Romeo Lunch 8-27-08

The Romeos had another successful luncheon on Wednesday, August 27th at the Lobster Pool Restaurant now owned by the Tedesco Family. The restaurant was established in 1954 and purchased by the Tedescos in 1997. While many of the clam shacks and seafood restaurants on Cape Ann and other parts of the North Shore are often packed during the summer months, there are a few places that the public does not seem to know about. One of the best of these is The Lobster Pool Restaurant on the outskirts of Rockport. What makes The Lobster Pool so special is the fact that this casual restaurant serves outstanding seafood in a setting that can be conservatively described as "spectacular." An added feature is that patrons are invited to bring their own wine and beer since the restaurant does not serve liquor. Situated on Ipswich Bay, between Halibut Point and Foley’s Point, the Lobster Pool has a west-facing view over the ocean, a relative rarity in New England. The sun gods shined on the Romeos this day and the weather was perfect for one of the last days on August.

In attendance were Joe Lapiana, Joe Pignatiello, Joe LoDuca, Jim, Terlizzi, Paul Girard, Ed Deschuytner, and surprise guests Paul DeCourci formerly of Peabody High and Jack Tweedie, who is one of the past President’s of MASS, having served the organization in 1989 and 199O. Conversation was good as usual with talk of good books to read, great inexpensive vacation locations, and of course the joys of retirement, especially as those first school buses roll for the 2008-2009 academic year. On a warm summer evening, diners at the Lobster Pool, order their food at the counter, then wander down to one of the outdoor picnic tables and soak in the exquisite view of three states, including New Hampshire and Maine. There are few spots on the Massachusetts coast that are this beautiful, and even fewer that have the benefit of a great restaurant.

The menu at The Lobster Pool is varied and the Romeos sampled many seafood dishes, including such items as clam chowder, fried clams, lobsters, seafood quesadillas, fried sole, broiled swordfish, and crabmeat rolls. And for those who do not eat seafood, the menu also has hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken sandwiches. Most of the dishes at The Lobster Pool are excellent, and the prices are very good considering what people often pay for seafood these days.
The next time you are looking to escape the heat, or just want to enjoy the day on the wonderful Cape Ann, head west out of Rockport until you reach Halibut Point State Park, then look for The Lobster Pool around the next bend in the road. It will definitely be the perfect ending to a great day, and you may even catch a memorable sunset over the ocean from the picnic tables of this little-known seafood shack. (www. Lobsterpoolrestaraunt.com).

Talk to you soon............................Joe Lapiana

You can see Joe's Photos at the following link ..........

http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/RomeoLunch82708