I had never had - nay, experienced - lobster ravioli before coming to Rhode Island. I was missing out. The Midwest is known for a lot of things, but lobster ravioli is not one of them. Still, I'd like to think I've taken advantage of my time here by sampling some of the best versions of this delicacy. If you, too, would like to become a lobster ravioli connoisseur, read on. Unless, of course, you are my rabbi, in which case you should flip to a different page immediately.
Legend has it Roger Williams brought the first lobster ravioli to America upon the good ship Lyon, but he was soon banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of his subversive food tastes. Today, lobster ravioli should be on every menu - it is, after all, the restaurant's second-finest food stuffed with its finest.
It may be hard to believe, but lobster ravioli is available from at least two locations right on Thayer Street. At Paragon, $14.95 buys more than pasta: shrimp and swordfish accompany the meal. But the wine sauce is a little too thin for the job, and I would have preferred more of the ravioli themselves.
Kartabar, on the other hand, provides plenty of the dumplings for $13. The ravioli are cooked al dente and have a perfect surface-to-volume ratio. The creamy pink sauce, though simple, is a wonderful complement. This is perhaps the best dish on Thayer. However, on two separate lobster ravioli visits to Kartabar, a drink has wound up in my guest's lap. Since only one of these incidents was my fault, I'll have to deduct a point.
The very best lobster ravioli I've had, though, was at Cafe Nuovo, at 1 Citizens Plaza with a view of WaterFire. At $22.95, you get what your parents pay for. The high-quality lobster stuffing is succulent and tender. It's not just lobster goop - the individual shreds of meat are discernable. Also, I should mention the bisque-like cream sauce, which contains actual lobster. In case that's not enough, Nuovo throws in a half tail of Maine lobster on top of it all.
Nuovo's lobster ravioli has only one drawback: it's been off the menu since May. Thus, I'll have to deduct a point for unavailability. So for the best, closest, cheapest lobster ravioli around, the choice is presently Kartabar. Just be sure to ask for a lobster bib. If you're paying that much, you want people to know what you're eating. And it prevents spills.
