Pearl Oyster Bar Review - Greenwich Village - New York - The Infatuation

"Lobster rolls are a hot button topic in this town. Bring up the subject of whose is best in a large group and you're likely to stir up either a passionate discourse or a knife fight, depending on what kind of crowd you run with. We're healing up nicely, thanks. We certainly have an opinion on the topic, but are also equal opportunity eaters. We haven't met too many lobster rolls we don't like. Not the case for some. As a matter of fact, there is a rivalry that exists between fans of Pearl Oyster Bar's roll and Mary's Fish Camp loyalists that's almost as heated as the Biggie/Tupac beef was before Al Gore had them both killed. We're entitled to our theory. We'd like to use this review to go on record and say two things: We really like Pearl Oyster Bar, and stop the violence. Pearl's lobster roll won't take the title of best in town from us, but the place does score high on the Infatuation meter. Almost everything on the menu is fantastic, and we love sitting at the bar with an Anchor Steam and getting into some seafood with our hands. What really keeps us coming back though, is the fried oyster sandwich. That thing is food worth fighting over. Food Rundown Market Oysters A selection of six oysters from the East Coast. Pretty standard, but tasty nonetheless. Make sure to ask for some horseradish on the side. The Pearl Lobster Roll This is one creamy lobster roll. Big chunks of lobster and lemony mayo are all over the place - no celery though. This comes served with a huge pile of salty shoestring fries that make for one satisfying plate of food. It's the antithesis to the purist simplicity of Luke's, but is still one of the best lobster rolls you'll find anywhere. Fried Oyster Roll For us, this is the real star of the Pearl Oyster Bar menu. Crunchy fried oysters on top of the same soft roll that the lobster is served on, but slathered with tartar sauce. Insanely good. Soft Shell Crab A tasty option if they're in season and on the menu. Nothing but two crunchy crabs on a plate with some garnish. Who needs more?" - Chris Stang