I’m a bit of a seafood snob.
I usually like to prepare it myself, finding that few people can achieve the proper flavour and texture that elevates the cuisine from ordinary to orgasmic. Instead, I’ve come across too many seafood blunders, including overcooking, overseasoning or – gasp – overthinking the dish. Tsk tsk.
And so I tend to order fruits de mer strictly from Michelin-starred restaurants, where paying $42.50 for an entrée is a surefire way to ascertain the food will arrive perfectly poached, pan-seared or Provençal.
I warned you. (Don’t worry, I can hardly stand myself.)
But for all my airs and expectations, I have a little secret… when it comes to enjoying seafood that is tasty, affordable and available without jetting off to London, I really, really love Red Lobster.
My first real date was at Red Lobster; my boyfriend at the time (it’s totally a high school romance when your “boyfriend” takes you on a first date after he’s your boyfriend) surprised me with a fine lobster dinner for my 17th birthday. At the time, I thought it was the most delicious meal I’d ever had in my entire life. And over the years, I popped in and out of Red Lobster, always for the mixed bag of seafood, and usually when there was an endless shrimp promo :)
But somewhere along the way, I lost touch with the brand and it had been many years since I indulged in their varied menu of surf and turf. So when contacted by Red Lobster to check out one of their new, redesigned restaurants, I figured it was time to decide once and for all if my palette – which had changed drastically since I was 17 – could indeed find room for a Red Lobster recommendation….
