They now sell a box mix for the cheese biscuits. I think I bought it at Wal-Mart. Haven’t made it up yet to see how close it is to the real thing.
Calling it ‘spiny lobster’ would definitely get my attention, and would prompt me to go there. Pacific spiny lobster tastes better than Maine lobster.
Disclaimer: The Pacific spiny lobster I’ve had has been ‘local’. The Maine lobster I’ve had has been shipped across the country. Maybe California got the East Coast reject lobsters; but Pacific spiny lobster tastes better on this coast.
Here’s the commercial. The voiceover described it as “cold water lobster tail” around the 13 second mark. I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean - Homarus Americanus but from Canada?
I rarely eat lobster, not worth the money, I would rathe rbuy live lobsters and cook them at home, or go to Nordic Lodge.
:dubious: Not particularly, Hartford is almost exactly between Boston and NY driving timewise. I think it is slightly closer to NY but the traffic that direction sucks more.
Who’s the Boss was in Fairfield anyway.
They may ship most of their seafood frozen, but definitely not all of it. Unless lobsters can survive being frozen and come back to life like Captain America, that is. They have a huge tank with live lobsters at every Red Lobster I’ve ever been to.
I can’t remember where I saw this but I just read a few days ago that Lobster is an economic anomaly because the best quality lobster is cheap (but only in the states where it is caught) while the more expensive lobster (everywhere else) is of lower quality (because it travels better). Normally quality follows price but not here.
I don’t get it even in Albany, NY. Well, it’s technically in Colonie, but on one side of the street there’s a Red Lobster. On the other side of the street (and north a little ways) is a very good local seafood place. There’s even a pretty good fish fry on that same stretch of road as well if you liked your fish fried and served in a bun.
I don’t understand the popularity of Olive Garden either. If I want chain Italian, there are better options. If I want to go to an actual Italian restaurant, there’s a couple perfectly fine local places just down the street. Heck, I could get better Italian food at the pizza place nearby than at an Olive Garden.
Better: “Patagonian Spinebeast.”
About as close as chocolate chip cookies are to the real thing. I tried it - I will never buy it again. I was very disappointed. Next time I’ll go with the Top Secret Recipes recipe and make them myself.
Here in RI I’ve seen cheap lobster in those “just off the boat” lobster joints, and occasionally in local independent grocery stores and seafood markets. A few times, I’ve seen it as low as $5/pound. Right now my (sadly) former local grocery store has it at $8/pound.
On the other hand, restaurants in the major tourist traps and bigger cities never seem to lower their prices.
Lobster prices are ultra-cheap right now. I don’t think $8 a pound is much lower than what we’re seeing in Atlanta. I’ll check again next time I’m in the store.
I spent a month in Maine several years ago, in a small lobster village. The prices there weren’t much different than what I was used to.
Have you ever seen a cook or one of the kitchen staff actually go fish one out to go cook it?
Neither have I.
I have. Because I’ve ordered one.
When you order one, they walk you over to the tank and you choose one; they fish it out, let you inspect it if you wish, then take it into the kitchen. They cook it and bring it out to you whole, or they can break it down for you if you ask.
Cool! I’ve never seen anyone order one, nor have I myself. Not that I go there much. I live in FL: plenty of cheap, fresh, well-prepared seafood. I only go to Red Lobster when I’m traveling and someone in my party wants to go there. I don’t mind the place; just doesn’t come to mind when I’m craving seafood.
I too only ever go there if I’m taken, but I have to admit I do like the food at Red Lobster. Granted, dousing seafood in butter and garlic is nearly impossible to fuck up. The cheese biscuits are awesome though.
The cooks at actual Red Lobster locations are trained to handle live/fresh lobsters, but not a the Longhorn locations.
Daughter used to work there when she was climbing the chef ladder. She said she had to leave the kitchen when they plopped them in the pot. They scream!
Actually, I don’t believe they do. But the sound of them cooking is like a scream.
Never mind. I don’t want to know. 
I’ve cooked a bunch of lobsters, and I’ve never heard anything resembling a scream. I think that’s mostly urban legend.
You must have done something wrong then. I’ve had that box before (actually had some tonight, coincidentally enough) and it’s nearly identical to what you get in the restaurant.
She has since told me that occasionally you get a sound caused by air escaping their shells. Another place said stomachs. Apparently the guys in the kitchen were teasing their new help.
I’ve found a cite on Kitchen Myths verifying this but unless you absolutely need it I’ll skip the miserable process of trying to reproduce the URL. It’s from the 03/31/2011 issue.