Yep. Some of the worst Uni I’ve had is uni from the shell. The exception were the Maine uni at Blue Ribbon in NYC about 12 years ago.
Now that you mention it @Porthos , I have one exception as well. Was sitting at Swan Oyster Depot one lovely afternoon. The uni “catcher” happened in with a bag full of that morning’s catch from the Santa Barbara waters. The guy behind the counter opened one up and gave us some - that was truly sublime. I realize now I have been expecting something like that whenever I try it elsewhere, and it just does not happen.
Hi @Ns1,
Totally agree. Thanks for the article. I’d gladly pay $20 to try them live and see just how amazing they are supposed to be. 
Hi @CiaoBob,
Thanks. You speak the truth. Thinking back on it, while it is a striking, gorgeous / shocking presentation (Uni in its shell), I’ve had almost as many disappointing results as I have great results (same as you, I had a mediocre one at Connie & Ted’s once, but to be fair I’ve had 2 versions there that were very good). And at Bistro LQ now, and once at a random place I’ve since forgotten.
Your experience with Swan Oyster Depot sounds sublime.
Or when in Europe just plow though plates of them. You can get a plate of 3-4 for $30 or so depending on size.
And as much as I love langoustines, I love gambas rojas even more.
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Is this a la carte or what?
I’ve had amazing langoustines in Croatia. If you go to Hvar, they are everywhere and relatively affordable. Places will either grill them over a wood burning grill or cook them up in a tomato sauce, which creates the most amazing sauce to mop up with some bread.
Having said that, I think the giant carabineros I had recently in Madrid trumps all shellfish.
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You mean these things? Full sized dinner fork as a size reference but these things where $40 each because they were close to a lb each.
I prefer gambas rojas because the flesh is a touch more delicate and sweeter than carabineros.
Cigalas a la plancha
More Cigalas a la plancha
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Thanks for the tip, sounds great.
that last pic in the series looks all kinds of amazing.
Drool… 
Sounds amazing. Another reason to hurry up and push myself to do a visit to Europe.
I had great scampi a few months ago in Rome. Those are on my short list of must-have dishes for Italy.
Gambas de Palamós at Etxebarri were the best shrimp I’ve ever had.
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How comfortable is Sangers & Joe? Were they seating people at the tables with stools? I don’t care but the friend I’d go with doesn’t have much patience for that.
Hi @robert,
Sangers & Joe was comfortable. It’s very casual, industrial / modern looking space, but we had full seats (not stools), so there was no issue there.
Way off topic, BUT (pun intended) BY FAR - the best restaurant seat I have had the opportunity to drop my fat ass onto recently was at Officine Brera.
They don’t look as great as they are but they are sheer heaven.
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Hi @CiaoBob,
OK, I was so lukewarm on the place, but after your strong rec for their chair, I might have to go. 
Thanks.
Place is gorgeous.
Food is mixed - I had a few great dishes and few so-so dishes, as you can see on the thread below.
Probably will improve greatly in the next few weeks and months, as the kitchen and staff get their skills sharpened; then fall apart in the next few years as the crowds die down and the bills keep rolling in. I guess that sounds awfully negative but I just don’t see how they will turn a profit with such a huge space.
Huh??? That is a link to an article which I originally posted a while back to either Chowhound or FTC about Bartolotta.
For the third time since my joining Chowhound / FTC, I will post my 2 cents on this matter (verbatim):
"Uni myth: Opening the live urchin fresh in front of the customer means it’s gonna be great uni, right?
No. Contrary to popular belief, cracking open uni just before eating doesn’t ensure quality.
The quality of the urchin roe within the shell is an innate biological characteristic and pre-determined even before opening. Opening the shell in front of a customer does nothing to improve or detract from the quality of the uni within. There’s no way to predict the quality of the uni until it’s tasted.
That’s why “fresh uni out of the shell” is a scam, in my opinion. Opening a live uni is a crapshoot - you have no idea if that uni (while undeniably fresh) is gonna be good, mediocre, or bad.
The uni are sold in Japanese markets (generally higher in quality) are already extracted from the shell. The uni-monger sorts out different quality tiers before it’s brought to market and puts them in different wooden trays - this way, proper price levels can be set based on quality. Chances are, the uni monger, who is far more experienced at predicting which urchin will have the best roe, will open those shells first at his/her facility to determine the best prices. Meanwhile, some of the more questionable urchins get shipped off to restaurants intact for the “fresh uni out of the shell” ritual."
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Thanks @J_L. That’s the post!
I was thinking it was a news article, but it was in fact, “JLNN” ;). I remember your post on this, and thought about it when I had the bad Uni at Bistro LQ. Thanks for the insight.