Ed's Lobster Bar

When the temperature is hovering around triple digits, humidity is 100%, and dinnertime rolls around, you're not thinking steak & potatoes. This Saturday night during Heat Wave 2011, a seafood meal was calling my name. Having just eaten at Pearl's twice in the recent months, we ventured east to Ed's Lobster Bar (read our friend's blog and inspiration here) to see what it had to offer.

You walk in to an enlongated bar, which I enjoy sitting at for a meal like this. There are tables in the back, but I think it adds to the experience when you're slurping oysters and dipping steamers elbow-to-elbow with your fellow diners. We sat down at the bar and ordered some white wine and beer as a prelude to our bucket o' steamers. I love steamers for the experience of eating them as much as for the taste. First remove the clam's "sock," dip in warm water and then in warm butter...delish!

Afterwards came two lobster rolls, just the way we like it: a warm, toasted bun housing cool, lobster chunks with not too much mayo. I must say that this lobster roll stacks up there with Pearl's, and that I couldn't say either is better. Regardless of its stance, it totally hit the spot and provided for the perfect summer dinner.

We left stuffed, but not too full to indulge in a mini chocolate lobster...

I'm sure we'll be back to Ed's...perhaps to try the whole lobster or one of their other seafood entrees.

Go soon and get your summer seafood fix!

The Spotted Pig (burger, burger!)

I recently re-visited The Spotted Pig in the West Village to sample their burger. Coming off of the disappointment of the Minetta Tavern burger, I was really looking forward to the chance to be wowed. Despite a 30-minute wait for a table, my buddy and I were able to sit down right away at 2 stools at the upstairs bar.

Two beers and fifteen minutes later, our burgers arrived:

Served alongside a heaping pile of shoestring fries that were properly dusted with rosemary and sea salt, this burger delivered in all of the right ways. It was juicy -- but not too juicy -- and packed with flavor. It was cooked just the way we asked (medium/med rare) and all of the burger components worked really well together. I'm not normally a big fan of buns because I think they take away from a burger, but this bun had taste to it (almost like a potato bun) and added to the mix. Taboot, the roquefort cheese was tasty and worked perfectly on this hunking 1/2 pound (post-cook) burger.

All in all, the burger from The Spotted Pig delivered in a BIG way. I would highly recommend heading over there and checking it out... everything I've ever eaten there has been delicious.