Ohhhh how I love Lobster

Some people have the budget to eat caviar and drink champagne every night.  Some people are on a ramen noodle every night budget, and there are those of us that fit somewhere in between.  Even though I’m on a budget I still love gourmet food.  My parents made my sister and I members of the “tasty club” growing up, so I love all different types of food and weird ingredients like fois gras, truffle oil, and scallops, none of which is particularly budget friendly especially if you order them out at fancy restaurants.  I mean really how can a person on a budget afford a $37 scallop entrée when that is half their food shopping budget week?  I have two magical words for all you budget conscious people out there Restaurant Week!  These magical words should not only send chills down your spine, but get you as excited as a kid on Christmas morning because they mean that you can get anywhere from a 3 to 5 course meal for $30 to $50 for dinner and even less for lunch at some of the best restaurants in your area.

            I recently visited 2 excellent Jersey Shore hot spots for Jersey Shore restaurant week and had two amazing meals each of which only cost $30 each for 3 courses.  My first delectable dining experience was at Red’s Lobster Pot in Point Pleasant, NJ.  They were offering dishes like Prince Edward Island Mussels in a Lobster, Fennel broth, Lobster fritters and Clam Chowder for appetizers and Lobster and Mushroom Strudel, a 1 ¼ lb Lobster with fries and coleslaw, and Garlic & Herb Crusted Cod for entrees, along with a choice of Carrot Cake or Key Lime Pie for dessert.  Words that should pop out at you here "LOBSTER" and "MUSSELS".  The market prices on these items can put a serious pinch in your paycheck, and if you order them at a fancy restaurant you can spend as much on a lobster as you would a pair of pants and a shirt. Armed with this knowledge of course I picked the items with as much lobster in them as possible…the lobster fritters and the lobster, both of which were excellent.  The lobster fritters were perfectly fried and came with a Cajun remoulade that added just the right amount of spice to the dish and the lobster was quite possibly one of the best I’ve ever had.  It was super sweet, full of flavor, and nicely filled out.  I’ve had a number of lobsters that looked like they went on a diet before ending up on my plate, this was definitely not one of them!  My dinner was finished off with a delicious piece of carrot cake, a perfect way to end a meal.  So to recap I ate Lobster Fritters, a Whole Lobster and Carrot Cake all for just $30!!  The best part about Red’s it’s a BYOB!  That means you don’t have to spend $30 for a bottle of wine that costs a fraction of that at the liquor store so your hard earned dollar can stretch a lot farther!  This is an excellent place to visit in the summer so check out the Dextrous Diner’s Wednesday Wine of the Week (http://dexterousdining.blogspot.com/) for a great $10 wine and enjoy a relaxing evening on the inlet and great food.

Hope I didn’t make you all too hungry!

Until Next Time,

Broke Girl