Lobster, Anyone?

Break out the bibs for tonight’s annual Dining Services feast

September 15, 2011
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BU’s dining halls are more likely to resemble Legal Seafoods or a Maine bistro tonight, with fresh lobster taking place of honor on the menu. With 8,000 crustaceans waiting to be cracked, Dining Services expects large crowds for what has become one of the most popular culinary events of the year on campus.

Lobster Night began in 1985, when it was offered at just one location—the George Sherman Union. As the event’s popularity grew, Dining Services expanded it to all dining halls.

“It’s a really fun night,” says Scott Rosario, Dining Services marketing director. “It’s a good opportunity to have people try new items. A lot of students are from far away and don’t get to have this traditional New England dinner very often. One of the things I think is the most fun is watching students who have never eaten a lobster before try to crack one. It’s pretty entertaining.”

This year’s lobsters come from Trenton, Maine, near Mount Desert Island, a town famous for its lobsters and steamer clams. If you prefer crab to satisfy your shellfish appetite, crab bisque is on tonight’s menu as well. Not a fan of seafood? No worries. You can opt for roast chicken. There will also be grilled local squash with fresh local dill, courtesy of Pioneer Valley Growers and Nicolosi Farms, and steamed corn on the cob from Ward’s Berry Farm, flavored with local chervil butter from Cabot Creamery. And what would a New England lobster dinner be without baked potatoes? Tonight’s spuds come from Maine Potatoes Co-op. You can wash all of this down with apple cider, provided by Carlson Orchard.

Lobster Night will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at Towers, Shelton, and Myles Standish and from 5 to 9 p.m. at Warren Towers and Fresh Food Company. Students on the meal plan can use their Terrier Cards. You can bring friends and use your Guest Meals. Those students not on the meal plan can pay cash. The cost is $12.95. Check out the menu here or through Dining Services’ Facebook fan page.

John Fichera can be reached at jfichera@bu.edu.

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Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 11 comments on Lobster, Anyone?

  2. The conclusion you are drawing (and the Discovery site is drawing) from that research is still not a decisive result. A single study has found results that could suggest consistent behavior with pain response. Studies prior have had more time to be explored more broadly by the scientific community and many were called into question. The community at large is still undecided on this issue and no similar tests have been run specifically with lobsters (your article deals with hermit crabs).

    That said, the humane killing of lobsters is still something significant to consider as it is difficult to do so with their nervous system (it is not guaranteed that a knife to the brain will kill them instantly). Many people advocate cutting the lobster in half lengthwise, but that requires competent knife skill and a specialized knife fit for the job. It is entirely plausible that this action can take longer than they remain responsive when boiled.

    From what I’ve read (and is also my preferred practice after witnessing the difference first hand), placing the lobsters in a freezer before boiling places them into a hibernation-like state, and diminishes nervous system activity when later boiled (the amount of time the activity lasts in the boiling water is substantially decreased if first hibernated). Furthermore, some of the activity witnessed during boiling is post-death where the nervous system continues to react to outside stimulus after the lobster has died.

    I can’t say conclusively how BU proposes to prepare the lobsters but referring to an action taken nearly worldwide (killing and eating of lobster via boiling) as decadence is preposterous. The research on the subject should certainly be continued but this is misplaced outrage.

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  6. Human beings have incisors…. teeth specifically meant for ripping and tearing flesh. If we weren’t meant to eat meat, we would have a mouth full of molars. Man has eaten meat of all kinds since the dawn of time. Now, let’s chow down!

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  8. People slaughter different animals every minute, and I am sure they all felt pain at least once before their death.

    Or are you just arguing that killing an animal without it suffering and eat it is better than killing an animal with it suffering and eat it?

    Then you have much more to work on, my friend.

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  9. Lobster Night at Boston University: Creating Community through Regional Foodways and Symbolic Consumption | Emily Contois

    […] John. 2011. “Lobster Anyone?” BU Today, September 15. Accessed September 15, […]

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    1. Students can use their guest meals for family and friends visiting.
      They can also use; Dining Points, Convenience Points, Cash and Credit Card.

      For Warren Towers they will need to follow any Guest policy procedures for entrance to the hall before they can reach the dining room.
      There is direct access to Marciano Commons and West Campus without entering the residences.

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