Happy and a Meal at the Lobster Pier - Chester, NY

It's been an exciting few weeks.  I've changed my part-time job from one as a freelance writer at a weekly local newspaper to that of Assistant Editor at a local quarterly magazine and am going through some personal adjustments.  The new focus is solely positive events in the community and after I recently suggested the owner/editor create a video based on Pharrell Williams' song, "Happy," he not only embraced the idea, but produced a version that brought tears to my eyes the first 50 times I watched it.  Here's the video:

"Happy Pine Bush"

My first winning contribution at the magazine was a Mother's Day contest and the suggestion for Happy was my follow up.  Hope the well never runs dry and more fabulous ideas are coming!

On a Friday afternoon, a local television news crew arranged an interview with the owner/editor and for me, the best part was being mentioned as the person behind the idea.  Though the quote didn't make the broadcast, it was enough that I heard it in person and I have faith that my contributions will be duly noted rather than hi-jacked.  Plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Link to News 12 Happy Report

Our family decided an evening meal at The Lobster Pier in Chester would offer the perfect menu for the first meatless Friday during Lent (though we are hardly religious people, we do observe traditional customs and rituals when we remember) and fit geographically with errands our sons had to on their to-do lists after dinner.  The Lobster Pier also has 2 stations of salad bar featuring standard fare as well as mussels, slices of seasoned and chilled corn on the cob, crab salad, peel your own shrimp and seafood salad.  

Christmas lights as decor.  Well, it is something I never really understood and though it may be called out as dated, it seems to work here with the overall decor.  I can see a reality restaurant show coming in and tearing everything out to start fresh, but this is not solely about interior decorating.

We were very well taken care of; our server was an experienced professional who kept a close eye on us without hovering, our plates were cleared promptly after we visited the salad bar, our drinks were replenished or we were offered refills and I have received less attention at far more expensive restaurants.

Main Courses:

Twin 5 ounce lobster tails. Yes, please.  The meat was sweet and succulent and I chose linguine with garlic butter sauce as a side.

Chicken and shrimp Francese for our older son.  The portion was generous and devoured.  Yellow rice was the selected side and his only complaint was, "too much sauce."  

Tilapia for his girlfriend which was also accompanied by pasta in garlic and butter.  

One of the evening's specials was the "New England Shore Dinner" and it was ordered by both the Mr. and our younger son.  They both left their boiled potato on the plate and I think my younger son may have had a tad too much fun playing with the lobster by holding it upright and saying, "I am not a crook," but we were entertained.

Once the table was cleared, we were shown our dessert options:

Two orders of the chocolate covered strawberries were placed in a take out container and I was quite surprised at the variety of options we were shown.  Fruit, pie, cake and pastry, oh my.

Was it the best meal we ever had? No. 

Is every day the best of your life? No.  

But, we were together, Happy, and Fed Well.