Boston Lobster
 

I shall be in Boston April 12-19. Where am I going to get a lobster dinner without having to grapple with the beast myself. As I recall Legal Sea Foods make you do it yourself with a bib. I want it all laid out in front of me with a pot of melted butter.

We are at Nine Zero (husband working), don't mind walking.
Thank you in advance.

Well, if you are at Nine Zero and don't mind spending a bit AND you don't require lobster a la nature, consider going to Locke Ober, where a signature dish is Lobster Savannah in which the lobster has been removed from its shell, combined with mushrooms, sherry,crumbs, butter, etc, and put back into the shell and baked briefly. It is near your hotel, and you should ask the concierge to book your table.

I'll be interested in other replies because except for lobster salad, I don't ever remember seeing lobster served out of its shell but unadorned in a restaurant in New England.

If you order a baked stuffed lobster, most of the work is already done.

What you're looking for is called Lazy Mans lobster...you get all of the rewards with none of the work. It's grat because it is all that you describe - just lump lobster meat and a pot of melted butter to run it through. The lobster isn't "ruined" by sauces and other things...

...too bad I can only tell you where to get it in Maine and not Boston. :) But maybe if you google "lazy man lobster boston" you might have some luck?

Yes, I've eaten it this way in Maine and have such fond memories - that I am keen to recapture - will take your advice and post with your suggestions, thank you.

I've had Lazy Lobster in NH- in New London I believe. Very delish for those of us that don't want the mess!

Another suggestion would be to go to Chowhound and post there for recommendations on lazy mans lobster.

Here's a link to the Boston board.

http://www.chowhound.com/boards/12

well, you could go to B&G Oysters and get a lobster roll. but that's not quite the same, is it?

but what fun is it, without the wrestling, and the bib? I mean, that is part of the whole lobster ritual isn't it? :)

The place for great seafood in Boston is the Union Oyster House -- and they do serve Lazy Man's Lobster!

I'm pretty sure you can order lazy man's lobster at Legals. Although I think I need to head to Locke Ober!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but in Boston, it's Lobsta.
:)

Okay, the problem with Lazy Man's Lobster is the problem with buying picked lobster meat at the fish market.

How fresh is it?

I can tell you that I would be very surprised if you ordered a Lazy Man's lobster and they boiled it for you and then cut it up and pulled out the meat.

No, I would be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 times there is a metal pan in the cold room with a bunch of shelled lobster pieces. When you order the LML, somebody goes into the cold room and puts together a pile of lobster parts for you.

If I were sitting at a picnic table at a lobster pound in Maine, I might not be so cynical, but when I think about eating an essentially tourist dish in an essentially tourist restaurant like the Union Oyster House, I am less trusting.

Personally, going to B&G Oyster for a lobster roll sounds good to me!

For the original poster, who might not know, I would say that a lobster roll is a quantity of lobster salad with celery and mayonaisse, served on a lettuce leaf in a heated (best grilled) roll. B&G Oyster is famed.

But the Chowhound suggestion is not bad.

We had one at Legal Sea Foods, and they did all the work for us, cracked everything, opened the tail, claws, etc. and had it all laid out for us. It was easy and very good.

As the guest of wonderful friends last July in the area, my hosts ordered stuffed lobsters for our fabulous July 3rd dinner. The easiest eating, freshest, delicious (three chefs in my family--) lobsters I've had. I see from their website they have a dining room--I cannot tell you how wonderful these were without smacking my lips and licking my chops--am considering ordering on-line as we "speak". http://www.captainmardens.com/restaurant.htm

I would never presume that any lobster (except for lobster rolls) is precooked, then "9 times out of 10 there is a metal pan in the cold room with a bunch of shelled lobster pieces".

Usually, I'd rather "grapple with" it myself, rather than pay an extra $10 or more for someone to do it for me. Lobster is pricey enough!

Well I asked our Legal Seafoods server (Boston Wharf) if the lobster could be served sans shell and she said no problem.
What in fact arrived was the whole uncracked lobster at the same time as my husband's meal. It was around 10 minutes later before our server arrived to dismantle and shell, splattering my clothing in the process, and by the time she had finished the lobster and drawn butter were cold and my husband had finished his dinner.
So, on reflection I will eat lazy man's lobster in Maine and when in Boston camp out on the doorstep of No.9 Park who have my undying affection fot their exquisite food and excellent service.

It's a little late now, but I'll post this option anyway.

Neptune Oyster is arguably the best seafood place in Boston. You can get two kinds of lobster rolls there, one of which is a hot roll that consists of solely of lobster meat that's been coated with melted butter.

That is so disturbing to me carolrh. And certainly not served sans shells. I cannot believe that they would leave it up to the waitstaff to shuck a lobster at the table. It is something the kitchen should do.

I feel like I steered you wrong, but I had a friend a few years ago order a 2 lb lobster in casserolle at the Park Plaza location, and that is what he got. We had our lobster in shell, and he had a casserole filled with his lobster and some butter.

I don't know what happened, if your waiter was a fool or what, but that is just disturbing and I am so sorry you didn't have the lobster experience of your dreams.

Carolrh- I'd love to read your reviews of your hotel and restaurants...!