The Lobster Club does seem like a folksy club, though a tony one. We tend to eat upstairs in the high ceilinged dining room where the walls are adorned with lobster motif art. It has a very comfortable feel whether we are here as a couple or with a crowd. The food, too, is comfortable and accessible, as well as being wonderful.
The lobster club, itself, is the eponymous dish, and it is well worth ordering. This is a club sandwich with lobster, lettuce, tomato and bacon on a brioche, that tends to fall apart as one eats it. The lobster is juicy and succulent. This is just an elegant take on lobster salad, but so much better.
The emergency dish here is their provencal garlic fries, which are simply the best french fries around. Even our nieces were impressed and we can only hope they remember these the next time they are about to crunch down on some McDonald's horrors.
They also have a way with fish and beef short ribs, two rather different starting points. Somehow, they manage to bring out all the flavor of the fish in their sauteed cod, served with a meyer lemon confit. They often use lemons in imaginative ways, often using pickled lemons in the Morrocan manner to brighten a dish and bring out the full flavor. Similarly, they bring out the short ribs full force, with bright, spicy sauces and preparations, so they can stand up to the mustard greens.
If you are not comfortable yet, go for the meat loaf or the garlic roasted chicken, and if this doesn't work, go for the ice cream with real malted milk balls, for a down home dessert.
We often show up at the Lobster Club when we need a touch of cosseting and we have yet to be disappointed.
New York City Restaurants