Obsession | Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough

When I think of the summertime I think of New England. Growing up my family spent a lot of time on Cape Cod and in Eastern Connecticut, close to Mystic / New London where my mother grew up. I have fond memories of those times, the music, the sun, the smells and the food. Especially the lobster. Without a doubt my all time favorite lobster place is Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough in Noank, CT. The picturesque little shack of a restaurant sits in the most beautiful little corner of New England, facing a quaint harbor of wooden sail boats. The whole thing just makes me want to buy up some land and start painting pictures.

ACL Endorses | Macao Trading Co.

Anyone that has tried to sneak off the island through the Holland tunnel will tell you, timing is everything in New York City. Same thing goes for new restaurants. You have to get there before the crush of humanity does, or you are in a word, fucked. The best possible time to nab an easy reservation is a holiday weekend, when Manhattan is at half capacity. So last night I took the opportunity to hit the new restaurant Macao Trading Co. If you are unfamiliar, Macao was for many years a Portuguese colony off the coast of mainland China, which helps explain the menu at the new TriBeCa spot. It is also important to point out that MTC is the second undertaking from the team behind Employees Only, has an excellent drink list (said drinks can be pricey) and is fully ACL endorsed.

Thanks to Urban Daddy for the tip and the images.

It’s Official…

Everything is better in Japan. McDonalds recently launched two Japanese concept restaurants in Shibuya and Omotesando called Quarter Pounder. As expected, or not expected, the place is totally amazingly on-point. The super simple menu is limted to a Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder, fries and drinks. That’s it.

Curious why they would open a restaurant that only sells Quarter Pounders? According to Business Week, it all comes down to the grill. “McDonald’s has sold its Quarter Pounder in the U.S. since the early 1970s. But until a few weeks ago there was only one place in Japan where you could get one: in Kumamoto prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu. Former McDonald’s officials say the fast-food chain’s outlets in Japan lacked the proper grill to churn out the burgers in big quantities.” There you have it.

Dear McDonalds, please open a restaurant in your own country that is cool. Thank you.

Weekend Video | Thomas Keller

Earlier this week Charlie Rose sat down for an interesting and informative interview with Chef Thomas Keller. The full episode is below.

Further Reading:

The French Laundry Cook Book

Animal Farm Butter

Elysian Fields