Pauli's in the North End

          Pauli's in the North End has recently received some press for their giant lobster roll "The USS Lobstitution". A big fan of lobster, I had to check it out!

           Pauli's is a mostly takeout place with a handful of tables, with a menu consisting of subs, salads, pasta dishes, wings, and more. They also serve breakfast until  5pm (man, do I wish I knew about this place when I worked in the North End)!



          On my recent visit for dinner, I saw that Pauli's offers three sizes of lobster roll (seven ounce lobster roll, 14 ounce lobster sub, and 24 ounce USS Lobstitution). Since I was by myself and the even the seven ounce sounded impressive (the meat of roughly two small lobsters), I went with the smallest. It was not small by any means!

          I counted at least four claws in my lobster roll, and it was lightly dressed with just a hint of mayo to add moisture without overpowering the lobster. The warm  toasted roll was overflowing with meat. Priced normally around $15, this was definitely a steal!

          If you're active on twitter or the Boston social media scene, you may be aware of the recent controversy around the number restaurants in the North End offering a giant lobster roll on their menu. Since Pauli's is mostly a takeout place, I don't see them competing with full service sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood. The food is excellent, but the experience is so different there seems very little potential for overlap. If you're looking for a great, quick meal on the go check out Pauli's. For a fine dining experience with wine, raw, bar, etc. head to the full service restaurant next door.