Red’s Lobster Pot and a Lobster Cake Recipe

You may remember me talking about the Stronger than the Storm campaign offering me the opportunity to write a piece for their website at the beginning of the summer.  I was incredibly honored to contribute to such a well-known cause for my home state.  I visited Red’s Lobster Pot to talk to the owner, Kitty, about how Superstorm Sandy affected her home and restaurant and obtained a recipe for their Lobster Cakes.  I happily submitted my post to the staff of STTS and was told the post would run between the end of July and the beginning of August after an editorial team reviewed it.  

After July turned into August and August came to near its end, I decided to e-mail my STTS contact to get status on my post.  One e-mail became two and I hadn’t received a reply on either.  I tried to contact them through Twitter and still nothing.  I went onto the website to see if the post had gone live without my knowledge, but it hadn’t.  I have given up.  I find it completely unprofessional of this organization to offer such a wonderful opportunity to local bloggers and then not even have the courtesy to answer an e-mail on whether or not the post would be published.

Considering the content is still my own (I read the blogger release a million times to make sure I wouldn’t be sued for using my own words on my own blog), I am sharing my STTS post here on my blog.  I chose today to post it since my cousin and I are having girls night down the shore and will once again be visiting Red’s for some tasty seafood and a waterfront view from their deck.  Their deck is open until the 21st of this month, but the indoor restaurant will be open until October 19th.

 

Red’s Lobster Pot has been open for 20 years.  Last year it took a hit by Superstorm Sandy, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.  If it wasn’t for the kindness of strangers, Red’s Lobster Pot might not be open today.

Red’s Lobster Pot opened 20 years ago by Marty “Red” Stillufsen, his wife Louise and their daughter Kitty.  Red was a lobsterman and originally provided the restaurant with lobsters that he caught.  Red’s still supports local industries by purchasing seafood from local fishing boats as well as buying locally grown ingredients.  The sign outside of the restaurant states “from boat to plate” and they’re not kidding!  Lobster pots are stacked up by the water’s edge on the side of restaurant.  You can watch the fishing boats travel in and out of the docks from the restaurant’s outdoor deck seating.

After Superstorm Sandy, Red’s was left with major destruction and clean up.  The restaurant suffered major flooding with water levels rising up to the indoor restaurant’s entrance steps.  Furniture was left floating in an area of the restaurant.  Everything was covered in muck and slime.  The restaurant’s losses included two out of three commercial kitchens, storage, part of their deck, window panels and overall debris.  The restaurant was rank and moldy from the flood waters and if things weren’t bad enough, Kitty was dealing with the loss of her home.  Kitty and her parents were living a nightmare.  Flood insurance only covered so much.  Not knowing where to start with recovery, the Stillufsen’s were about to throw in the towel on their restaurant business.  The family took a break from clean up efforts.  They regrouped, refocused and even though it took months of cleanup and equipment replacements, things were starting to look up for the restaurant.  Kitty credits the volunteers sent to help the people of Point Pleasant Beach for Red’s ultimate recovery.  The volunteers and restaurant staff pulled together and got Red’s back up and running again.  Kitty said that in that moment, she was truly proud to be from New Jersey.

I visited Red’s to speak with Kitty face-to-face and enjoy lunch on their deck.  The service was great and the food was spectacular!  I will definitely be visiting Red’s again.  

 Red’s Lobster Pot was kind enough to share a recipe for their Lobster Cakes.

Red’s Lobster Cakes

Ingredients

2 lbs. lobster meat, diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 bunch scallions, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
3 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg
1 c. mayonnaise (low-fat or regular)
1 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 pint Panko bread crumbs

Preparation

Dice vegetables and place in large bowl.  Mix in mayonnaise and egg.  Add all seasonings.  Add lobster meat.  Add Panko bread crumbs and mix just until mixture comes together.  More Panko bread crumbs can be added as needed.

Form mixture into 8 oz. cakes.  Place in fridge to harden.  Before cooking, coat both sides with Panko bread crumbs and saute both sides until golden brown.

Red’s Lobster Pot is located at 57 Inlet Drive in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.