What to Eat This Weekend: Lobster
There’s nothing quite like indulging in a succulent serving of lobster. Whether it’s poached, steamed, baked or broiled, just thinking about diving into a plate of claws and tails sends us running for our crackers. However you like it, there’s a restaurant in town serving it: we’ve found seven that will satisfy your deepest crustacean cravings this weekend.
Buddakan
After the success of his butter-poached lobster at Buddakan’s New York City location, Stephen Starr decided to nix the popular Angry Lobster and replace it with this version. This lobster dish presents patrons with a de-shelled two pound lobster immersed in a Thai lemongrass scented lobster stock broth, served with bok choy, eggplant, and snap peas.
Buddakan, 325 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 215-574-9440
Legal Sea Foods
Restaurant chain Legal Seafood in King of Prussia has multiple lobster choices on their menu. There’s a “New England lobster bake” with clam chowder, a plate of steamers, mussels, corn on the cob, and a steamed 1 1/4-pound lobster at market price, or a “lobster lover” special for $29.95, which includes a 1 1/4-pound lobster pound lobster with any soup and a dessert. Not into combos? Try the lobster roll or seafood casserole with lobster, scallops, and shrimp.
Legal Sea Foods, 690 West Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, 610-265-5566
Majolica
Chef Andrew Deery of Majolica Restaurant in Chester County garnishes his white corn soup with butter-poached Maine lobster. The lobster is lightly poached in broth, chilled, and then continues on to a warm bath of melted butter and water where it cooks over low heat until reaching just the right melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Majolica, 258 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-917-0962
Panorama
The Italian trattoria, located within the Penn’s View Hotel in Old City, serves homemade tortelloni di ricotta e aragosta (lobster ravioli) on their standard menu. The pasta dough is made fresh daily, stuffed with grande ricotta dolce and lobster meat and served in a lobster reduction with a light blush sauce.
Ristorante Panorama, Penn’s View Hotel, 14 North Front Street, 215-922-7800
Octo Waterfront Grille
Located on Philadelphia’s waterfront, the restaurant offers lobster in multiple forms: lobster spring rolls, lobster bisque, squid ink ravioli stuffed with lobster in a cream sauce, broiled Brazilian lobster tail stuffed with crab a la crème, or steamed lobsters ranging from a standard 1 1/2 to a whopping 5 pounds.
Octo Waterfront Grille, 221 N Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, 215.923.OCTO
Oyster House
Sam Mink, the third generation proprietor of is hawking Shore Feast, a summertime menu for “city dwellers to enjoy the best of the ocean without leaving the city.” For $46 per person (excluding tax and tip), this special features three oysters and three clams on half shell, a bucket of steamers, and a 1 1/2-pound lobster with lemon and drawn butter. Fixins include corn on the cob and coleslaw. If diving into the that much seafood isn’t your thing, try their lobster roll, served here all day.
Oyster House, 1516 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, 215-567-7683
Smith & Wollensky
The carnivore’s haven is switching it up with a Summer Grill Menu that caters to lobster lovers. A “Lobster and More Lobster” section of this menu dishes out selections like spicy lobster and avocado flatbread, surf-and-turf (10-ounce filet mignon and 1 1/4-pound Maine lobster) and lobster macaroni and cheese. Grab your bibs while you can, because this menu only lasts until September 6.
Smith & Wollensky, 210 West Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, 215-545-1700
