B. Smith's, Sag Harbor: Another Lobster Enters The Fray, Sans Roll

When my mother came to visit this past Sunday, she wanted three things: beach, beer, and bivalves on the half shell. The beach she got at the Surf Club in Quogue; the beer, clams, and oysters came courtesy of B. Smith's in Sag Harbor.

This seafood restaurant just past the windmill has a lovely deck overlooking the harbor, a surprisingly eclectic menu (curried oysters with wasabi coconut sauce, cornmeal-encrusted calamari), and charming, courteous service. It also has lobsters, and I decided to order one. It came atop a bed of nicely sauteed summer squash and zuccini, with an overcooked ear of corn on the side, but I didn't stop for these accompaniments. When I order lobster, I eat everything but the shell: the brains, the roe, the tamale, the lungs... and while B. Smith's chef had gone to the trouble of splitting my beauty,  he hadn't removed a thing.

I know I've had a satisfying lobster experience when I can no longer stomach the idea of eating one. Right now, that's exactly how I feel, and at $35 for a one and a half pounder, that's probably a good thing.