 Following is the recent press reviews and recommendations that Urban Lobster has received. THE NEW YORK TIMES WEDNESDAY DINING SECTION Food Stuff
Chowdah? Lobstah? It’s New England in New York
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
Published: October 18, 2006
Owning a restaurant or a food shop was on Susan Austin’s lifetime to-do list. On Saturday, she and her husband, Rony Brovda, a former clothing manufacturer, opened Urban Lobster, 240 East Houston Street (Avenue A), (212) 677-2626; urbanlobster.com. There is a counter and a couple of tables in a little red-white-and-blue storefront.
Manhattan and New England clam chowders and shrimp-lobster bisque are light-textured but packed with flavor. The lobster roll is a generously meaty, no-frills classic. Ms. Austin has no fried food on her menu. Side dishes include creamed spinach, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Prices start at $6 for chowder and go to $64 for a complete shore dinner for two. A lobster roll is $19. (Remember, this place’s first name is Urban.)
Delivery is available for orders of $15 or more from West Broadway to Avenue C, and 14th to Canal Streets. A review by Bloomberg News Lobster Is Chauffeured: Food Buzz
By Ryan Sutton
Oct. 31
(Bloomberg.com) in the "NEWS" Section under "MUSE" (New York Dining Reviews):Lobster Delivery
Urban Lobster, a tiny East Village storefront place, stakes its claim to culinary stardom not on a ubiquitous brand but a unique service: It delivers steamed lobster, in its shell or on a buttered roll, to your workplace or doorstep.
Within 30 minutes of placing my order, the Houston Street kitchen prepared my opulent lunch and had it shipped to the Bloomberg building on Lexington Avenue near Bloomingdale's, courtesy of the ``Urban Lobster Mobile,'' a boxy Scion XB.
Speaking of cars, a lobster is a lot like a Ferrari. They're both for showing off and best when red.
That's why we placed our spread close to an escalator, so that a maximum number of passers-by could see the prize pound- and-a-half beast. To drive home the point, I donned the bib.
The New England chowder was smooth but needed more clam flavor. The Manhattan version balanced its component tomato and shellfish flavors better.
The roll was packed with almost 4 ounces of sweet lobster flesh. It was a little chewy and contained just a smattering of mayonnaise. If you've been disillusioned by the tarragon-spiked version at Ditch Plains, or the lobster on brioche at BLT Fish, this version should restore your faith.
And then there was that whole lobster, $25, from Maine or Canada. I typically rend lobsters with my bare hands; here, I needed a cracker, and a plastic one came with the package. The claw meat was saline and tender; the tail had a bit more heft. Why can't I find a reasonably priced lobster in a restaurant that's just as tasty?
Your roll, by the way, may be warmer if you drop by the 12-seat storefront, but isn't impressing your friends with chauffeured lobster more important? Bill Boggs for CityBuzzNewYork.com says this about Urban Lobster:
Craving Alaskan King crab legs for lunch? Want to dine out tonight in a relaxed atmosphere? Both succeed when you order from Urban Lobster. Without frying any food, Chef Susan Austin creates a New England clam shack in the Big Apple. You can easily order your food to go, have it delivered, or eat at the restaurant. The lobster roll is highly recommended. With all the possibilities at the Urban Lobster it will satisfy any consumer.
Urban Lobster featured in NY Magazine: New York Magazine
Restaurant Openings & Buzz
Week of October 16, 2006:
Urban Lobster
240 E. Houston St., at Ave. A; 212-677-2626
Susan Austin describes herself as a 30-minute chef and a lifelong foodie who’s worked in importing, manufacturing, marketing, and fashion. This week, she chucks all that to follow her culinary bliss at Urban Lobster, the twelve-seat East Village clam shack she’s opening with her husband, Rony Brovda. Their menu, which Austin intends to sell mostly for takeout and delivery (via a tricked-out Scion xB), covers such familiar turf—make that surf—as chowders and bisques, lobster bakes, and peel-and-eat shrimp. You might expect an old salt to be at the helm of such a staunchly traditional operation, but only the seafood comes from Maine and Canada. Austin’s from the Five Towns. We were a Weekend Pick by DailyCandy.com!October 12, 2006
The Weekend Guide
Come out of your shell.
EAT
Urban Lobster
What: Crab cakes! Chowders! Mussels!
Why: Bisque in the glory of lobster rolls delivered to your desk.
When: Now’s the tide.
Where: 240 E. Houston St., at Ave. A (212-677-2626).As Seen On EatingInTranslation.com:Urban Lobster -
If you have your eyes on the fries, look elsewhere. Steaming is the favored style at this East Village takeout that would be equally at ease on the Jersey shore. A side of broccoli with olive oil ($3.25) didn't stint on the garlic; New England clam chowder ($6) — fattened up with butter and light cream, plus onions, potatoes, and an ample helping of the namesake crustaceans — was very comforting on a brisk day.
A Recent Note Sent To Our Website: (unedited except for the sender's location):Dear Urban Lobster, Hi, I enjoyed today at lunch your Urban Lobster Roll. I am from New England originally and now live in (deleted to protect the sender's anonymity). I am always in search of a "good" lobster roll and today I found it. It was absolutely delicious, fresh, not too much mayonnaise and served on the correctly toasted, top sliced, hot dog roll.
My husband and I fly almost every weekend (we have our own plane) and we fly all along the New England coast plus we have a summer place in Maine. I have had at least 15 lobster rolls this summer alone. You are sharing the #1 spot in my humble opinion with Bob"s Clam Shack in Kittery Maine. All the others pale in comparison.
I told my daughter who lives in the upper west side about you and she is anxious to order a lobster dinner for her family and friends some winter evening.
Please put me on your mailing list. See you the next time I am in the "city"
C.H.____________________________Urban Lobster has no publicist and we have never paid any PR firm to represent us. This website was created and is updated by our teenage daughter....we're foodies, not "techies", afterall. One can't imagine how amazed and thrilled we have been by all the unsolicited positive media attention and the huge welcome we've experienced by the public since we opened our doors. It was part of the dream...to meet new faces who then become familiar ones once you all return again and again. Thank you all!
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