Metro Jacksonville

Living in Jacksonville => Dining => Topic started by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 02:12:44 PM

Title: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 02:12:44 PM
Okay I need a treat for myself. So I'm looking for recommendations for the best lobster in Jacksonville. Not Florida lobster. Genuine 2 pound Maine Lobsters. With a bucket of butter and some fresh out of the oven bread.

Come on folks. Help me out here.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: BridgeTroll on June 22, 2010, 02:38:07 PM
Your best bet may be something like this...

http://www.thelobsterguy.com/livelobsters.html
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: CityLife on June 22, 2010, 02:48:04 PM
Aqua Grill in Ponte Vedra has good Maine Lobster. I think its somewhere in the low 20's by the pound.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 02:48:17 PM
I don't want to cook it myself BT. This is a treat for me! I want someone else to do the cooking and cleaning up afterwards..
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: BridgeTroll on June 22, 2010, 02:52:19 PM
Whats to cook??  Boil some water and melt some butter!! :D
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: stephElf on June 22, 2010, 02:53:54 PM
Red Lobster hahahahahhaha

sike.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 02:58:57 PM
Quote from: stephElf on June 22, 2010, 02:53:54 PM
Red Lobster hahahahahhaha

sike.
yuck
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: fieldafm on June 22, 2010, 02:59:29 PM
Ruths Chris, Mortons, Bennys and Chart House all downtown have Maine lobster.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 03:00:02 PM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on June 22, 2010, 02:52:19 PM
Whats to cook??  Boil some water and melt some butter!! :D
I can burn water with the best of them. Not a cook..
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: stephElf on June 22, 2010, 03:02:01 PM
Quote from: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 02:58:57 PM
Quote from: stephElf on June 22, 2010, 02:53:54 PM
Red Lobster hahahahahhaha

sike.
yuck

hence the sike...
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 03:04:44 PM
Quote from: fieldafm on June 22, 2010, 02:59:29 PM
Ruths Chris, Mortons, Bennys and Chart House all downtown have Maine lobster.
Great suggestions...but which one is best??and has the best price?
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: fieldafm on June 22, 2010, 03:41:38 PM
It's going to be market price... so, it all comes down to where you want to go.  Of the ones I mentioned, I personally would go to Mortons(b/c I like their bar bites menu as a pre-meal appetizer) or Chart House(b/c AAA members get a discount).  But, any one of those places are of good quality for a night on the town.

Actually, Mortons for dinner and a Scofflaw after at Dos Gatos sounds pretty good!!
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: TheProfessor on June 22, 2010, 04:18:23 PM
Mitchell's Seafood Market at St. Johns?
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: aaapolito on June 22, 2010, 04:48:38 PM
Capital Grille
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: KenFSU on June 22, 2010, 05:36:12 PM
Quote from: aaapolito on June 22, 2010, 04:48:38 PM
Capital Grille

Totally agree.

Definitely isn't cheap, but it is FANTASTIC.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 22, 2010, 05:37:54 PM
Where is the Capitol Grille?
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: I-10east on June 22, 2010, 07:23:40 PM
^^^St John's Town Center.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: mtraininjax on June 22, 2010, 08:22:57 PM
Capitol Grille is a chain, go to Orsay. Best food in Jacksonville!
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: Brian Siebenschuh on June 23, 2010, 03:49:08 AM
I'm not going to disagree with mtraininjax :-)

While we don't serve a traditional steamed lobster with drawn butter at Orsay, we do always have a lobster dish on the menu.  The current iteration is a one pounder, steamed & shelled then lightly broiled with butter and shallots, served with risotto that we finish with a touch of lobster roe.  We make a stock out of the shells with some brandy and tomato, then reduce all that with some veal glace and a little cream to make a sauce.

That being said, I'll take the challenge for serving the best plain old lobster in town - we get fresh fish delivered daily, so feel free to email me, give me a couple days notice, and let me know how crazy you want to get - line up some friends for dinner, I'll track you down a ten pound monster :-)
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 23, 2010, 08:18:25 AM
 :D
Brian, a ten pounder!!??? That old grandaddy lobster will be so tough. Give me a couple of young 2 pounders and thats more like it.
Seriously I will have to give Orsay a try sometime soon. I have had a hankering for a big lobster dinner and I need to give myself that treat.

I'll be in touch.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: Brian Siebenschuh on June 25, 2010, 12:17:32 AM
I'll admit I've never cooked or eaten a huge lobster (like over 3 pounds); contradictory opinions abound, indicating that the larger ones do tend to be tougher, or - depending on who you listen to - that size doesn't matter after all...

Anybody have a first hand huge lobster experience to share?  If so, how was the monster cooked, for how long, where did you have it, etc?

I think I may have to bring a couple in just to see.  It'll either be a staff meal of mac n' cheese with tough old lobster meat, or a phenomenal special...
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 25, 2010, 07:16:43 AM
I have an online friend in Maine. I'll ask her.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: jbroadglide on June 25, 2010, 02:31:01 PM
Here ya go Brian
From my friend in Maine who certainly knows a thing or two about lob-stuh!

I think the bigger the lobster, the more dry and grainy the meat is...not necessarily tougher, per se.  If they're cooked too long, the meat will get rubbery, even a 1 pounder.  Many people don't cook lobsters properly, and most would cook a 5 pounder way too long; hence, it would be rubbery and tough.

Also, the bigger the lobster, the less sweet they are.  Many commercial fishermen sell the big ones in their catch to chowder and canning vendors.  The really huge ones...say over 12lbs. sometimes go to contests sponsored by restaurants.  I remember about 25 years ago, a 30 pounder went to a restaurant and they had it as a prize in a contest.  The winner, a dentist, took the lobster and instead of eating it, set him free...they estimated the lobster was over 100 years old...good for the dentist!!
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: undergroundgourmet on June 25, 2010, 04:55:51 PM
Ala Carte in Jacksonville beach has an awesome lobster roll. I paid $17.95 for the last one I had with no sides. Pure joy! Their menu is all New England style lobster and clams. Its the best I can do when I am not in NYC and able to eat at the Pearl.

http://www.alacarte-jax.com/aboutus.html
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: 02roadking on June 26, 2010, 10:11:43 AM
Wow, the lobstah roll there looks amazing
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: 02roadking on June 26, 2010, 02:12:00 PM
Well, I just rode out to the beach and the lobster roll is amazing. Pricey for a lunch, but still a great find. Great people too.
Title: Re: Wheres the BEST Lobster in Town?
Post by: Jaxson on June 26, 2010, 02:23:01 PM
Holy smokes!  mtraininjax and I agree on something : ) I have never been to Orsay before, but I enjoy supporting our local establishments...