Art-A-Whirl Lobster Boil

Art-A-Whirl is a festival that takes place in Northeast Minneapolis each year. That's what I learned at least. Don't ask me why or where the art is. All I know is that all the local bars seem to have special events for this weekend and that was enough to draw me in.

I stumbled upon this event because I'm a Facebook fan of Smack Shack (see my previous post about their lobster rolls) and their event showed up in my news feed. The lobster boil event was a RSVP-only cookout of what else, lobster. For $25, each person got a 1.5 lb lobster, sausage, potatoes, corn, and milk bread. I just saw "1.5 lb. lobster" and was sold. Based on my experience (and now obsession) with their normal food truck, this had to be good!

When the day finally arrived, the weather was abysmal. If you live in Minnesota, you know that the month of May was a rainy one, and that it rained cats and dogs every weekend. Well, somehow the rain let up just as we were stopping by - perfect timing! My roommate and I still got ours to go since the weather didn't seem all that steady. Plus, if you're going to get messy, it's more fun to do so in the comforts of your own home. So back to the food...I guess the whole "Lobster Boil" literally meant that they'd be boiling the lobster. Each meal was contained in a large mesh bag (think the ones that onions come in) that had a lobster, sausage, potatoes, and corn. Once you paid your portion, they dropped it into a big vat of boiling water (think of a tin bathtub big enough to sit in). Ten minutes later our food was up and the head chef was helping us crack our lobster for us - which I have to say was a really great perk. At the end of the day, the food was great (as expected) and the event was unique and fun all in itself. Be sure to check them out on Facebook if you want to catch them at next months boil. They'll be holding them each month during the summer.

Happy Eating!