ottawa foodies

Hi Guys, So after my trip out east last summer I'm a big fan of lobsters.. Served warm with fresh buns and butter(garlic butter)

I've been waiting for lobster season, which is now??

Local stores, Sobey's and I believe Metro are selling cooked lobsters. Albeit smaller guys than I'd prefer, while out east I ordered 2lb or 3lb guys. The ones here are 1lb, and called canner lobsters. Not sure if any difference or is it just because they're smaller.

We've been thinking of buying some to eat, but out east they'd split them, and provide scissors.

So we're wondering..

-Whats the best way to enjoy cooked lobsters. Do you rush them home and split them yourself, and use kitchen shears?
-Is a 1lb lobster really going to contain a decent amount of meat
-If cooking them at home is easy, where to buy lobsters at the best price. (I prefer to buy boneless skinless chicken breast on sale and stock it at 2.99/lb, instead of paying 12.99/lb in one offs at loblaws...)

A lot of the lobsters are 1-1 and 1/4 lbs here. Loblaws and maybe some metros would allow you to pick the lobster and they will cook it for you while you wait. Loblaws a few weeks ago had a 3 days sale for 5.99 lb for the 1lb+ size and I think that was the lowest I had seen recently.

Several pubs in town are doing lobsterfest for June and sell cooked lobsters for 15.00 to 18.00 for the 1-1 and 1/4 sizes, some of which include side and some just lobster. Royal Oak on Wellington I think has a lobster boil Fri 4-8 and Darcy McGhee also has lobster special.

Ravi- Just back from NS where lobster is 5.50-6.50 per pound! Lobster heaven!
Ifind a 1 pound lobster is on the small side, but better than no lobster.
I got a cooked lobster in NS and had it with melted butter and lemmon. Even though the lobster was cold the lemmon butter was great with it.
They are easy to eat, but its best to have a cracker (a nut cracker will do in an emerg!) and a pick for the small bits. (can use a skewer) Its worth getting the tools then you are set anytime.
I think the key is being able to dig in with the tools and your hands. We lay newspaper on the table and dig in. Seldom even bother with sides.
Cooking is easy once you get past putting the critter in the boiling water, just takes a few minutes.

I'm from Nova Scotia and I'll tell you up front that we laugh at people who insist on big lobsters. We usually joke about how they must be from Alberta. ;)They are tough and flavourless -- all the flavour is in the smaller ones.

Canners might be a bit more work, but they're also more reward -- they have a sweet succulence lacking in the larger ones. I find they are also portion appropriate in a meal with sides. They are easy to clip open with kitchen shears or nut crackers, and bamboo skewers are great for getting out the little bits.

Up here, if I can find them, I try to buy lobsters that are cooked at point of processing and frozen in water. They taste the sweetest. Otherwise, I buy the smaller ones at Loblaws during lobster season when I know they're "fresher off the boat". I rarely buy from tanks at fish stores unless I know they're fresh. HTH!

I completely agree with refashionista...we never buy a lobster over a pound and a half for all the reasons she stated. That said, the minimum size allowed to be fished in western Cape Breton has increased in order to try and protect the stock so that you can no longer buy lobster under a pound in this area.

I have a question.. When exactly is Lobster Season>

It may be a bit of an exaggeration but I think it's always lobster season somewhere in NS, PEI or NB. It rotates from area to area and some regions have a two-month season while others may have a six-month or more season.

Yes it is true - lobster season is very localized to individual bays and so on. Not sure how it is determined though.

Here's a map that breaks it down:

www.gov.ns.ca

K so on everyones reco, I'm going to buy the smaller guys and boil them at home. I kinda feel bad, putting a living creature into boiling water. The Ms. says not to think about it. bah.

Bought frozen to be baked baguettes, will sort out some garlic butter. And see how this works out.

Don't worry - I had a hard time too until my friend told me to think of them like giant bugs of the sea. I don't have time killing spiders so I don't have a hard time tossing lobsters in the pot. Enjoy! I wish I was doing a lobster boil this weekend... gotta start planning better.

NB: am aware spiders are not "bugs" but the metaphor was the best I could think of...

wow.. pretty rough experience. We ended up at Sobey's because of they were the only ones in the flyers with Lobster listed. Some special for 14.99 two canner lobsters, 2 salads, and a Lemon Meringue pie. (they had me at pie)

Turns out the canners are cooked and shipped like that, they were quite small. Half a pound. We opt'd to buy one special with the two of those, and we bought two normal lobsters from the tank. The girl had just unpacked them from a crate so I'm guessing relatively fresh catch.

Picked two approx 1.5lb guys @ 11.99$/lb. Just shy of 35$ for the two lobsters. We were going to boil at home, but the lady offered to steam them for us to avoid the smell at home. The Ms. heard smell and suggested we get them done there lol. Her moms place is a block or two away so not much of a trip.

We did the fresh baked baguettes (from frozen), some garlic butter (green stick from grocery store *very salty*) and lemon. Attacked the lobsters with kitchenaid scissors from a knife block.. *PAIN IN THE ASS* way too much fighting to get at the meat. There was no big knife in the house to crack the shells either.. so it was tough going.

One horrific thing was when we cracked her lobster tail off, black puss and red liquid poured out.. Mine had the normal green disgusting stuff.. but this black liquid was horrible..

Honestly. I'd pay stupid money to unsee that. We both agreed to not go through this lobster at home business again.. Sure I'll eat lobster again, but I'm not dealing with shells, guts, and whatever else that thing spewed.

East coast experience was fun, but this home bit was too much. Maybe with the correct tools.. and no gross guts..

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

It was most likely the undeveloped roe, or coral, which is black naturally and only turns red when fully cooked - though it isn't really liquid, more jelly-like.

Yan, you're probably right. It was more jelly, though there was water as well, but that could have been from the boiling. Seems silly, but we were both pretty freaked out. (we're city folk)

We didn't enjoy the lobster experience so much we gave away the two canner lobsters to her mom for soup or whatever and left with the salads.

I still enjoy lobster, so I set out to figuring how I'm going to have it without the fuss.

Recalled my trip out east to Alma last year, where I went to Thankful Too and had the best lobster experience ever. Freshly cooked lobster, warm butter, fresh bread, patio right on the water.. As we were leaving I noticed a freezer stocked full of vacuum sealed bags. There was lobster galore and some other seafood.

I recall looking at it going. oh wow, a bag full of claws, tails, .. All meat.

Called them today, and checked elsewhere online. $25/lb is the price for the lobster meat.

Now when you look at the cost of a shelled lobster, and based on the web sort that it takes between 4.5-9lb (winter vs end of season lobster) to get 1lb of lobster meat. You're well ahead. Factoring sale prices of 6.99/lb for lobster still means it costs you $31.50 for 1lb of lobster meat. AND you have to fight the good fight to get the meat out of the shell. Or depending on the season, you'd pay 63.00 for a lb of meat!! So $25 bucks is a savings no matter how you cut it.

For me this seems ideal, I don't eat the roe (red/black) or the tomalley (green stuff). Nor do I particularly know a good method for getting the meat out, or enjoy it. So out of a bag, just chunks of meat. Seems great. The catch is it's frozen.

It's cooked and frozen.
claws 25/lb
tails 28/lb
mix of tails/claws 25/lb

I'm thinking of ordering a few lbs. Would anyone be interested in doing a group buy? Shipping costs are split this way.

Is there some loss of flavour or significant negative associated with this idea.. frozen lobster meat? I notice that a large number of seafood restaurants bring in frozen lobster and cook it to order. I kinda get fresh is always better, but is it noticeably better when it comes to lobster?

Thanks

Ravi...So sorry your experience was disappointing. We spend half the year in NS and have tried lobster lots of ways. Our favorite pound sells cooked meat for $20-$30 per 1 pound countainer and we buy it often and have never been disappointed. They key would be how quickly they freeze it and how fast they can get it here, but if its perfect when frozen and is kept frozen in transit it should be fine.

Ravi,

Sorry you had suck a bad experience with the cook you own lobster (non-restaurant) experience. Quite a few pubs in town were having lobster fests and lobster boils. I got on before I left and it had the roe.. It was the first time I had a female lobster. Ate it but I can take it or leave it.

Have been in Newport and RI and picked up 7 hardshell lobsters at the lobster shack on Longwharf (8.50 US each and 9.4 lbs for 7) plus a dozen sand crabs and took it to friends 1 hr away within RI and they did them in the NE style steamer and it was excellent.. Also got a female lobster so I was 2 for 2 in 1 week.

Heading out to Cape Cod and might get some more lobster there. Had more opportunity while at friends but thought I would space them out then getting tired of them.

An interesting article on this lobster season.
finance.yahoo.com

Yea. I feel kinda silly now that I've read many people enjoy the stuff we freaked over. Just not used to it I guess.

I had a lobster roll at Royal Oak at one of their Lobster fests a couple weeks ago. Decent, though I'm still partial to a big chunk of lobster meat in a soft bun with butter lol. =D

Looking forward to trying the lobster roll at Petit Bills.

Interesting article on the lobster season. Sounds like you're having a great seafood trip =D

Had lobsters and lobster rolls at some great clam shacks and seafood restaurants in Cape Cod.

They call the lobster salad one cold lobster roll and the one with lobster and butter hot lobster roll. Only a few places served hot lobster rolls, most served cold.

@Ravi, see my post at Grace O'Malley's for picture of lobster with brain and roe in the head. Not everyone eat the head.. I do occassionally but did not do it in RI and Cape Cod

This is a place near Mystic Connecticut that I return to again and again for fresh hot lobster roll. Amazing! abbotts-lobster.com/ You can drive there in a day if you're desperate.

Sorry for the away pictures but if you like lobster rolls, a trip to New England is a good idea. This is a clam shack a friend from RI recommended in Massipossett (near New Bedford and bridge to Cape Cod). Lobster roll with good fries and coleslaw for $11. Large chunks of tail and claws.

might as well post the picture of the clam strip $7 and quahog chowder $5 or $6 for a large bowl you see a little bit of in the lobster roll picture.

Stuffed Quohog clam for $2.50. stuffing is chopped clam, linguica susage and bread. Was so stuff already so only had half since it was a huge clam the size of my palm.

All that food with tax and tip (lower % since counter service only and picnic tables outside) came to about $30.

Ravi, this is going to be food porn lol

This is a little package store with a lobster tank selling live or cooked lobster for $8.99 / lb and lobster rolls for $8.50.. there were at least half a dozen of us waiting for about a dozen lobster rolls in the 15 mins I was there on way to the beach.

Huge chucks of meat and barely there mayo and a little bit of celery for crunch. yumm

They had a bunch of 4-6 lb lobsters and 1 huge one that is 12 lbs.

cooked lobster dinner with chowder and corn at Arnold's for $22. The 1 and 1/8 lb lobster was a little small.. I think I prefer 1.25-1.5 lb ones.

The crab cake sandwich with a crab cake patty the size of a 1/4 lb hambuger patty (sorry no pictures) for $12...

OK since this seems to be what we're about this morning - here is the hot lobster roll at Abbott's. Nothing but lobster and butter.

and here's Abbott's lobster roll dinner for 2 with steamers, chips, coleslaw and roasted corn on the cob (in the foil)

And up the road from Abbott's is their sister restaurant, Costello's (get it) where they also put the fryer through its paces.

Thanks guys, all those pictures actually make me look forward to my drive down the East Coast next month. I'm not really a fan of driving for over 20 hours, but I think every meal on the way is going to be lobster and/or clams!

By the way, tomalley (aka "the green stuff") is not lobster brain, it's an organ more similar to a liver/pancreas. A lobster doesn't really have much of a brain...

tamali is how I've always spelled it

whereabouts are you going down east?
need any recommendations?

I'm going to Orlando... anything worth a stop along I81 or I95? Obviously, it's already a very long road, so I don't want to do long detours...

Suggestions of good places to eat near the Orange County convention center would be welcome too. Last time I was in Orlando was over 10 years ago, but I remember that most of the food was not very good. Hopefully it's improved since.

Get the broiled rock shrimp and corn fritters at Dixie Crossroads in titusville/cocoa beach, on the coast about 40 mins east of orlando

dixiecrossroads.com/

Oh, that's down south, not down east :-)

Isabelle, If you're near the parks,I had great fish at Todd English's Blue Zoo in one of the big hotels - sorry forget which one, and Emeril's Tchoup Chop (sp?} near universal is an impressive room with good food and cocktails.

Hey Blubarry,

I think you are thinking of the BlueZoo in the Sheraton Walt Disney World Dolphin. Had dinner there during a conference with someone else paying.. Good food.

Isabelle,

Hopefully someone would chime in with a South Carolina BBQ place. Stopped off the highway from Atlanta to NOLA and had a good meal but would not be able to find it again for the life of me. Or someplace in Savannah might be worth a stop.

Food Travel you are correct about BlueZoo. Thanks. And I've had great meals at roadside stops in SC too, but my favorite seafood shack is this one which is hard to find, not fancy, but popular with locals as opposed to all the other tourist traps in Mt. Pleasant wreckrc.com/

blubarry,

Looks good. Some nice and unusualy choices in crab cake on fried green tomatoes and key lime bread pudding...

The wreck's disclamer on steak is pretty funny...

Thanks for all the suggestions. For places along the road, I'll add some waypoints in my GPS and see if I'm close enough at a time those places are open. Who knows where I'll end up!

here is a story on a 21 lb lobster off Cape Cod recently and talk about other large lobster records recently and world records at 44 lbs.

ca.news.yahoo.com

For a large lobster 4.5 lbs of cooked lobster gives 1 lb of meat..

" ... a large lobster 4.5 lbs of cooked lobster gives 1 lb of meat."

... and from my experience TOUGH meat. Think young lamb vs. old mutton.

The smaller the lobster the lower the meat to shell ratio (lower yield) but more sweet and more tender.

The larger the lobster the higher the meat to shell ratio (higher yield) but are less sweet and less tender.

'Canners' or 'shacks' (lobsters between 1/2 and 3/4 pounds) are sold by the dozen (or individually) and markets (> 3/4 pound) are sold by weight.

The trade off between yield and tenderness/sweetness is a personal choice. So personal, that it is sometimes promoted and defended in heated debate.

Lobster quality ... other factors play a role. Location of catch deep sea cold water vs. Bay of St. Lawrence warm water length of time in holding pens (with out access to food), time spent and conditions experienced on the way to the market. AND COOKING METHOD .... and the quality of this method. Etc.

I may have my personal choice ... but then again ... I'll try ANY size lobster, from Anywhere ... that has gone through Anything ... Anytime !!

I like the new england style steamer pots my friends used to steam the lobster I brought from Newport. I think the ones less than a lb takes too much work for the rewards. But I am usually happy with the 1-1.5 lbs ones.

we bought some very tasty lobsters from Sobey's. they were 1.5-2 lbs. I think the price was $11 or 12/lb. (beginning of July- been meaning to post for awhile)
Cooking live lobster and eating them should be shared with people who love this. My one daughter in law cries when the lobsters are on the table and my brother in law feels they are too much work. so no lobster with them (which probably makes them happy)
Here we are all enjoying our annual lobster meal. I also love the tomally on bread, but it does gross some people out.
We have been experimenting with the cooking method. We used to cook them in a rolling boil, this time a simmer, which took a while longer. We don't add anything to the water, but some people add wine.

My friends in RI swear by steaming...

I was reading some interesting information about the lobster we know in Canada and US.
en.wikipedia.org

I have also eaten Spiny lobster from NZ
en.wikipedia.org