A telltale sign of economic slowdown is the reduction in the price of lobsters... People aren't eating out as much and when they do they're not spending as much as they did a few months ago. A quick conversation with Chef Patrick Sheerin from the Signature Room confirmed that the past few weeks have seen a marked decline in patrons, though expectations for the remaining chunk of the holiday season should be a buoy of sorts. (had to throw that nautical reference).
Ordered live from Pine Point Fisherman's Co-op in Maine at Lobstercoop.com you'll be dropping $6.95 for a one pound lobster, $13.50 for a 1.5 pounder ($9/lb) and $25.00 for a jumbo 2lb lobster. What better way to save the economy than to support the co-op. You don't have to order live either... they do par-cooked.
I just think of Annie Hall...
Picked up some lobsters for only 6.88/lb. at Mayflower on Cermack in Chinatown (next to the citibank branch).
Posted by: sanfermin | December 13, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Are they Maine or imported? That's a bargain price either way. Live? How big?
Posted by: Josh | December 13, 2008 at 07:09 PM
domestic or imported? - don't know.... they were live so I assume they came from Maine or Canada. And they were very lively despite being crammed in the tank.
The 6.88 price was for large ones, the ones I got were 3 lbs.... I think the smaller ones were were $1 less. Hard to tell - signs were in Chinese and I didn't bring my chinese friend who introduced me to the place.
Note about the signs/prices - there's a discount for buying more than 1 of an item.. so you should see 2 prices - one if you just bought 1, and another if you buy 2 or more. Often the guy working the live fish counter will NOT speak English so you need to point and then hold up fingers to indicate quantity.
I took some pictures of the signs and had my friend translate:
"Eel 3.98/lb
Crab 5.78/lb (purchase of 1 crab) 5.38/lb (purchase of 2+)
Lobster 5.98/lb (purchase of 2 lobsters or more) But plus $1 (it's not clear but assume it meant it purchase of 1)."
Good place if you haven't been - in addition to the Lobsters they had Dungeness crab, blue crab, LIVE shrimp!?!?, live turtles, frogs, conch, eels, etc....
The seafood counter is in the back/side.
It's the in the mall at the corner of Cermack/Wentworth (next to the Citibank).
Posted by: sanfermin | December 14, 2008 at 07:10 AM
correction on the address of Mayflower -- it's at Archer and Wentworth
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mayflower-food-chicago
Posted by: sanfermin | December 14, 2008 at 07:25 AM