Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia Street between Bleecker and W. 4th Sts (Greenwich Village)
NY, NY 10014
(212) 691 8211
http://www.pearloysterbar.com
On a recent Friday night of celebratory joy, 3 friends and I tried to get into Pearl Oyster Bar for lobster rolls and were dissuaded from consuming a proper meal by the 3-hour wait time. Instead, we called Mermaid Inn, an old faithful in my handbook, and were told that a table of 4 was available. I felt lucky that at 8pm on a Friday night, an open table awaited us. Really though, I should have found that odd.
Upon arrival, 3 of us ordered lobster rolls and one had the skate. The lobster rolls tasted nothing like Mermaid’s lobster rolls of times past – the roll was over-buttered and the bread-to-lobster ratio was exceedingly large. Small chunks (rather, flakes) of lobster smothered in mayonnaise didn’t even touch all of edges of the challah-like bun the sandwich is served on. Disappointingly, the Old Bay-sprinkled french fries were far superior to the lobster roll. On top of that disappointment, the usual flatbread that Mermaid typically serves with meal was MIA and the beloved, complimentary pot au crème only arrived once we questioned its whereabouts.
With good fortune, less than a week later, a friend and I visited Pearl Oyster Bar. It was a Wednesday night and the restaurant was bustling. So excited I was to consume a proper lobster roll, that I chose for us to face a wall during our meal. Luscious, large chunks of lobster, celery you can taste without overpowering the meaty flavor of the lobster, served simply in a hot dog bun. My only complaint, if even a complaint, is Pearl’s slight overuse of mayonnaise. This could be of my opinion only, but a tad less mayo could have made for a supreme, ruling lobster roll.
Of course, the whole meal went down much easier with a dozen Kumamoto oysters which were quite good and a glass of Cava apiece.
Following such a meal, dessert is an unnecessary consideration. That’s how a real lobster roll should make you feel – satisfied – considering an entire lobster’s contents are used to make an individual roll.
As for Pearl, they have it right for here in New York City. However, I’m still on the hunt for the perfect lobster roll. One to bring me back to Red’s in Maine.
