8/11/05 | L.A. Lobster Festival
[ Currently Eating: Much Needed Nectarine ]
Why hello there… we haven’t visited the infamous Cheap Eats Hall of Shame lately, thought I’ve been meaning to put a few entries in. A friend sent me a bunch of food links the other day in L.A. (including the local Tofu Festival in J-town). I took one look at the link for the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival and knew I had a good candidate for the Hall of Shame.
First off, I’ll have you know that when I can afford it (read: when it is provided for free through hook or crook or maybe scavenging off an unsuspecting yuppie’s plate) I really do like lobster. I’m very partial to it, especially when it is stir fried with massive quantities of garlic, onions, scallions at any of the multitudes of Chinese restaurants around me. And actually, when a restaurant is having a promotion or sale, it can be phenomenally cheap. Same with crab, shrimp, fish, squid or any number of other ocean creepy crawlies. Yum.
But I have to give “un-props” to whoever came up with this Lobster Festival. First, “Port of Los Angeles”? What a joke. They must mean “Ecologically Unfriendly Ocean Dump of Los Angeles”. Actually, I know they mean San Pedro, but still. I live here, so I’ve seen the beach closures and know about the high PCB and heavy metals levels in locally caught fish. This is just some spinster trying to put a shiny happy face on L.A. in order to lift a couple more dollars off the Beverly Hillites.
Second, you will note that not only do the lobsters NOT come from the Port of Los Angeles, but they go to great pains to advertise that “The Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival proudly serves only lobsters from the Great State of Maine.” In other words, these are ALL Maine Lobsters. This is just weird… I mean I totally understand the tradition of lobster festivals from the New England area because that’s where the durned lobsters come from right? So why does L.A. feel the need to make their OWN lobster festival that features lobster caught on the other side of the continent? They actually have to ship that 12 tons of Maine lobster here.
The reason I’m going off on it, is because that what most people don’t know is that California HAS their own lobsters. Anyone with a fishing license can go out in a boat during the lobster season and catch them with sanctioned traps. It’s not like we’re in the Midwest and importing lobsters from Maine. They’re right in our backyard, but the festival ONLY uses Maine Lobster.
Well, I suspect this is sort of like getting fish and chips at a seaside resort on the east coast when almost all of the fish in Fish and Chips comes from Alaska (I believe it is pollock fillets but might also be something else). I also don’t know about the availability of commercial caught California Lobster, so maybe I’m talking out of my ass here. I know I HAVE had california lobster and while it’s smaller and maybe less tasty, it’ll do.
But even if they were using California Lobster, the final nail in Davy Jones Locker is the price. Sixteen dollars for a lobster dinner at a Lobster Festival just don’t seem right. “Shell-a-bration ” indeed. Shell out your dollars now so whatever company is behind this travesty can make a quick buck. If the price of lobster wasn’t enough, there’s also an ADMISSION fee of six dollars. So jack the actual price of a lobster dinner up to twenty two bucks. The entertainment is free though. But it sure does look sucky. For instance, “Fantastic Diamond” – a Tribute to Neil Diamond, is one of the main acts? Ugh times three.
I am trying to think of other points to bring up to rip them a new one, but I’m getting agitated here. I’m not even going to give out the URL because I don’t want to give them the traffic. I’ll just give them the lowest possible score that Cheap Eats has ever given, how’s that?
Cheap Eats Score: 0/10
August 11th, 2005 at 1:20 pm
I volunteer Jan-Mar as a whale watch naturalists and one of the things we talk about is the lobster traps in Santa Monica Bay. First, they’re basically outside of the bay … you’ll be toodling along in your boat and as you get down to Rocky Point (Palisades … imagine a line drawn from Rocky Point to Pt. Dume) or something like that you’ll suddenly notice all these colorful buoys in the water, which are for the traps (color-coded for each boat that places them). They’re only allowed to fish from November to March (I think) … so putting a Lobster Fest in Los Angeles outside of lobster season seems pretty stupid, like they’re designing it to exclude the locals.
Judging by the local fish catch, we should have a Squid Fest … a calamaripalooza … and the price should be somewhere around $5 including food and entertainment if I ran it.
August 11th, 2005 at 3:06 pm
calamaripalooza sounds right up my alley! stir-fried, deep-fried, as long as it’s fresh, it’s all good.
August 11th, 2005 at 3:12 pm
Cybele – I think you are right about the squid catch. We have relatives who actually go squid catching at night time on their own boats. Some of the squid that they bring in are truly enormous. I remember some were like 2-3 feet long! And I bet it would be a lot cheaper like you said…
August 12th, 2005 at 10:55 am
I went to the Lobster Festival in Maine last weekend. It was $7 to get in. You could get three lobsters for a little over $30 dollars. I didn’t realize that lobster would be that expensive at its own festival. At the first Lobster Festival, all you can eat lobsters was only $1. They lost money, go figure. The lobster rolls were $10. I found really good lobster rolls for $8 just out of Rockland. Since the lobsters are cooked in masses, it seems a little over done but very sweet.
August 12th, 2005 at 11:26 am
kristina – Yeah, it just seems silly that they ship the Maine lobsters over to California and then charge a lot for it. Wow, I wish I had been in Maine when the lobsters were only $1!
August 12th, 2005 at 3:54 pm
I live in gloucester, mass. We have a lobster/clam bake by the harbor every year. It was something like $10 or $12 for a lobster, chowder, a roll and corn on the cob last year. I think the lobster rolls a couple of years ago were $8. There is no admission. In fact, I think it is next Sunday.
October 26th, 2005 at 12:56 pm
You mentioned something about california lobsters, well they are are actually bigger than Maine lobsters. They also go by the name Australian Lobster or Pacific rock Lobster. You have probably heard them advertised as giant 5lbs. lobster tails. On a side note if you can break in to San Pedro Aquarium they have a 55lbs one there, I tried to buy it off of them, but they wouldn’t have it. Anyways, they taste quite simular to Maine, but a little tougher. They change the name of it, because us SoCal people won’t pay good money for local food it has to be imported, I don’t know why.
October 26th, 2005 at 2:02 pm
aaron – that sounds damn good… too bad I’m not over there.
nathan – I’ve had the locally caught lobsters from over here (relatives have a boat and licenses), and I agree they seem a bit tougher. Pretty good though… I must agree that I can’t figure out why locally caught seafood is not popular. I think maybe it has to do with the impression that the ocean everywhere around L.A. is polluted…
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:37 am
I am a lobster lover living in Las Vegas. I would like to know when the next Lobster Festival would be . Please contatct meat AAsells27@aol.com or you can call me @ 702-604-0922./ I am a big on freshness so I am looking forward to feasting on fresh lobster from the sea.! Thank You so much!
April 30th, 2006 at 8:42 am
I’m from California, went to Maine last year for vacation. I ate a ton of lobster rolls and sea food bisque. Came back home to the lobsterfest in San Pedro, it was very expensive and lacked quality. Does any one know a good place to find lobster rolls and lobster bisque in Los Angeles? LEt me know please @niva1977@aol.com