The Lobster Pot is Now Open, Celebrating Their 40th Year Serving Provincetown

This fine lobster was flambéed in brandy and roasted to perfection.

As May rolls around, Provincetown's 2019 season begins with favorite restaurants, like the Lobster Pot, springing open.
A friend took me there on Saturday, insisting that we needed to kick off the season with a little "lobster celebration." She was right.
We had a delightful meal in the upstairs dining room, with that fabulous view, watching the twilight slowly taking over as the Long Point lighthouse and various lights around the harbor flickered on.
With a few boats on the water lighting up as well, and the flock of people strolling Commercial Street, and with the throng of diners and revelers packing into the restaurant, it felt like the summer season was off to a pretty good start. 
A large, festive crowd had gathered at The Top of the Pot, celebrating the Kentucky Derby with a cocktail or two, and watching the race on the TVs at the bar as they each cheered on their favorite horse. There were folks with costumes or props, too, like top hats, outrageous jewelry, and even fur coats, since it was a bit chilly out. But I also saw sleeveless summer frocks paired with huge, flowery hats, despite the 49 degree temperature and a wind chill much lower. There's no one braver than a drag queen. 
 

I love the fresh bread basket at "The Pot."

Our dinner started off with the Lobster Pot's great bread basket, with dinner rolls, a crispy, herbed flatbread, and their signature pumpkin bread, made daily in their own kitchen.
We each ordered a house salad, served with a carousel of their from-scratch dressings. Most Townies, myself included, will tell you they drizzle a little toasted sesame dressing and creamy garlic on their salad for a unique taste. I'm also fond of the blue cheese.
My friend ordered a pound-and-a-half pan roasted lobster, pictured above. It's served on a pool of fine herb butter sauce, which has a surprising bit of sweetness to it, probably from the brandy they use to flambé the lobster before they slide it into the oven to roast. Served with roasted red potatoes, this is a very popular dish.

Being a bit of a purist, I most often order my lobster steamed (sometimes referred to as "boiled,") which is the old-fashioned cooking method that has made New England lobsters famous the world over. It's the simplest possible preparation of this noble crustacean, unadorned except for a dip in melted butter and maybe a squeeze of lemon. The deep, cold waters surrounding Provincetown are just right for raising happy, sweet, succulent lobsters.

This beautiful lobster was bigger than it looked on this huge platter.

My steamed lobster weighed in at 2 1/4 pounds, cooked perfectly, served with a side of roasted red potatoes.
Any size lobster in the tank can easily be served in myriad preparations, but part of the fun for me is in cracking it open myself, and spending 40 minutes or more, depending on its size, digging out all of those tasty morsels.
Since the two-pounders were all sold out, I happily bumped up my order. The biggest one in the tank on this night was a portly 11 pounds.

Of course, the Lobster Pot also serves a few wonderful Portuguese specialties, along with chicken, steak, burgers, vegetarian choices, and there's a gluten-free menu, too. "The Pot" serves nearly any kind of seafood you can name, any way you can imagine. Lobster alone is done in over two-dozen ways, from bisque to bouillabaisse, from lobster ravioli to lobster mac n' cheese.
There are great desserts as well, plus a full service bar, attentive service, and a view of the water from nearly every table. And the McNulty family couldn't be more gracious hosts. All of these things have made the Lobster Pot a favorite Provincetown restaurant ever since they opened their doors in 1979. We welcome them back for the 2019 season, as they celebrate their 40th year serving our community in so many ways.
There's no better place in town to get your lobster fix. Bon appétit!