Lobster roll mania. If we were in a Foster Wallace novel, we would go through all of the Restaurants in Rome with a fine tooth comb, and we would come out with a new wisdom (or maybe a good non-fiction novel) to recount the suffering of lobsters and the thousands of ways to kill them. Yes, because this Autumn in Rome, like some sort of trendy apocalpyse, lobsters are raining from the skies. Just read the Puntarella news feeds and you will detect the abnormal increase in restaurants offering lobsters in every immaginable preperation. Lobster in Rome is really cool. And, have some patience if “lobster” is not always the species known to Americans (l’aragosta), but often a less valuable species without claws common to the Medeterranian (astici or spiny lobster). The most talked-about opening was Ted burger & lobster in the Prati neighborhood. The big idea this year is to democratize the crustacean, which up until now has been a symbol of luxury out of reach for the pockets of commoners. What’s better than marrying lobster with the hamburger, the king of junk food, the main star of the table in Roman restaurants this past year?
Ham Holy Burger, a chain with branches in Rome, Genova and Milan, has just launched the lobster roll, a brioche bread in the classic American style. But wait, we haven’t finished: in San Lorenzo Mel has opened on via dei Sabelli. Then there is Meat & Lobster. This summer lobster has also appeared at Fish lab in Ponte Milvio.
But, of course, Rome has only followed the fashions, not invented them. Paris and London have been onto the trend for a couple of years. And glance over at Milan, already obsessed with the trend for some time: there is Lovster & co (on via Caretto), Corallo Lobster bar in the Rinascente department store, and Fishbar of Milan.
In short, should restaurants continue riding the waves of fashion, chasing a new fetish to the point of over-saturation before finding yet another? I mean think about it, dear restauranteurs, because we’ve had our fill of meatballs, burgers and now lobster.
