Sudden Hankering

42 years ago my employer sent me to Maine. I don't remember much about the project, but one ancillary benefit sticks in memory.

I was served what seemed to be innumerable variations of lobster dishes, and the dining experience almost made me accept a transfer to the Waterville office. Friends still recount the time when I returned with a container of fifteen (15) live 1-lb. lobsters (at $2 apiece!) and invited them over for a feast the next night.

One Bay Area outlet that recreates the Maine ambience is New England Lobster Market. After a three-year hiatus, I had a sudden hankering for boiled hard-shelled crustacean, and the NELM had the ticket. The other members of the household agreed instantly to the suggestion.

The $29 daily special of a perfectly boiled 1-lb. lobster, cole slaw, and fries was simple and satisfying. (Take-out is better because one can tear into lobster, crab, and other shellfish unconstrained by public politesse.)

The dining-out budget limits us, but now that we've had a taste it won't be a three-year wait before the next visit.