Ed’s Lobster Bar
222 Lafayette Street between Spring/Kenmare Streets
New York, NY 10012
(212) 343-3236
Subway: 6 to Spring Street
Bus: M1 to Spring Street; M103 to Kenmare/Delancey Streets


Popping in for brunch on a Sunday afternoon, I was a bit nervous for long lines a la Pearl Oyster Bar (the chef’s former stomping ground); despite Ed’s Lobster Bar being relatively new (it opened just over a week ago), it arrived with a lot of hoopla (including DailyCandy). But the pretty space was relatively calm, which I attribute partly to the neighborhood (late risers) and partly to the newness.

My friends and I sat at the counter, even though there are tables in the back, because the server behind the counter was super friendly without being annoying. He’s also easy on the eyes, which made Sunday morning easier for me. Since we were starving (in particular, me), we just started ordering.

The New England clam chowder was disappointing; it was thin, very potatoey and lacked any distinct clam flavor. I’ve had this broth-like milky chowder before in Rhode Island, but I prefer a creamier chowder with lots of clams. Fried calamari was good, in that it wasn’t greasy, nor was it overcooked, but it wasn’t particularly memorable. The real standout was the Prince Edward Island mussels in a lobster and fennel broth, which screamed for bread to soak up the fragrant, flavorful liquid.

Many of the other dishes on the chalkboard sounded appetizing (oyster roll, clam roll, linguine with clams, whole grilled pompano, steamers), but we were there for one thing: the lobster roll ($19). And this one was a beauty: large chunks of sweet, tender lobster lightly bathed in mayo, with a brunoise of celery mixed in, were stuffed into a buttery hot dog-style roll and garnished with snippets of chives. I prefer my fries, which accompany the lobster roll, to be much crisper, but the surprise were the small pile of pickles which were extremely vinegary and extremely delicious.

After finishing my lobster roll (and some of my friend’s), I decided I was still hungry and of the three desserts offered, I opted for the blueberry crème brulee. Very creamy, this dessert had blueberries baked into the center, which was visually attractive and tasty, although it was a tad too sweet for me on a Sunday morning.

Some in my crew proclaimed that Pearl’s lobster roll is better. I haven’t been to Pearl’s since the fall, but I think Ed’s buttery roll really added a new dimension to the standard lobster roll (a Pearl revisit is probably in order). But I enjoyed Ed’s; something about the juxtaposition of the very clean and preppy white-washed walls and the long granite counter with the rugged tattooed chef and cool hipster servers gave me a sense of comfort. It was just so New York.