05.23.08
Review of Ed’s Lobster Bar, Sunday May 2008
222 Lafayette St. & Spring/Kenmare Sts., 212-343-3236
Great for: amazing clam chowder, French fries, lobster roll, a light meal in Soho
It’s a good thing I live way east of this place, or I’d be there all the time for the clam chowder. And then I would be a fat blob and never get any modeling or dance work. I love chowder too much. It’s one of my vices. Sometimes it’s ok to indulge though. My friend J and I haven’t seen each other in a long time, so he invited me to his favorite lobster bar along with two other friends R and H. By the time we were all there at 8:30, they had a nice table in the back for us.
I went straight for the New England clam chowder. (Why do they even bother with Manhattan? It’s like the reviled step-cousin of the New England version. I don’t know anyone who likes it.) I’ve had it once before, and it was so fantastic, I was a little afraid I’d built it up in my mind and would be disappointed this time. Nope! It’s a perfect blend of clams, bacon, onions, potatoes and cream. They always leave one clam shell in the soup, which I kind of find annoying because I can’t politely get at the tiny bit of soup that always gets stuck in it. The liquid is not too thick, the potatoes are cut small, the clams have very little sand, and the bacon is of course a delight. I could eat gallons of the soup. H got the tuna tartare with fried zucchini slices, which was very good – creamy, with perfect flavoring. I like the imaginative use of zucchini instead of standard bread. R’s bucket of steamers was also terrific, not salty or gritty. It comes with clam juice and butter. J very much enjoyed his chef lobster salad of claws, half tail, avocado and tomato.
I can’t tell you what R and J got as entrées. I was too busy deconstructing and devouring my excellent lobster roll (market price: $27). I only know what H got because she ordered the roll as well. The bread looked like a mini hot dog bun and was not too saucy, while the lobster was juicy and firm. I found the insanely sour pickle slices made the lobster taste sour, so they were better eaten separately. Now this I would say is “the best lobster roll south of Maine.” The Tides roll was barely in the same category. The French fries were crunchy, salty and excellent as well.
I had two delicious drinks, the kir royale and their specialty spiked lemonade cocktail. My three dinner companions shared a bottle of Côte de Nuits-Villages, a red wine they all seemed to like. Our waiter was very attentive and nice. He brought the pepper for our appetizers and left it with us, which was a nice touch. It may also have been because the restaurant wasn’t too busy at that hour, but I like to think the best of people. This is a great little place to stop in for a casual bite, drink or meal – they’ve got a terrific raw bar up front too.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $335
Noise level: a bit noisy, probably because of the tiled walls
Chance of walking in: medium. FYI, the kitchen closes at 9 on Sundays.
