Lucky 'Larry' trades boiling water for Long Island Sound

I read a great story today in "The Day" that I thought might put a smile on some foodie's faces, about a local lobster named Larry, so here it is:


The life of a 17-pound, 80-year-old lobster that was destined for a pot of boiling water was spared on Tuesday and instead of becoming a memorable dinner is now back in the ocean. The lobster was caught somewhere in the waters of New England — where exactly, they won't say — and then purchased by The Dock Restaurant. That's when Don MacKenzie, vice president of Boats Inc. in Niantic, stepped in. "This lobster has seen World War I, World War II, seen the landing on the moon and the Red Sox win the World Series, he's made it this far in life," MacKenzie said. "He deserves to live." When The Dock received the lobster, named "Larry" by the children who came to visit him over the weekend, word got out around town last week that someone had reserved the lobster for dinner.
"There was a price on the guy, but I won't say how much it was," MacKenzie said. "Let's just say that it's the most expensive lobster I never ate." Restaurant manager Kristen Eighme said she spent the weekend holding the lobster for the groups of children who wanted to touch it and take pictures with it. She has the scratches on her arms to prove that she had been cradling it like a baby. "Battle wounds," she said, cracking a smile. "The kids loved him. He brought a lot of smiles here this weekend. He was the star of the show." Thick rubber bands were wrapped around each claw to prevent the lobster from pinching anyone who wanted to get close enough to touch. The rubber bands were cut off before "Larry" was released, and MacKenzie kept them as a memento. While there is no scientific way to determine a lobster's age, Mackenzie said, the most common way is by its size and by estimating how many times it has shed its shell. He estimated the lobster to be between 80 and 100 years old.
Before Mackenzie boarded the boat to get the lobster from the restaurant, a group of children started chanting, "Let Larry live, let Larry live!" Meeting MacKenzie and Boats Inc. head rigger Steve Wilson at the boat was John Baez, 10, who agreed the best place for the lobster was in the water, not on a plate. "He's 70 to 100 years old and he's a bigger lobster so we should see how long he can live," Baez said. He admitted he enjoys a good lobster, but "Larry" wouldn't be an option. "He's too big. The meat would be too tough," Baez said. On the way out to sea, "Larry" also received an official send-off from the Niantic River Bridge operator who sounded the opening and closing siren for the crustacean.
Released in Long Island Sound in an area of water that makes it impossible for draggers to drop their nets, MacKenzie and Wilson said they believed "Larry" would be safe. "They (lobstermen) drag during the day, so if he does venture out of this area, hopefully it will be at night," Wilson said. The exact location of the release point is confidential, Wilson said, so no one will try to catch him. "It takes seven years for him to even become a lobster big enough to keep," MacKenzie said. "For a lobster to live this long and avoid lobster traps, nets, lobster pots ... he doesn't deserve a bib and butter."

Diners will always have a soft spot in my heart

Loyal blog followers have been wondering where I have been, and what accounts for the recent lack of posts. Well, trust be told, I am living out of state for the summer, and expanding the depths of my palate in the city of Philadelphia and nearby Delaware. In the midst of torturing myself by working two full time jobs (don't ask!), I have found few free moments to go out exploring new gastronomic sites. However, this past weekend, I did find my way back to a diner that really deserves a post. 

Maybe it will inspire some budding culinary entrepreneurs to re-open the former Dishes/Oasis/Comet diner on Farmington Ave to it's former retro fabulous glory. It's certainly in desperate need of some attention. So, Lucky's Coffee Shop is nothing short of a blast from the past. Given the number of qualified "hipsters" in this zip code, it is not at all out of place, and is a welcome dining choice. 

On a former visit to my aunt and cousin, a group of us had packed into her small car, huddling together for warmth in the frigid January weather and shuffled into the diner for a surprisingly warm, and funky restaurant. The interior of the diner has retro booths, beautiful retro lamps, servers wearing tee shirts with quotes originating from a generation named "Flo", "Sue" and the like. This time, since I was alone, I strolled up to the counter, one my favorite dining spots in restaurants. Anyplace that has swirling stools, reminds me of going to Friendly's as a kid with my grandfather to order a "cone head" and I am instantly won over. 

Sadly, my camera's battery died right after I took a picture of my food (coming up), so this picture was borrowed from "Delaware Today". Regardless, one of the best features of this "diner" is that you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner whenever you want. I immediately thought of my friend who is constantly having to suffer because breakfast stops being served at noon in most places, and that's not even mentioning the challenges of late breakfasts during the week. I settled on a spinach, tomato and feta cheese omelet. I was midway through asking for rye toast when the waitress mentioned that it came with a biscuit. Really? A biscuit? Well, I saw no need to mess with a good thing. 

Uhm it was divine! This really is a restaurant, as it is far better fare than you usually are dished out at most diners that I have ever been to. Truly a great experience, and my biscuit? Well that was basically dessert. Now, please somebody re-open my beloved diner in Hartford already!!!!

Link to menu: http://luckyscoffeeshop.com/PDF's/Luckys%20Menu%20may08.pdf


And if you ever find yourself in Delaware, or are passing through to get to your other destination, stop and experience this place, you won't regret it. 


Lucky's Coffee Shop website: http://luckyscoffeeshop.com/