Hungry for lobster? Here are 11 Palm Beach restaurants where the crustacean is king

Gone are the days when Palm Beach restaurants typically served lobster one way — boiled or broiled with drawn butter — to suit snowbirds nostalgic about northeastern beach dune-and-lighthouse summers.

That kind of lobster feast will always will be a beloved indulgence, but the luxe and much-craved crustacean now is offered in many other irresistible ways. Why? Palm Beach diners can’t get enough lobster.

“The rich flavor of lobster is something everyone in Palm Beach loves,” said Pizza al Fresco’s Javier Gonzalez while discussing lobster dishes with the Daily News. “Everyone wants more of it.”

Want more lobster? Try these tasty dishes in Palm Beach.

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Sicilian-inspired lobster risotto: Trevini, 235 Sunset Ave.

Along with Sicilian flavors, Maine lobster is the star of one of the most popular recurring daily specials this season at Trevini.

The Sicilian-inspired lobster risotto ($57) features claw and tail meat with Carnaroli-rice risotto amped up with saffron, fennel and Pernod.

Toasted olives and capers have a role to play, but lobster is further emphasized in the dish thanks to a Maine lobster ragu.

Besides the Maine lobster, “all of the ingredients are Sicilian so it all comes together to make a light Florida dish with Mediterranean flavors,” Trevini’s co-owner Gianni Minervini told the Daily News.

Lobster bisque: Pizza al Fresco, 14 Via Mizner

When dining outside on a cool Palm Beach night during the season, Pizza al Fresco devotees delight in starting a meal with a bowl of the restaurant’s rich lobster bisque ($21).

“Because we make the base of the bisque like you would chicken broth, only with lobster shells (which are removed once the stock is finished), it has such an intense lobster flavor,” general manager Javier Gonzalez told the Daily News.

The result is “a rich and creamy bisque that’s consistently delicious because we always follow our recipe,” he said. “Each serving includes a little claw, tail and knuckle meat, but I think it’s the lobstery base of our bisque that makes it so popular.”

Cioppino: Acqua Cafe, 2875 S. Ocean Blvd.

There are mussels, shrimp, little-neck clams and fish of the day in Acqua Café’s cioppino ($48), but what’s often front and center in the Italian-American seafood stew is a glistening lobster tail.

It’s what makes guests ooh-and-ah, but Acqua’s executive chef Pierangelo Badioli notes that what underscores any successful cioppino is the fish broth spiked with a hint of parsley and garlic.

“Our cioppino is special because we use three kinds of (house-made) fish broth that bring out so much flavor,” he said. As far as the seafood accompanying the complex broth, “the lobster we use from the cold water of Canada is wonderful.”

Lobster pot stickers: Imoto Palm Beach, 350 S. County Road

When it comes to a dish at Imoto featuring the crustacean, general manager Andy Boles asks, “Who does not like a pot sticker or dumpling?”

Imoto’s lobster potstickers — five to an appetizer ($25) — are popular because it’s a pot sticker, but the filling highlights lobster from Maine, the beloved childhood stomping grounds of chef-owner Clay Conley.

Now add the spicy sesame sauce for dipping and you’ve “got a great bite over and over again,” Boles told the Daily News. “Multiple times a night, a table orders a second order of lobster pot stickers.”

Bouillabaisse: PB Catch, 251 Sunrise Ave.

In December, PB Catch added the French seafood-stew bouillabaisse to its repertoire after having featured the Italian-American seafood stew cioppino for years.

The bouillabaisse ($48) includes braised clams, mussels, jumbo shrimp, fish, calamari, tomato, saffron, fennel-and-leek fronds and crostini.

But as Thierry Beaud, the seafood restaurant and raw bar’s proprietor, points out, the lobster and “a hearty and delicious broth flavored with fennel, tomatoes and potatoes” are what make the French seafood stew extra enticing.

Lobster fricassee: Cafe L'Europe: 331 S. County Road

Talk about flavor: Imagine a whole Maine lobster steamed (and then shelled) in sauterne wine with a splash of cream and then served with a leek fondue, ginger-tomato chutney and sweet potato chips.

Voilà: lobster fricassee at Café L’Europe.

It’s the kind of memorable dish the restaurant has featured at its New Year’s Eve parties. But it’s also a daily special ($69).

“It’s just a great combination of flavors and textures,” Café L’Europe’s executive chef Alain Krauss told the Daily News. Of all of the French lobster dishes he has prepared and served over the years, “this is my absolute favorite.”

Lobster tempura roll: Meat Market, 190 Bradley Place

Consisting of what Meat Market estimates is a half-pound of tempura-style Maine lobster, the new lobster sushi roll at Meat Market is quickly garnering a fan base.

Complemented by shiso, pickled jicama, spicy mayonnaise and a topping of yuzu-kosho dressing, the dish is part new sushi offerings that the contemporary steakhouse has introduced.

Given patrons’ “rave reviews” for the tempura lobster roll ($45), Meat Market officials say they’re convinced the dish will become a staple at the restaurant.

Bouillabaisse Royale: La Goulue, 288 S. County Road

La Goulue is well known for its French onion soup, cheese souffle and other French bistro fare, but its bouillabaisse, the famed French seafood stew, is a hallmark, too.

Lobster has a lot to do with that.

Not all bouillabaisse offered in Palm Beach use lobster, but it’s what makes La Goulue’s “a triumph of flavor” and “a symphony of indulgence,” general manager Mathieu Potelle told the Daily News.

Shrimp, clams, mussels, vegetables, croutons and rouille also populate La Goulue’s bouillabaisse ($68), which is elevated as it “showcases the delicate sweetness of lobster,” Potelle said.

Lobster tagliatelle: LoLa 41, 290 Sunset Ave.

A new lobster dish LoLa 41 introduced this month is proving to be a hit.

Made with Maine lobster, the lobster tagliatelle ($59) also features zucchini, charred tomatoes and lemon mascarpone cream topped with chives.

Time will tell if the dish will rival the popularity of LoLa’s longtime lobster fried rice, but as manager Anthony Budd told the Daily News, the lobster tagliatelle offers “a mouthwatering flavor profile that our guests adore. I think this dish showcases our dedication to high-quality ingredients, and we’re excited about it.”

Lobster roll: Henry's, 229 Royal Poinciana Way

As a much-beloved sandwich in Palm Beach, there are more than a few delicious incarnations of lobster rolls on the island as locals and visitors routinely seek it out.

One of them can be found at Henry’s ($46), the Royal Poinciana Way restaurant owned by The Breakers.

“We take a classic New England approach that includes fresh lobsters flown in daily from Maine,” The Breakers’ executive chef of restaurants, Anthony Sicignano, told the Daily News.

"They’re cooked, cracked and combined with house seasoning, then served in a toasted, buttered top-cut bun,” Sicignano said. “This dish is light, savory and satisfying."

Lobster beignets: Cucina, 257 Royal Poinciana Way

While most Palm Beach lobster dishes feature Maine lobster, this one at Cucina highlights Florida lobster, otherwise known as the spiny lobster.

Only tail meat is used — after all, Florida lobsters don’t have claws — and it’s first slow-braised in butter.

“The only filler in the beignets is some onion and garlic and spices, a little egg and parmigiano. Otherwise, it’s about 99% lobster,” Cucina executive chef Kent Thurston told the Daily News.

The dipping sauce for the lobster beignets (market price) features grilled lime and Thai chili aioli.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hungry for lobster? 11 Palm Beach places where the crustacean is king