Monday, June 23, 2014

North River Lobster Company

There is a lobster roll boat in NYC.

I repeat. There is a lobster roll.

Boat.

In NYC.
Excited yet?

The fine lads over at Thrillist are really on top of their game. Their website is impeccably well-organized and the articles they write are witty and wonderfully informative about the goings-on and happenings in NYC and the world. I do find it particularly offensive that they market themselves as a "Digital Lifestyle for Men" because I check their website at least twice a week....but maybe when I'm finally hired as the editor in chief, I can change it to welcome women who love activities just as much as the guyZ.

Anyways back to the lobster.....on a boat.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this article: "Here's How To End Up On A Lobster Roll Boat This Weekend"

...and to be honest, folks, that's all it took. The thought of sailing the open seas on a boat equipped with a full raw bar and lobster rolls being delivered to your plate with just a flick of your wrist was almost too much for me to handle. So duh. We went.
The company is called North River Lobster Company and has been floating nestled at Pier 81 on West 42nd street for just over a month. It's a dinner cruise without all the fixins. Dress is entirely casual ("Think Key West or Cape Cod" is the advice offered on the website), reservations are not accepted, and a bucket of 5 beers is only $24!! Every hour or so the boat leaves the dock for a 30-40min sail around the Hudson.

The captain of the boat was wandering around the entrance, giving tips and explaining the run of the evening. There are three decks.
The first, the Main Deck, is entirely indoors and has a bar and giant TVs that were showing the World Cup games.
The second is the ordering deck. There are areas to go outside but the main events are the raw bar and the food counter.
JUST LOOK AT THIS
The man behind the raw bar was laughing and offering tips to all of the people standing in line as he passed out order sheets for the bar.
Everything is all so perfectly simple.  You peruse the menu in line, then place your order at the bar and take a numbered table flag and go post up somewhere.
When your food is ready, a waiter dressed in top of the line Martha's Vineyard will deliver your order to your table...if you're lucky enough to find one. 

Climb the stairs to Deck 3 - the Outer Deck, the Belle of the Ball, the Prettiest Little Deck You Ever Did See.
You can't really plan the sunsets but I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful night. We actually kinda hid our table marker so we could continue exploring the boat and taking in the scenery without the waiter finding us.....SHH don't tell.
The tables are packed up on the Outer Deck, and obviously everyone is squirming to get a seat outside but people are actually extremely nice and ready to share any available space!
We weren't quite ready to take a seat yet...
......They ended up finding us....but was it really that bad? NOPE
We snagged a table for 2 and prepared to indulge completely in the gorgeous sunset.
A 1/2 pound of peel-and-eat Black Tiger Shrimp with cajun cocktail sauce and lemon to start!
 Fried Shrimp PoBoy with Lemon Garlic Aioli
And obviously a fresh lobster roll.  Can you tell who's more excited?
The sun continued to set and we continued to eat, making our way through the bucket of Sam Adam's Summer Ale as we went.
The peel-and-eat shrimp were definitely the winners of the night. I'm sad to admit it but the lobster roll was really the loser of the evening. I guess I'm partial to the buttery lobster roll more so than the fancier sauces. Fresh, soft lobster is just enough in and of itself. Doesn't matter though because we licked the bowls clean.
The face of a conquerer.

The North River Lobster Company was fantastic. I don't think it's possible for me to recommend it more. Whether you're trying to dazzle a first-date, looking for a fun happy hour with friends, or want to take your parents out to something a bit more exciting than Italian, the Lobster Boat is the answer. It's not hoity-toity at all and since it's so new, everyone is pretty much as confused and looking for guidance as you. Grab a bucket of beer and go take in the boat from every corner. Sit inside on the Main Deck and take a look around at the girl sitting at a table reading with a glass of wine for a nice little after work wind-down. Or stand around the Upper Deck and make some new friends with the other people holding buckets of beer and waiting for a table. Order from the Raw Bar or put in for some hot food. You really can't go wrong.

We came. We saw. We lobstered.