A Tale of Two Lobster Rolls

In olden times, the lobster was an abundant, filthy creature fit only for the mouths of the coastal poor & indigent. Over time, as the lands between America's coast got to try lobster for the first time, demand rose, resulting in less lobster & higher prices. Once trashy. Now fancy. A tale of two lobsters, if you will.

In Park Slope, on 5th Ave two blocks in either direction from Union St, there are two different but basically delicious lobster rolls...a tale of two lobster rolls, if you will.

Two blocks south of Union there's Luke's Lobster who, after a slight delay, finally opened two Fridays ago between President & Carroll. Through their Maine-influenced cuisine, they've grown from a food truck to a fourteen location chain spanning three metro areas (NYC, DC, Philly). Contrary to popular belief, their name is not a sly reference to one of the more popular soap opera phalluses of all time.

The new space embodies all the homey, New England charm that Luke's other locations are known for, with old wood & lobster gear adorning the walls. While the menu is essentially the same as the other locations, they do have slices of Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie ($6).

Their Lobster Roll ($15) is your basic buttery lobster spiced up & served in a slightly toasted, buttery roll. While their menu also has rolls of the crab & shrimp variety, about 90% of the time, I opt for the lobster roll. The lobster's always fresh & the roll's always simple & combined with my nostalgia for my New England upbringing & need for luxury, I can't resist getting it. I just wish it didn’t cost friggin $15.

Two blocks north of Union, there's a lobster roll of a different variety...the SUSHI variety. Lobster. Sushi. Those two words combined should be enough for awesomeness, but it turns out that it's not so simple.

I first came across said lobster roll a few weeks back whilst trying to kill time post-work with a bev & drink. When I returned last week to have it again, I for some reason thought I had got it at Kiku. Turns out it was at NANA. Then it hit me...NANA has the same name as that of my f'n awesome nana, who passed a few weeks back. Subconsciously, that's probably why, after years of ignoring it, I finally decided to step foot in the place.

In the two times that I've now been, I've sat at the bar up front & listened to weird guys telling crazy stories from the end of the bar. The first time it was a guy explaining the rainfall in the Pacific Northwest. The second time it was some dude discussing his time in the war & subsequent time as a man of the cloth. I guess that religious thing didn't work out for him.

Basically, NANA's Lobster Roll ($13) isn't really worth the money. Sure the lobster's paired with avocado, asparagus & lettuce with fish eggs on the outside and a semi-spicy sauce on top, but all that shit together doesn't add up to the price. You only get five pieces & the two end pieces are the best part, meaning that 3/5 of the roll is more meh than it should be. I can't say I won't get drunk & order one again in the future, but it almost makes Luke's Lobster Roll, with its abundant lobster, look like a bargain.

If I had to compare the two dishes in some sort of Crazy Crustacean Clash, I'd have to choose the Luke's Lobster version. With theirs, it's almost a meal. With NANA's, you eat the roll & think "that didn’t do a damn thing for my appetite." Either way, regardless of which is better, paying way more money than you probably should for stuff is a great way of boosting your self-esteem. As such, I highly recommend either lobster roll.

Luke's Lobster, 237 5th Ave (btwn President & Carroll)
NANA, 155 Fifth Ave (btwn Lincoln Pl & St John's Pl)