March 19: The Lazy Lobster

One of the traditions we've established during our annual Florida vacation is to try a new restaurant every year. This year, aside from the aforementioned Tommy Bahama Cafe (see March 14 entry), we also experienced The Lazy Lobster on Longboat Key. The condo where we stay had a menu, which looked kind of fun, but some of the seafood dishes sounded pretty tasty. So, we gave it a whirl. Unfortunately, menus are only one component that separates a great dining experience from a poor one. Don't get me wrong, this one fell kind of in the middle of the spectrum, but it was still disappointing given the potential we thought the old Lobster had. First, they didn't have a kids menu. No major setback, but a good indicator that perhaps children are not a huge priority for the restaurant. And, looking around at the other clientele and their average age, my gut feeling was that most probably didn't appreciate the giggling and silly antics of two kids who wanted to do anything but sit properly and eat their meals. Secondly, for a tropical restaurant the decor was rather formal. Sorry, but I'll take the casual environment of a Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville over fine dining any day of the week; especially when I'm on vacation by the beach! Finally, the food was nothing spectacular. It was good - I had the grouper - but nothing to "ooh" and "ahh" over. In the end, the Lazy Lobster was just like any of the other handful of restaurants trying to differentiate itself in a market saturated with places to dine. And, in hindsight, we should have probably just went back to Tommy Bahama's instead.