664527 Tue Nov 03 18:27:03 -0800 2009 13 12 Boston Area 0 5153772 I know this is a bland request, but I'm having a brain cramp... I have a friend in town who wants lobster, but is not excited about the whole shelling thing. I know any of the steakhouses will de-shell it, but are there suggestions for somewhere more interesting? Unfortunately, I'm not a seafood fan, so Neptune/B&G are lost on me. Other suggestions? Chinatown/ethnic suggestions are ok, dives are ok., but he might be looking for the more "lobster" experience. Downtown/South End/Back Bay/North End are probably best. Thank you! Tue Nov 03 18:27:03 -0800 2009 10768 cmd 1 5154450 that's sometimes called lazyman's lobster, where all the claws and such are cracked so you just need to pick out the meat. most better places, from hammersley's to clio, will have some sort of lobster on the menu, not in the shell. they can, however, be spendy. not sure what you mean by "lobster experience", but places like legal's do a perfectly serviceable steamed lobster and the staff will give your friend some shelling guidance. it's not hard, but can be messy. or fun, depends on your friend, lol. Wed Nov 04 05:48:55 -0800 2009 5153772 30273 hotoynoodle 1 5155080 Interestingly enough lazyman's lobster seems to have pretty much disappeared from most menus. Amrheins in South Boston had it on as a special most of last winter and their version is pretty good. It seems as though most restaurants have made the switch to lobster mac and cheese. Maybe a nice lobster fradiavolo in the North End would be a good choice? Wed Nov 04 09:04:50 -0800 2009 5153772 26213 Pegmeister 2 5155153 op could also request the kitchen crack the lobster for them. lots of servers can't do it quickly enough, but a line cook will do it in flash. Wed Nov 04 09:25:53 -0800 2009 5155080 30273 hotoynoodle 1 5155172 I haven't had it so I can't directly confirm, but Summer Shack has a pan-roasted lobster that I expect would be served "open." Worth calling. Wed Nov 04 09:30:26 -0800 2009 5153772 23882 dtremit 2 5155424 The SS pan-roasted lobster is still almost as much work as a "regular" lobster. Not sure if they will otherwise serve lobster lazy-style. Wed Nov 04 10:36:30 -0800 2009 5155172 11148 Alcachofa 1 5155182 What about the lobster Savannah at Locke-Ober? Wed Nov 04 09:33:31 -0800 2009 5153772 11301 Science Chick 2 5155640 Abe and Louie's also has a couple of "out of the shell" lobster preparations. Wed Nov 04 11:41:14 -0800 2009 5155182 11301 Science Chick 1 5156584 I serve at Legal's, and we are often asked to de-shellify the lobsters for our guests. And we do, tableside. Wed Nov 04 16:24:44 -0800 2009 5153772 285478 sourcandy 1 5157984 There's an article in this weeks Boston Phoenix: Jade Garden Seafood Restaurant. http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Food/92505-JADE-GARDEN-SEAFOOD-RESTAURANT/ Thu Nov 05 08:30:34 -0800 2009 5153772 275737 egon 1 5158029 What about getting a hot lobster roll? Not fancy, but easy to eat and tasty. Thu Nov 05 08:47:02 -0800 2009 5153772 150870 lbfoody 1 5160331 Thanks for the suggestions. We ended up at Grill 23 (I know I was looking for alternatives to the steakhouse, but I couldn't get him to go for the Chinatown option--he wanted the whole dipping it in butter thing). The meal was very good, if pricey, and the room is indeed deafening. I've sat upstairs in the past, so I always thought those comments were exaggerated. Nope, it's loud. Also, there was a lot of salt. I happen to love salt so it wasn't a problem, but I noticed the butter with the bread basket was quite salty, the mushrooms were salty, even the crust on my (really tasty) dry aged steak was salty. The "truffle tots," though, were not. They also weren't all that truffle-ish, and didn't really work for me. Anyway, I hadn't been there in years, and probably won't be back for awhile, but I enjoyed it. Thank you for the other suggestions--I'll keep them in mind for the next visitor who just has to have lobster. Fri Nov 06 05:13:25 -0800 2009 5153772 10768 cmd 2 5160698 Go to Belle Isle Seafood (on the bridge crossing over to Winthrop) - get a couple of lobster rolls, no mayo, and take it to a nearby park and eat it at a picnic table.. Fri Nov 06 07:51:20 -0800 2009 5160331 176367 grant.cook 3 5160707 I believe the OP said he is not a seafood fan and was looking for something they could BOTH eat. AAR, looks like they ended up having a good time at Grill 23. Fri Nov 06 07:52:46 -0800 2009 5160698 11301 Science Chick