A little taste of Maine... Brooklyn Style.

Restaurant : Red Hook Lobster Pound
Location : 284 Van Brunt Street | Brooklyn, NY 11231
Website : http://www.redhooklobsterpound.com/

I have ventured up to the coastal cities of Maine a couple times and Portland, Maine holds a near and dear spot in my heart. There are so many local eats in this artistically driven town that has so much to offer. From delicious chowders to authentic Italian gelato all the way to what Maine is known for! Lobster of course! 

The Lobster Pound started in Portland, Maine where you can find the original restaurant. A couple named Ralph Gorham and Susan Povich shared a love for Portland Maine lobster and started up a casual takeout eatery in the Brooklyn Flea Market. The super authentic factor in their business is the delivery of Maine lobsters everyday. Thats right! 7 days a week baby. Saves us the trip and we still get the delicious and fresh tastes their coastal towns have to offer! At market price.

This stirred up enough business that soon enough, the Red Hook Lobster Pound was born!

Bunnie's Rating

Money : Moderate... I mean it is lobster. But they are very fair and you can buy fresh lobster at market price. Lobster rolls go for about $16 each and a lobster dinner (1 1/2 lb fresh maine lobster with their own coleslaw, potato salad and fresh corn) goes for $25... now c'mon... for NYC thats not bad for lobster!! Soups are $7 for about a generous sized cup and $10 for a mac n cheese loaded with lobster. So no, this isnt a cheap place... but considering saving yourself a trip to Maine with gas... this is a deal!

Must Try : The lobster rolls and the mac n cheese. And if you have room... the downeast bisque... I'll explain more later...

Type : Very casual. There are two doors... one side you can order from... and the other side has some indoor picnic benches to sit and chomp on your lobster. You clean up after yourself so its a real no-frills place.

Reservations : No reservations. Cafeteria style!

Okay! So bringing on the food!! 

I'm going to begin with this delicious nibble (my personal favorite) the Lobster Mac n Cheese. Now, this Mac n cheese is no joke... not tiny bits of left-over-and-possibly-frozen lobster meat... but large juicy (and generous) chunks of lobster meat mixed in with four different kinds of cheeses and organic pasta. This is definitely a nibble worth having!

 

Now to their lobster rolls. They have 2 offered... a Maine Lobster Roll which is more of a cold lobster salad type with a touch of mayo (or you can ask for no mayo since they mix everything fresh... nothing is pre-mixed and sits there) and a touch of spices and of course some chopped up celery for crunch. And there is a Connecticut Lobster Roll which is a hot, freshly steamed lobster roll brushed with clarified butter sauce. Both come on a buttered and toasted roll (believe it or not, the roll is ALSO from Maine!). They also have a shrimp roll (maine shrimp tossed with spices) and a lobster BLT (for the bacon lovers!! I mean, who isnt??) But first time around... I say get a hold of that lobster roll! And if you bring a friend... get one of the Maine Lobster rolls and one of the Connecticut... split and share! Best of both world!! 

And if you have room... get a cup of the downeast bisque... delicious and creamy with a tiny smoky bite at the end... with chunks of lobster, clams, shrimp and haddock... its yummy.

Connecticut Style Lobster Roll

One last taste from Maine worth having here is the soda...

They import (of course) their root sodas from Maine with flavors like lemon lime, ginger, and mandarin orange... but I recommend the blueberry. It is Maine after all.

Pros:

Everything is amazing. The food is yummy and fresh. The staff is super friendly and very fast. You get an authentic taste of Maine lobster without having to fork over loads of cash so they can put it on a fancy plate with some garnish... And its the perfect alternative for lunch when you visit Red Hooks IKEA! The Lobster Pound is literally a 2 minute drive away... and I mean, Swedish meatballs can come later...

Cons: 

Can get crowded sometimes... especially meal times like any other places. And since everything is made fresh, they can run out of things. Not a huge deal... a new batch of soup or mac n cheese is usually in the making... so if you aren't in a rush... take a seat and wait it out a bit. Theres nothing really else in that immediate neighborhood. Parking can sometimes be a little tough... but they do have take out! Oh and Im pretty sure they don't have a bathroom...

But fear not... I believe they are having a renovations between January 9th to 23rd! So get your bites of lobster before they close their doors for a couple weeks... but who knows? Maybe a lobster clad bathroom will appear when they return!

Well everyone... I hope you get the chance to get down to Red Hook for a sample of Portland Maine (Brooklyn Style)

Til next blog...

Eat. Drink. And have Dessert!!!