A Reunion at Lobster Monster....

Wow! :) You know when you`re kinda browsin` restaurants, the menu catches your eye and you read the story on how it came about?... Well, WHO`d knew I would come across my old and dear blast from the past friend, mentor and inspiration Marianne Woo. Her owning a printing company, I started my food career waaay back as a Food Editor for her women`s magazine Bloom, and years later she`s gone on to open mid-town Lobster Monster with her incredible husband Steve-- a dream come true eatin` and lovin' Maritime lobsters growing up (she's so inspirational that way!) As she says-- Life is so strange and magical! Indeed it is! After a few OMG! correspondences we reunited after a decade tonight bringing my clan to meet her and devour her city famous monster lobsters. When we left off, less than a decade ago, she was encouraging me through a difficult time-- an exhausting and heart-breaking period of my husband and my life trying for a child. What a special night it was as a prelude to celebrating my birthday tomorrow-- seeing a special friend from yesteryear eating in her resto, eating her lobsters and with my child-ren. (ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:♪･ﾟ’☆

I love sharing inspirations on the hows and whys food business owners start their ventures, but just coming in to meet this incredible women is worth the weight in gold. Lovely Marianne Woo is a fire cracker burst-of-never-ending energy with a worldly compassionate soul, and awe-inspiringly hard-working to boot! She and her husband have dreamt of having their own restaurant since they were young’ uns raising young’ uns. Figuring they were not so young and their two boys were just old enough, they finally looked at one another one day and said, “Let’s do it! Let’s go for our life’s dream and share what we love with others who love food too.” So here they are. Welcome to their love affair; with each other, with life and of course, food. I admire them both so much as a couple, partners-in-life in everything it seems! They are such an inspiration-- a dream team. So incredibly amazing! Running the front of the house, they really set themselves apart from others with great hospitality, great food and great conversations which are at the heart of their cosy restaurant. If you make a tasty visit, please tell Marianne and Steve I sent you :).

Photo Credits: Lobster Monster

(◦′ᆺ‵◦) ♬° ✧❥✧¸.•*¨*✧♡✧ ℒℴѵℯ ✧♡✧*¨*•.❥

Getting hitched in 2003 with my pal Marianne!

Since our cherished talks a near decade ago, here we are together again!

Loved all the beach and dock wall adornments especially the paintings and quotes!

The ambience evoked a warm casual vibe, perfect for entertaining couples, large groups and families with young kids.

Love that checkerboard picnic table cloth!

Talk about a Monster! Showing off a prized ware!

Marianne and Steve... Pro lobster handlers!

What a handsome 3 pounder big guy!

We started off with garlic bread, bruschetta and lobster poutine! They doubled up on the Canadian flair with an extra oomph on the EH in Canadian... Alongside a steaming savoury mess of fries, mozzarella cheese, hot gravy (we chose ladles of their famous lobster bisque instead), bacon, tender lobster chunks, a dippy dose of real maple syrup (pic not shown).  

Look at that cheese pull.... Okay, altogether now-- pull!!

I knew hands-down what I was getting when I saw their on-line menu photo and description of this heaping luscious beauty! Neptune's Delight Seafood Linguine for the seafood lover in you--  generous servings of scallops, tiger shrimps, baby clams, lobster tail and a mini lobster claw tossed with linguine in a fresh-made marinara sauce with a touch of cream for a smooth finish. Let me tell you, this was the best presented and tasty seafood pasta I've had in a long time!!! The umami-savoury sauce was creamy light with a perfect touch of ocean-sweetness (Marianne's personal sauce she's been making forever). Superbly executed and divinely devoured-- in all of its glory by little me :).

Incredible flavour with hearty servings of succulent seafood! YUM!

Gahh-- here come's their famous lobster dinner steamed to perfection-- a 1-3/4 pounder for my husband!

House-made coleslaw, baked potato and table garlic-butter for dippity-dip-dipping!

Lobster meat so-ever fresh and tender! You can taste the succulence.

My happy camper husband!

Between basket rounds of garlic and bruschetta breads, the lobster poutine, a warm lobster croissant sandwich and nibbling off my husband's plate, the kids were in lobster heaven!  ♪♪(o*゜∇゜)o～♪♪

Clawing around!!

Matias wearing his lobster shirt for the occasion.

Super happy with a belly full of lobster and goodies, and my arms full of babies!

And of course, dessert- A Brownie Mountain Crackle to send me into a food coma! 

A night of revisiting the past with a lens into the future... I'm a big believer you don't reconnect with people later in life by accident, there's always reason for it! And the reason here is friendship-- one that was meant to be!  I'm looking forward for our one on one to catch up on all the memories we shared working, learning and laughing together, the lost time in between, and to build on our revival, venturing down a path of friendship and love, laughing and inspiring all the way. Simply magical! (❀∩´◔‿ゝ◔`⑅)⊃―☆　*’“*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･♡♪+*