Zabar’s Lobster Salad Has No Lobster; Goes Seafaring Instead

Daniel D'Addario — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:27:53 -0400

It took fifteen years for someone to notice that Zabar's so-called "Lobster Salad" contains no lobster; a visiting journalist from New Orleans, per the Times, took note of "pink/orange tails" that seemed more of Louisiana than Maine.

It was crayfish! That's a less-heralded sea creature which Saul Zabar claims can be defined as a lobster per Wikipedia, though he changed the name to "seafare salad" under pressure from the Maine Lobster Council. While the visiting New Orleans journalist found the crayfish-based salad to be expensive at $16.95 a pound, Mr. Zabar says that a lobster-based salad would be far more expensive.

There's plenty to discuss at the upcoming "Crayfish and Cocktails" party (which serves exactly what it advertises--no Wikipedia justifications here!) in the Hamptons--ask your hosts whether, like Mr. Zabar, they prefer the texture or they find lobster prohibitively expensive! At least they're upfront about the shellfish they're serving--to paraphrase Hamlet, "To brine own self be true."

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_

Observer » Zabar’s Lobster Salad Has No Lobster; Goes Seafaring Instead

Zabar’s Lobster Salad Has No Lobster; Goes Seafaring Instead