Lobsters in New York

A few days ago we posted great places for lobster in Bar Harbor, but that's no help to anyone right now is it? So, for all of you New Yorkers, here's an article listing some great new places for lobster rolls right here in the city:

June 3, 2007 -- IF you can find two New Yorkers, you can find an argument: Mets vs. Yankees, East Side vs. West Side, Mary’s Fish Camp vs. Pearl Oyster Bar. I’ll go with the Mets and the West Side, but in terms of lobster rolls I’ve decided to leave the battle for another day and instead get familiar with the newest contenders. After eating rolls of crustacean mayo-globbed goodness for two weeks straight, I can no longer fit into my jeans. I have, however, figured out which rolls catch the wave and which ones wipe out.

Ed’s Lobster Bar

222 Lafayette St.; (212) 343-3236

Chef Ed McFarland of the newly opened Ed’s Lobster Bar is the guy you can thank for the world’s best lobster roll - a hot buttered bun filled with a mound of deliciously sweet claw meat. McFarland worked with Rebecca Charles (of Pearl Oyster Bar) for six years, and his pedigree shows. His lobster roll (market price) is a masterpiece of pulled and shredded lobster that’s so sweet, it tastes like it’s been soaked in cream. It’s glossed with just the right amount of mayo, and served with a side of piping hot sea-salted hand-cut fries.

Penelope

159 Lexington Ave.; (212) 481-3800

This neighborhood spot brings a summertime Maine vibe to our concrete city, with its blue-and-white awning, worn wood-plank flooring, mix ’n’ match antique tables, and walls covered in aqua wainscoting. To complete the dream, owner Jennifer Pootenza has whipped up one heavenly under-the-radar lobster roll. Overloaded with lobster meat dressed in lemony mayo, her Turtle Cove Lobster Roll ($16.50, named for one of her favorite surf spots in Montauk) is served on buttered and griddled Tom Cat Bakery brioche.

Ditch Plains

29 Bedford St.; (212) 633-0202

While chef Marc Murphy’s lobster roll ($25) is served in a pedestrian hotdog roll (grilled and amply buttered), its modesty is in bun only. He loads up this pup with a substantial helping of lobster salad fashioned from knuckle-size hunks of sweet lobster meat tossed with aioli and a smattering of tarragon, celery, parsley and just a touch of Old Bay.

The Mermaid Inn

96 Second Ave.; (212) 674-5870

While a classic lobster roll technically calls for a split bun (a squared-off hotdog roll), there’s always room for creativity. Chef Jose Luis Martinez at The Mermaid Inn uses his with an oversize brioche roll the size of a catcher’s mitt that’s stuffed with a heap of lobster salad (market price). The salad itself is heavy on the mayo, but the warmth of the roll makes the lobster meat more succulent.

BLT Fish

21 W. 17th St.; (212) 691-8888

You might expect a high-class version of the lobster roll from a fancy chef like Laurent Tourondel, but you won’t find it in his downstairs fish shack at BLT Fish. His lobster roll ($24) is no-frills and beach-ready. The lobster salad is lavished with celery, capers, tarragon and chives, all spooned into a warm brioche sub, sliced in two and tucked into a red plastic basket crowded with skinny fries. It’s tasty, but for $24 the kitchen should be more generous with its meat.

The Black Pearl

37 W 26th St.; (212) 532-9900

While this lobster roll is boldly described on the menu as “The Best in Town,” clearly someone’s not eating out a lot. For $20 at lunchtime and Market Price at dinner, you get a cold lump of bubble-gum pink lobster meat - without an inkling of seasoning - served on a dry bun.