I knew I had to be excited. Why? Because ND did a jig. Why is that significant? Because this kid NEVER dances. Not when he turned 21. Not when he graduated college. Probably not when he got his first job. The only other time I have seen ND voluntarily dance? At his wedding. And even that might have been reluctant. So, in other words, the very presence of this rarest of circumstances sufficiently piqued my interest.
The drive was a long one. We got into an elongated discussion concerning subjectivity and objectivity standards for gauging "cold winters" in Boston relative to the rest of the country across a number of variables. In other words, lawyers love the malleability of words and engineers love the mystery of science. While the actual topic was drab, it was interesting to note how each argument relied heavily on the other's lack of understanding of the specialties each individual held.
After multiple efforts (spawning yet another discussion concerning the relative merits of a GPS system), we arrived at our destination. Lobsta Land presents like a down home Red Lobster. The customers were decidedly local. The business appeared to be family run. Humble wood panelings paired with framed reviews of the restaurant adorned the space. I loved it.
The beer list contained drafts from local breweries. We started with some local brews before delving into the heart of the menu. ND explained the gritty nature of the steamed clams we devoured. We cleaned the clams in a bowl of clam juice, dipped them in drawn butter, and sucked the clams out of their shell. While I will always prefer oysters to clams, these were damn good.
Like a number of the reviewers have stated, it might bode well for you to avoid the Maryland crab cakes. Most of the seafood at Lobsta Land is quite fresh, but the crab chunks here were small and almost glutinous relative to the beautiful crab cakes that I take for granted in the DMV. Furthermore, the breading was entirely too thick and the seasoning was boring. Lobsta Land has a number of amazing items; I would skip the crabcakes.
The lobsters were fine. They were not as sweet as some lobsters I have eaten, but they were properly cooked. The soft, succulent flesh was complimented with a nice drawn butter. If you go to a place called Lobsta Land, it probably is wise to order the lobsters. Even though we are precariously close to the end of the season, these lobsters were still pretty good. I'd love to come back during the early summer and see what they have to offer at that time.
The best part of this meal was a seafood bouillabaisse consisting of clam, shellfish, haddock, shrimp, and lobster cooked in a lobster broth generously flavored with garlic and other spices. While the broth was piping hot, the seafood somehow was not overcooked. Indeed, outside of the Majestic's take on seafood bouillabaisse, I'm not sure I have had a better one. Great job Lobsta Land.
Finally, it should be noted that the service was genuinely friendly and came by our table just the right amount of times. Requests were quickly granted. In short, there is a reason people love family run businesses even outside of political principles. Often, it just has to do with the warmth that is obviously present from individuals who have a stake in creating an experience for others.
If you are in Gloucester, you absolutely should make a stop by Lobsta Land. I hardly ever display the low conscious energy of envy, but I must admit that I have ever the slightest bit of that emotion when I think about the reasonably priced, amazing seafood that is simply absent in my current city and in apparent abundance on the Eastern Shore. Along with L.A. Burdick's, this is on the repeat list on my next stay in Massachusetts. read more