The Eatvidence Trails ~ Fat is a sinister criminal

Lobsters are relatively cheap in New York owing to its proximity to the rich Atlantic coastal waters. The costs of transporting live lobsters halfway around the world mean that prices are prohibitive in this eatvestigator’s hometown. Well, this eatvestigator is in for a treat! Lobster Place is right smacked in the popular Chelsea Market, where you can buy some delis and enjoy some good wines along with your meal. The queues don’t lie, these are some fresh succulent lobsters, and people are here to get a piece of the action!


Prices are in the range of USD12-14/lb depending on whether you are buying live or cooked ones. The cooked ones tend to be pre-cooked, probably to cut down on cooking time. This eatvestigator opted for a small cooked lobster (~USD16), which was pretty huge for one who hardly sees live lobsters. Don’t bother getting a large to share with your friend, it’s gonna get messy later and you know you want one all to yourself!  Your order is taken, then you have to make payment at the cashier. Cooking time is about 15 minutes, hurry and find a seat!


Lobster Place is more than just lobsters, instead it’s more like a seafood market. There are other stalls brimming with all kinds of fresh seafood, and even a sashimi counter. Viably, you could stroll around and eat some freshly sliced tuna, but this eatvestigator think its a bad idea! Once you pick up your very own freshly steamed lobster, you realize the enormity of the task ahead. You excitedly splatter lemon juice over the evidence, pluck up that juicy claw and dab it with some butter oil. You cease to notice all the other patrons sitting around, who are also quiet in their indulgence. As you tear that soft white flesh, you think to yourself: the taste of the ocean is right here in your hands. For the price, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Meatpacking District
75 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10011

Weekend brunch in NYC need not be an overtly pretentious affair. This neighborhood joint offers some honest and hearty bagels with long queues to boot. You can enjoy your holey snacks over a cup of Thai iced tea in the spartan interiors. Most patrons are usually buying their bagels as take outs, so sitting space is aplenty despite the queue.

Behold the range of spreads! You can get plain bagels for $1 each in quantities of a dozen. Other varieties like sesame, onion or garlic are also available with your choice of accompanying spreads.  This eatvestigator opted for safe choices like plain with savory eggs and bacon (~$3.50), and garlic with strawberry cream cheese (~$3).


The bite was dense and chewy with hints of sweetness, dancing to the accompanying spreads. Note that one of these is already enough to fill you up for a meal! If you are planning to embark on an epic journey with a fellowship to destroy a ring, and need some comfort food, these will make good substitutes for Lembas bread. Unfortunately too much time spent shooting the pictures for this field report meant that the bagels had turned cold and were not such a joy to eat. You do not need to repeat this eatvestigator’s senseless mistake. Don’t take pictures, take a big bite and enjoy this New York delight!

Upper West Side
2788 Broadway
New York, NY 10025

After a famishing 3 hours through JFK immigration, this eatvestigator needed a quick and dirty refill. Therefore the sound of some authentic cheeseburgers sounded like magic to this eatvestigator’s ears. However Burger Joint’s location at Le Parker Meridien Hotel raised some initial eyebrows of its authenticity as a locals’ joint or instead as some posh nosh. The latter fear proved unfounded upon joining this snaking long queue in a dark narrow corridor of the hotel’s lobby. It was a nail biting one hour before the eatvestigator’s party finally wormed through the doors of the joint. However our ordeal continued for another half an hour as the blasts of meat-touch-grill vapors attacked our olfactory glands while we waited for our orders to be be taken.
The dimly lit interiors were cramped and could probably sit about 40 patrons at any one time. Make sure you have a partner to keep a lookout for and grab any free seats. The menu is rather hard on the eyes but you get the idea of what you need to do. You don’t come here to be a calorie counting health wussy, get a cheeseburger (~$9) with all the works! You give your first name and wait 20 minutes to be called as your order is prepared. By now, you must be cursing about how this wait better be worth it. To numb your ordeal, you could order some draft beers they have on the tap. Look at those babies burning behind! Not before long, your moment of appeasement comes in the form of a piping hot gooey fistful of liquified mozzarella fused with patty. As you take your first bite, the dim lights seem to grow brighter like seeing the face of the divine. Verdict: yes, this fat crime was worth the pain and ordeal.

Le Parker Meridien
119 W 56th Street
New York, NY 10019