underground lobster pound

      I remember my first lobster roll. Girl's road trip to Boston. We were in Gloucester, MA. I was making my girlfriends, who were more interested in sleeping in that morning, drive with me to Wolf Hollow, a wildlife sanctuary. The nuts that ran this place were talking pack mentality way before the Dog Whisperer. After an afternoon of learning the different types of howls, we were famished. Alia convinced me we "needed" to try lobster rolls while we were in Massachusetts. Ten years ago, we would have been hard pressed to find a lobster roll in New York. I was hooked.
      More and more, the lobster roll is debuting around town. We had great lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster while shopping at the New Amsterdam Market, and the Red Hook Lobster Pound sells them weekly at Brooklyn Flea.  
     So when we met Ben and Ms. Liza Mosquito de Guia (what a great name) at the Greenpoint Food Market and Liza, (who directed this awesome video about Ben) let on that Ben runs his own underground lobster roll slinging operation out of his apartment in Brooklyn, we "needed" to try his lobster rolls. Ben smiled, tried to hush us down, then gave me his card.
      When five of us ventured to Ben's place, we were led into what at first looked like my Nonna's hallway: cherubs, plastic flowers and peach wallpaper as far as they eye could see. But then he took us down stairs through a narrow hallway and I could have sworn I was in that lobster shack back in Glouster, MA, a lobster shack submarine to be exact. And the smell - like buttah!

       It was a challenge to be in Ben's place, not because of the low ceilings, I'm short, but because I had to use my small voice not to disturb the neighbors. But Julie was there, and when I am with Julie I am usually stomping my feet laughing like an animal. I did my best.

     Ben prepares his lobster rolls how they were intended to be enjoyed, very little mayo, butter and some Old Bay, so its just about the lobster meat. So good and so fresh.
    Aside from making the best lobster rolls, Ben is the nicest and most gracious dude, so easygoing with lots of hilarious food antics to share. He can't get over how the tiniest asian food blogger girls (are there any other kinds?) willingly go down into his lobster roll lair, no qualms about it. "This is so wrong!" he jokes, "You shouldn't be doing this!"

     Burnt out from the restaurant world, this is a great set-up for a guy who loves to work from home making his favorite dish. And hushy hushy aside, he has plenty of loyal customers. While we we there, he got a whole bunch of take-out orders. And he even delivers lobster rolls on his scooter, equipped with a bun warmer on the back. I'm sure we will ordering take-out very soon because I don't think he delivers to Queens.
Watch Liza's awesome video!

The Underground Lobster Pound: A Purist, An Apartment & The Perfect Lobster Roll -  *food curated* from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

MARROW ANYONE?

    Whenever I think of bone marrow the memory of a 3rd grade public school lunch tray filled with bitten down fried chicken bones and Andrew Chow cracking them open and sucking out the bone marrow comes to mind. Not a glorious image but after describing it to Yvonne, a fellow guest at a Choice Cuts "eat, drink and watch a movie" event, she raised an eyebrow and said, "he was a foodie even at such a young age." Thats one way of looking at it. I wonder what Andrew Chow is doing now.

   Choice Cuts is a monthly dinner and a movie event held in a sprawling Ft. Greene 4th floor walk up, the same location where the Hapa Kitchen Duck Dinner was hosted. Panting after climbing the four flights, I quenched my thirst with a complimentary Pimm's Cup cocktail and enjoyed a really simple appetizer of nice crisp cheddar with cucumber and radishes on a good slice of bread. I liked that one a lot.

   The bone marrow came out sooner than I was mentally prepared for, being a marrow virgin and all. Good thing there were some experts there to walk me through it. I thought it was going to be pre-scooped and maybe smeared on something, but we had to do the scooping. I think Winnie, host and chef, gave me the biggest piece, and I have to admit I was very intimidated. 

    Since Yvonne was so enthusiastic about the bone marrow, I took my photo and we swapped. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The mild flavor was not in any way offensive, and the texture, as described by other guests, was like "beef butter." We spread it on the white toast and salted it and it was very tasty and the perfect amount for a first timer.  It was served with such a delicious parsley salad. I really like eating herbs in full glory salad form. Put a vat of cilantro or basil in front of me and I am good to go.

   The next dish was literally a hunk of meat, a perfectly cooked roast beef, served with yorkshire pudding, a watercress salad and a cucumber salad. The beef was so delicious and juicy, although not easy to cut with our butter knives, and both salads were so wonderfully refreshing.

    This was my first time trying the yorkshire pudding, which was really good, like a little fatty muffin, and I was told its made from the pan drippings of the roast beef. Winnie was all apologies about it, saying it was underdone, which was not the case at all, and I told her the amazing Julia Child line which is don't apologize about anything you cook no matter what! I never had Yorkshire pudding so serve me anything and I don't know any better. So I just ignored her apologies, not wanting anything to taint how much enjoyment I was getting from the meal. Here's my spin-off, "Don't put a bad taste in my mouth, when I have a good one going on in there!" Winnie everything was amazing! 

    After dinner it was movie time. The tables were moved, big comfy couches took their place and the movie, "Withnail and I" was projected on the wall. The one character Withnail was super funny and insane, two qualities I adore in people. But this is a food blog so I will leave the movie review out of it.

   After the movie everyone was a little groggy and awkwardly stood around the kitchen not knowing what to do with themselves. There was sticky toffee pudding on the menu, which I love, and since I know no awkward situation, I gladly waited for it. I guess to hold us over we were served first a sticky toffee cake, which was so good and rich, so while I really liked that I was a little confused when I got another dessert dish of "the real" sticky toffee pudding and I wish I wasn't so full from the first "not real" dessert to fully enjoy its exquisiteness. But I can always make room and the proper sticky toffee pudding was fantastic.