Best lobster revival

Food-loving Bostonians have been moaning for years about the loss of chef Jasper White's self-named restaurant. More specifically, they've been lamenting the fact that there simply isn't any place to get a dish quite like his signature pan-roasted lobster. All that changed this year when White opened a monstrous version of a clam shack near the Alewife T station, called Summer Shack. Although the highfalutin dishes of the original Jasper's are gone and there are definite blips in quality due to the restaurant's volume, the pan-roasted lobster is back. The verdict: still a knockout. Like Gordon Hamersley's roast chicken, this is the type of restaurant dish that often exceeds even the highest expectations. And, like much great food, it is based on a simple and age-old recipe by famous French chef Fernand Point. The only difference is that White pan-roasts his version, for a rounder flavor, and adds bourbon to his sauce instead of cognac, resulting in a dish that is American in feel, French in sophistication. What you end up with is a meaty Maine lobster, split open on a plate, luxuriating in a buttery sauce that's accented with chervil and chives. It's worth every bite, dollar, and year spent waiting. And show some respect: don't leave any sauce on the plate.

Jasper White's Summer Shack, 149 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge, (617) 520-9500.