel. Only open for brunch it is a decadent and delicious brunch. I go there every year for my bday and any other special occasions I can brew up-- get the bacon (and any main course is an art)

12:17 PM  

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