Smuckers Uncrustables

Does Smucker's need an introduction?  Yeah, *that* Smucker's.  The company that makes likely the most well known generic jelly and jam in the US.

Ok, moving on.  Yes, Smucker's.  It turns out they also make life even easier for you, if making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is too much work.  Particularly if you dislike crusts.

Let me introduce you to ... "Uncrustables".

"Smucker's has discovered a new way to seal homemade goodness into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… without the crust!"

Ok, so, crustless pb&j.  Pretty sure parents have been making those for years.

Packaging.

Oh, but did I mention that they come individually wrapped?  And, um, frozen?

Yup, purchase by the frozen box, pull out of freezer a few hours before you want it, and enjoy.  Clearly designed for children's lunch boxes.

I'm obviously not the target market, but, I do love peanut butter, and I was fascinated by the sound of these things.  And why not throw one of these in my bag instead of a granola bar sometimes?

Uncrustables come in a slew of flavors, ranging from your classic peanut butter and strawberry jam on white bread, to the slightly less classic peanut butter and grape jelly on white, to simple peanut butter or peanut butter and honey, to "healthy" options with reduced sugar and wheat bread, to ... chocolate hazelnut.

I tried the classic.

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Uncrustable: Top.

"Try our sweet ‘n’ summery take on the PB & J: Smucker’s® Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam. Thaw and enjoy for a fruity and nutty handheld treat anytime, anywhere."

Yes, it looked a bit silly.  A big circular sandwich, really, normal slices of white bread, crimped together on the sides, and sans crust.

I was NOT impressed with the bread.

The crimped edges were kinda hard in a strange way, yet the rest of the bread soft.  And the bread itself?  Very low end generic thin slices of white bread, not exactly fresh tasting.

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Uncrustable: Inside.

But the insides were satisfying.

Peanut butter was spread on both sides of the bread, jam in the middle, just like everyone knows makes the most durable pb&j, minimum bread soggy factor (in fact, yeah, no soggy bread at all here).  The jelly oozed out in a VERY satisfying way.

The peanut butter was a creamy style, fine, uh, peanut-y?  The jelly sweet and fruity, standard Smucker's.

I ended up throwing out the bread and just scraping out the fillings, which, clearly isn't what they had in mind, but I did enjoy it that way.

I wouldn't buy another though.

Supermoon Bakehouse, NYC

A bakery with crazy Intagram worthy goods, seemingly too hip for its own good, specializing in croissants loaded with fillings and toppings that are very, uh, non-traditional, and signature cruffins ... does this sound familiar to you?  Yes, this sounds like Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco, which I've reviewed before.

But it also describes Supermoon Bakehouse in New York City.  Looking at the website and browsing the goods I couldn't help but think someone was playing copy-cat.  Plus, both called "bakehouses"?  Who does that?  It only opened a year ago, so, I immediately thought it was a copier.

I quickly found my answer though - its actually done by the same people.  Well, the original guy from Mr. Holmes, who left the SF bakery in a rather strange ordeal involving a break-in and stolen recipes.  Aha.

So even though I feared this might just be Instagram fodder and not necessarily good eats, I went, because, well, baked goods. 

I went to Supermoon intending to meet a friend for dessert, as I had lunch already.  He arrived a little before me, and decided to get savory pastries for his lunch, since he hadn't eaten.  Thus, I got to try the savories.  And during that time, we decided ... to do something else for dessert.  It isn't that anything was bad, it was all fine, but, it really wasn't better than average, and the location wasn't really somewhere we wanted to hang out longer.

So instead of reviewing desserts as I planned, this turns into a savory review, not items I would have picked, but I was happy to try.

Storefront.

The front of the store is glass windows, with this as the only signage.  If you didn't know the address, you certainly wouldn't spot it easily.

Display Table.

Rather than a display case like most bakeries, Supermoon, just like Mr. Holmes, has one of each item just sitting on a long counter.  The line extended along the counter, which meant that you walked by every item while waiting to get to the register to order, with plenty of time to ponder the beautiful goods.

Seating / Open Kitchen.

Inside has limited seating, just a few low tables with uncomfortable stools.  Far more people in line than seats available.  Loud music pumping, making it impossible to really talk with your group, even if you do get seating.  Clearly ... not designed to be somewhere you want to spend time.

You could view into the working pastry kitchen, which at least made it feel a bit legit, they do really bake things there, it isn't just for looks ...

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Donut / Banana Split Twice Baked Croissant / Mocha Croissant / Croissant Toast.

Ok, I'll admit that these things do look really good.  The toppings in particular, just, incredible really.  And ... well, the descriptions sounded equally amazing.

Had I ordered one sweet item, the pb & j sandwich donut likely would have been it.  A donut, with two cores inside, one with raspberry jelly and one with peanut butter creme patisserie.  Dipped in chocolate peanut butter glaze, and topped with vanilla cream, peanut brittle, and raspberry jelly pate de fruit.  Yes, please.

The Banana Spit Twice Baked Croissant also sounded crazy, with a whole caramelized sous vide banana, chocolate almond creme, banana caramel, and vanilla creme patisserie inside, chocolate fudge, more banana caramel, whipped cream "bulbs", dehydrated bananas, and gold leaf on top.

Nearly every item looked, and sounded, really good.

But I didn't order any sweets.

Twice Baked Croissant.

 $8

"Thick Cut Smoked Ham, Gouda Cheese, Cheddar Cheese And A Super Creamy Béchamel Sauce Baked In Our Classic Croissant And Then Topped With Crispy Cheese Shards."

I was however meeting my friend, who had already ordered savories.  He selected two of the 3 options, both served warm, which meant that they took time to prepare, so they arrived right when I did.  Even though I wasn't planning on having any, since I just had lunch ... of course I did, starting with the ham and cheese twice baked croissant.

Ham & Cheese Twice Baked Croissant: Inside.

The croissant was very flaky.  It made a huge mess, really.

Inside was good, perfectly melted cheese (cheddar and gouda), it really oozed out beautifully.  The creamy béchamel made it even better.  The ham was good quality, generous amount.  I like the cooked on béchamel on top too, almost like a frica, a fairly unique touch.
Overall, a fine croissant, but not particularly special.

Sausage Roll. $6.

"A classic Australian pastry snack. Pork Shoulder minced meat inside a flaky, buttery pastry. Ask for it Hot. with Extra Ketchup." 

Next he selected the sausage roll.  It didn't come with sausage, and he forgot to ask for it.  Same on him and them!

But bigger shame on the way it was prepared.  The pastry was warm.  The sausage ... was not.  Stone cold inside.

Sausage Roll Close Up.

The sausage itself was fine, not particularly notable, but, cold.  The pastry was much like the croissant, flaky, good, but not earth shattering.  The spices on top were nice.

So another item that was good, but not special.

[ No Photo ]

CROISSANT BUTTER SOFT SERVE.

"Yes. You read that correctly. The flavor, taste and texture is honestly still blowing our minds - and it’s exactly what you’re imagining - our very own house made soft serve made using the best part of our croissant, the Croissant Butter! It’s a SWEET, SALTY, BUTTERY, ICY COLD F****** DREAM.  It comes covered in dehydrated extra crunchy croissant crumbs that have been flavorfied (made that word up) in extra salt and sugar and that’s not all, it also comes with a slice of our signature croissant that has been twice baked with extra salt, butter and sugar on it. But wait, there’s MORE: Every soft serve comes in a HYPERCOLOR COLOR CHANGING cup and SPOON that change color with heat and cold.

Why? Because it’s badass"

Well, this sounded awesome.  I'm a soft serve ice cream girl.  It was warm outside.  I was in the mood for ice cream.  The flavor, the toppings, everything sounded great.  But I'm glad they were eagerly offering up samples of this to everyone, because otherwise ... I would have ordered it, and likely been sad.

It was fine soft serve.  Very creamy.  Sweet.  But that was it.  Just sweet and creamy, I didn't taste butter nor croissant.  Eh.  Cool concept, not sure it really translated.

Momofuku Noodle Bar, NYC

Ah, the Momofuku empire.  You've read about other experiences I have had with it, like at Momofuku Nishi last year for Korean Italian, with insanely tasty butter noodles.  And of course all the visits to  Milk Bar, the chain of bakeries featuring shockingly good cookies, amazing soft serve ice cream, and cakes and truffles.  I still haven't been to Fuku for the fried chicken, or Ko for an extensive multi course menu, or Ssäm Bar, or any of the locations outside New York.

But I'm slowly making my way through them all, mostly out of novelty.  I know there are better eats in New York, at any price point.  But each Momofuku restaurant is a very unique concept, and it certainly is not the case that if you've gone to one, you've gone to the others.  I'm rather fascinated by the "chain", but also, I do find something unique and flavorful in every visit.  So for this trip, we picked out Noodle Bar.

Noodle Bar does not accept reservations, but our group of 3 arrived around 6:30pm, and were seated immediately, although waits quickly formed by the door.  I think we were among the last to get seated without a wait.

Feast for 3.

Overall, it was an ok experience.  I'll admit that I was very stressed out with work and almost cancelled my plans, so I was certainly distracted.  The environment itself was not inviting nor comfortable, much like Nishi.

The food was good, interesting, but not amazing.  I did enjoy some unique, flavorful bites however (like the toppings on the chilled spicy noodles!)

Service fast and attentive.  I'd return if someone wanted to, but would not seek it out.

Setting

I complained in my review of Nishi about the uncomfortable seating.  Noodle Bar has the same setup.  It was freezing inside.  And loud.  We were not comfortable at any point during this meal.

Communal Tables.

There are 5 or 6 large communal tables with the same backless stools we sat on at Nishi.  No where to put your bags, no where to rest your back.  Seats were close together, and the phrase "rubbing elbows with your neighbor" took on new meaning.  Worse was the back to back tables, with barely any room between them, so as each party got seated or got up, or when servers came by, someone was hit in the back or on the head.  Constantly.

On the tables was chopsticks and napkins in holders spread out down the table.

Open Kitchen.

There is also counter seating, also backless stools, along the open kitchen.  Here you can watch the action of the cooks on the multiple planchas, and hear the clamor of a real working kitchen.

Back Kitchen.

Adjacent to that area is the back kitchen, also full of action.

Ssäm Ssauce.

"Ssäm Sauce is a spicy and tangy Korean chili sauce. Variations of Ssäm Sauce have been a staple in the pantry of the Momofuku kitchens throughout the years. Our Ssäm Sauce is made with gochujang, a traditional, umami-rich Korean chili paste, as well as miso, sake, soy sauce, and rice vinegar."

On each table, along with cheap wooden chopsticks that break and splinter easily, is the famous Momofuku Ssäm sauce.

That sauce is magic.  Just trust me.  Add it to anything and everything, and flavor just bursts forth.  For me, a surprising thing is that it didn't mask flavor, even though a very intense sauce on its own, it just seemed to enhance everything.  Loved it. 

Definitely use generously, particularly on noodles.  I resisted stealing the bottle (I'm joking, and you can buy several different versions directly from them of course).

Food & Drink

Just like Momofuku Nishi, all dishes are designed for sharing, and arrive as soon as ready.  Our first course arrived in just a few minutes, and others quickly followed.  We were provided with share plates and some share utensils (although not really what we needed to do the job).

Menu.

The food menu is one page, broken into categories of appetizers, bread, noodles, plates, snacks, and a single dessert.

We opted for one appetizer, 3 breads, and 2 noodles for 3 of us.  It was too much food, we had extra.

The single dessert option, miso soft serve, sounded good, and if the environment had been more comfortable, we would have stayed for it.

Drinks

Tap water was provided when we sat down, and glasses were kept full the entire time.

Drink Menu.

The drink menu has a few options for beer, cider, and wine, plus sake (only one kind), soju (two options, plus a slushie!), and some soft drinks and teas. And one item I was unfamiliar with: makkoli.

Makku 'Premium Makgeolli',  New York, NY. $9.

I decided to get it, out of novelty.  It delivered more novelty than I imagined.

For one, it is served in a can.  No glass provided.  And ... its upside down.  The can has instructions on it that you need to turn it, because of the natural sediment.

While I don't mind drinking out of a can, it was really strange to drink out of something with the writing upside down the whole time!  That said, I did enjoy it.  It reminded me a bit of unfiltered sake.  It was refreshing, flavorful, and went well with the food.

Appetizers

The appetizers section of the menu is all light offerings, mostly vegetables, or raw seafood.  From here, we selected one dish, mostly just to have some veggies.

Pea Shoots. $8.

"Asian pear, sesame, chili vinaigrette."

The moment this dish was placed in front of us, my companions both said, "Did we order this?"

"Uh, its the pea shoots?" I said, confused, because we clearly discussed ordering the pea shoots.  "But its lacking the peas?" was the response.  "It is pea shoots ..." I said.  The other followed with "Oh, I've only ever seen those cooked".  This theme of my companions being confused by the dishes we ordered and discussed would continue through the meal.  

Anyway, this was ... fine.  Just some pea shoots in a spicy vinaigrette.  The shoots were fresh, crisp, bright, but it was just a salad.  I appreciated that it was different though . A middle of the road pick for me, just based on uniqueness.

Bread

The entire next section of the menu is called "bread".  Normally, I'm not one to bother filling my stomach space with bread, but, it was the bread dishes I was most interested in.  The steamed buns are what Momofuku is really known for.

Bing Bread.

We started with the bing bread.

Warm, buttered bread, I think cooked on a plancha?  It was a bit like a buttery denser naan.  It was ... fine, but just bread.

However, it is not served plain, rather, it comes with your choice of dips, either carrot & butter, or chickpea hozon & eggplant.  We selected the later.

Dip: Chickpea Hozon & Eggplant. $8.

Do you need a refresh in chickpea hozon?  My companions did, even though they had it at Momofuku Nishi with me several months earlier.

"Hozon is a fermented, stone-ground seasoning made in the style of miso paste. Chickpeas provide a sweetness and lightness to this seasoning while also allowing for tremendous depth. Chickpea Hozon invites a wide variety of applications. Use it in every way you would a traditional miso paste or savory seasoning, as well as mixed with other umami-rich foods like vinegars, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheeses, and meats."

Now, I don't like chickpeas.  Or eggplant really.  But I remembered loving the chickpea hozon in the buttered noodles at Nishi, so, this was an easy pick.

Unfortunately, it was ... just eggplant dip (akin to babaganoush), topped with chickpea dip (like hummus), with crispy chickpeas on top.  I appreciated it for the texture, and the fried chickpeas were enjoyed by my companions, but as someone who doesn't want to taste chickpea, that is really all there was to this for me.

Hummus, babaganoush, and naan ... just not the dish for me.  Our overall least favorite. 

Shrimp Buns. $13

"Spicy mayo, pickled red onion, iceberg. "

Next up, buns.  Momofuku makes 3 kinds, the signature pork belly ones, a veggie version, and these, shrimp.  All come in pairs.

Since one companion doesn't eat pork, and the other and I tend to eat a lot of pork belly, we skipped those, since they just weren't that novel to us.  Plus, I had read great things about the shrimp version, even though one companion was skeptical.  I tried to explain that it wasn't just shrimp stuffed into a bun.  Still, both my companions were surprised when these arrived. 

The buns were good.  Soft, fluffy, warm bao.  Filled inside with tasty spicy mayo, a little bit of shredded iceberg, a pickled onion or two, and a huge shrimp patty.  The patty was a firm texture, mostly shrimp, not filler, juicy.  While I appreciate the big patty, it was a bit hard to eat, as it was much bigger than the bun itself.

Overall, this was fine, a generous portion, but I didn't find myself very excited by it.  Middle pick, just above the pea shoots.

Shiitake Buns. $13.

"Hoisin, scallion, cucumber."

We all preferred the vegetarian buns.  Yes, my companions were surprised by this item as well.

These buns were also overflowing with filling, this time, crispy bits of shiitake.  I loved the texture, similar to mushroom "bacon" I've had before.  Great chew.  We all loved the hoisin sauce in here, and I liked adding ssam sauce to these too.

The bun was the same, soft, fluff, fine, and the cucumber was a bit of freshness.  My second favorite dish, although I think it would be even better with the spicy mayo.  I love creamy sauces!

Noodles

We were at Momofuku Noodle Bar, after all, so we finally moved on to the noodles section of the menu.  From here however, we didn't order ramen.  As reviewers often note, there are better places to get ramen.  When we ordered our noodle selection, the server was sure to tell us that the didn't have broth, to make sure we knew what we were doing.

Ginger Scallion Noodles. $15.

"Pickled shiitakes, cucumber, nori."

First up, the sole vegetarian entree sized dish, ordered by our pescatarian guest.

I tried a few bites.  They were ... noodles.  Decent ginger flavor.  I liked the flavor in the marinated pickled shiitakes.  But overall boring.  Second to last pick.

Chilled Spicy Noodles. $16.

"Sichuan sausage, Thai basil, cashews."

My companions were very confused when this dish arrived, as they didn't really know what to expect (as in, they entirely missed the fact that we weren't getting soups, even though they had questioned me on getting chilled noodles).  "The form factor confuses me," said one.

I however knew to expect green noodles (more on that soon!), and a very, very generous layer of candied cashews.  Of course I was in it for the cashews.

And I loved those cashews.  They were warm, which I wasn't expecting, candied, coated in delicious sauce, and honestly the highlight of the meal.  And there were tons of them.  

Under the cashews was the sausage, decent sized chunks and little crumbles, decently spiced sausage, nice crust on it. It was hot, which warmed the noodles below it.  It was the style of "pizza sausage", if you know what I mean.  I liked it dunked in ssam sauce.

Chilled Spicy Noodles: Close Up.

And then, finally, the base of the bowl, the noodles.  Although listed as a "chilled" dish, they were were warm, perhaps just from the warm sausage and cashews on top?

Yes, the noodles were green.  Coated in a very herby thai basil sauce, with extra bits of torn basil mixed in.  I really liked the herby quality, it was very bright, but also, a bit bland at the same time.

Ssäm sauce to the rescue.  This dish was fine without it, but really, really enhanced with it.  Of all the dishes, this one benefits the most from the sauce.

My favorite dish of the night, not really for the noodles themselves, but for the toppings.  I wanted ot just buy a package of those cashews.

Takeout from Din Tai Fung, Bellevue

When I travel for work, I often get exhausted with dining out, and I'm usually crazy busy actually doing my job.  By the time dinner rolls around, I just want to do something easy, solo, ideally back at my hotel, and then get back to work.  Did you think all my business travel was ... glamorous?

If I have a hotel with any sort of facilities for preparing food, I'll just go to the grocery store, particularly when I find a high quality one nearby.  Or I opt for a lot of takeout, poke being a recent highlight for me, as you've read about frequently.  But another fun one for me is takeout from Din Tai Fung, when there happens to be a location near me, like in Costa Mesa or Sydney.

I've still never visited a Din Tai Fung to dine in (seriously, 2 hours waits all the time!), and I don't live near one, so I've never been able to go with a group, which is how it makes the most sense, since everything is served family style, in large portions.  But the takeout experience is done well, and I continue to work my way, slowly, through the menu that way.

This particular visit was in Bellevue, WA, in a mall location adjacent to the hotel I was staying at.

Takeout Sesame Noodles.

I decided to try something that sounded almost similar to the spicy wontons I enjoyed so much before, this time, noodles with a sesame sauce.

It was a mixed success.

Full House!

As is normal at any Din Tai Fung, the place was packed, there were massive queues of people waiting out front, and the wait time was quoted in hours.

I was glad I had just ordered online, and planned to jet out of there as quickly as possible.

Signature Takeout Bag.

I got my takeout intending to eat it basically immediately, and didn't really need the signature Din Tai Fung bag, but, I did feel like I had a bit of a prize as I walked past all the crowds of waiting people, watching their eyes track my bag.

Nicely Packaged:  N9. Noodle with Sesame Sauce. $8.50.

As with my previous takeout experience from Din Tai Fung (in Costa Mesa), I was impressed with the packaging.  They do a really good job of delivering the highest quality takeout imaginable, with each component in its own container, and the potentially leaky element in sealed plastic bag as well.

My bag contained one bowl with the noodles, one with the sauce, and a little one with the crushed sticky nuts topping.  What it didn't have?  A bowl to mix them in, I think I was supposed to just pour the sauce onto the noodles, but, what if I didn't like it? What if I wanted less sauce?

Luckily, I tried every component individually first.

Sesame Sauce.

The sauce looked great, although I'd admit, it wasn't what I was expecting from "sesame sauce".  It certainly looked spicy, and loaded with green onion.  Where was the sesame?  I was expecting something thicker, more paste like, perhaps like tahini ... I'm not sure what I was expecting, really, but it wasn't this.

But still, it looked spicy and good, particularly since I had liked the spicy sauce so much last time on the wontons.  But this ... I did not like.  I tried it alone, I tried a portion with noodles that I mixed in a paper cup I had.  It didn't matter how I had it, I didn't like it.

It was spicy, just nothing like the spicy sauce I had previously enjoyed.  The flavor, whatever it was, just wasn't one I liked.  Kinda like sriracha.  I don't like sriracha generally :(  I never tasted, nor really saw, sesame.

It really was a let down, not what I was expecting, and I'm very, very glad that it was packaged separate, and that I didn't just dump it all on the noodles first.  

Noodles.

The noodles were ... noodles?  Shockingly hot actually, I couldn't believe how hot they were, and how hot they stayed for a while.  Very, very fresh noodles.  Plain, but that is intentional, as they are only used in dishes with sauces.

Since they were packaged separately, they did clump together pretty immediately though, which made eating them a bit hard.  That said, I'm glad they were packaged separately, because ... I did not like the sauce.

I salvaged the noodles, bringing them back to my hotel, and mixed them with a different mayo based sauce I had leftover back at the hotel, along with the crushed peanut topping that came with this, and some veggies I had on hand.  My creamy pasta salad was actually quite tasty, fresh noodles worked remarkably well in it.

Luke's Lobster

Luke's Lobster is a fast casual chain known for its lobster (and other seafood) rolls.  They are known for working with fisherman directly (e.g. no middleman, saving costs and ensuring quality), and for very simple preparations, no filler or additives.

It started in New York in 2009 and has been spreading fast.  We don't (yet!) have one in San Francisco, although that is about to change.  It has been on my radar though because of the great reviews, and my love of seafood.

The Luke's menu is very limited.  This is not a place with "something for everyone", or really, something for most people.  3 rolls, all seafood. 2 chowders, both seafood.  3 very simple sides (chips, salad, slaw). 4 drinks (2 water, 2 soda).  The only other menu options are a side of lobster tail for $5 (!), or a salad.  In the winter they add a lobster mac and cheese.  That's it.

All rolls are served on hot buns, but with chilled seafood, very, very lightly dressed.  Simplicity.

City Kitchen Food Court.

The location we visited was near Time's Square, in the City Kitchen food court, a fairly interesting place, located on the second floor, away from the crazy, with big windows all around.  It features a handful of vendors, including a ramen shop, sushi counter, burger joint, mexican place, and donut shop.

Seating is fairly limited, stools along the windows (uncomfortable stools, at that!), and a few tables.  We had to wait and quickly snatch up a table once one became available.  Still, an interesting venue.

Ordering Counter.

The Luke's stand had good curb appeal, with wooden signage.  Orders were taken at the register, sides and drinks handed over when you order, and then you wait for number to be called for the rolls themselves.

It took longer that I expected for the rolls, during which time our hot chowder got cold.  Boo to that.

Underwhelming Meal.  $30.

We tried all three rolls, one chowder, one side, and one drink.  Nothing was great.  Some was really not enjoyable.  Even the drink (sparkling lemon water) wasn't great (too strong lemon!).

Safe to say, we have no reason to return.

Luke's Trio. $19.

"1/2 lobster roll, 1/2 crab roll, 1/2 shrimp roll."

Luke's offers 3 types of rolls: lobster, crab, or shrimp, all the same style on a split top bun with melted butter, mayo, and "secret" seasoning.  The shrimp is the cheapest at $9, the lobster the most expensive at $16.  Or, for those who want to try it all or just can't decide, there is the trio, featuring "1/2" of each roll.

We opted for the trio.  I was a little surprised when I saw the portions.  No segment actually looked like a full 1/2 a roll.  It didn't matter though, as we struggled to get through them (in fact, my companion didn't finish his pieces - yes, he didn't want his quarter of any).

I'll start with the positive.  The roll was quite good.  Warm, perfectly toasted with a crisp exterior and soft inside, and I loved how buttered it was.  I ate all the rolls when my companion pushed everything away.

Now, let's go negative.  The shrimp.  Tiny shrimp, a bit fishy, really cold, a bad contrast with the warm bun.  Essentially no mayo on this one, but tons of the "secret" seasoning, some green herb on top.  I disliked the seasoning.  My companion took a *tiny* bite of this one, and pushed the rest away.  I salvaged the buttered bun.

Next, the crab.  It was ... a bit better.  Still cold seafood, still lacking any mayo (tiny, tiny, tiny bit in the bottom of the bun), still with that seasoning I wasn't loving.  The crab didn't taste bad, but it wasn't particularly great, and, without mayo or spice or anything to jazz it up, it was just ... boring.  I desperately looked around the food court for somewhere that might have mayo, tartar sauce, aioli, anything, but failed.  My companion took a second bite of this before pushing away, and declaring he was getting other food.  I ended up adding the bread with butter and little mayo from the shrimp one to the crab to enhance it a little.  In retrospect, I should have just taken it with me and added mayo back at hotel (because, yes, I had some).

Finally, the lobster.  The lobster honestly wasn't bad.  Good texture, well cooked, decent portion, good variety of pieces.  But again, cold (which is fine, that is the style), but again, lacking mayo.  It mattered less for the lobster since it had more flavor and went well with the butter.  I did actually like this one.  Love?  Nah.  Do I think a full size roll of it is worth $16?  Of course not.  But for a fast casual lobster roll, that one really wasn't bad.  The rest though ...

You can get just the trio for $19, or for $28 upgrade to a combo with side of chowder (normally $7) and a drink (normally $3), so we did that, saving $1.

Lobster Corn Chowder. $7.

Luke's offers two soups: clam chowder, or lobster corn chowder, each available by the cup for $7, or bowl for $10.

We opted for the lobster corn chowder, as a small cup.

It was ... eh.  Honestly, the quality was no different from a canned soup or generic fast casual chain, mostly corn, in a creamy but somehow not rich tasting, broth.  We didn't find much lobster.

For $7 this was quite sad.

Poppyseed Slaw. $2.

The only sides, besides soup, that Luke's offers are bags of Cape Cod Chips, a side salad, or slaw.

As a slaw lover though, this was all I needed.  Slaw!

Except, this was not tasty.  I took a bite, and definitely made a face.  My companion took a bite, and pushed it away immediately, saying it was far too sour and vinegary.  There was nothing that either of us liked about this slaw, it was intensely acidic, and obviously not a creamy style as I prefer.

Discarded with one bite each.  Ooph.