Restaurant Saves Giant Lobster

After he was purchased by New York City seafood restaurant, Oceana, it seemed like Peter the lobster's fate involved hot water and drawn butter. But according to a New York Daily News story, Peter is getting a second chance at life.

Oceana purchased the 11-pound, 70-year-old crustacean earlier this week after customers complained that the restaurant's lobsters weren't big enough. The eatery's executive chef, Ben Pollinger, planned to cook Peter, as long as a patron was willing to pony up $275 to feast on the giant lobster.

But once patrons found out about Pollinger's planned dinner, the restaurant was flooded with calls. Concerned customers felt for 70-year-old Peter, and believed that his weight and his senior citizen status should save him from winding up on someone's dinner plate.

Luckily, the restaurant listened. Oceana says it will take Peter off the menu, though it is unclear what exactly will happen to the old lobster.

Peter's not the only giant lobster to be saved from the lobster pot. In January, activists from the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested at City Crab, which planned on serving up a 20-pound lobster. The restaurant heeded their cries and freed the captive crustacean.

Photo courtesy of The New Student's Reference Work via Wikimedia Commons.