by Alan Morrell, Staff Writer - Democrat and Chronicle

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

The lobster lady on East Avenue heard all the comments Tuesday.

"They'd drive by and say, 'Can we shell you,' or 'I'd like to be in hot water with you,'" said Jeanne Mulley, who wore a lobster suit while hawking — lobstering? — lobster bisque for Valley Manor Apartments , located at 1570 East Ave. "But it's OK. It's fun. And it's great bisque."

Valley Manor was selling the popular bisque, whose recipe comes from the former Dickens Restaurant, which closed in 1994, during a fundraiser to benefit Seniorsfirst Communities & Services and the Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley.

The bisque returned after a one-year hiatus. Valley Manor sold it for five or six years from its kitchen, then tried canning the bisque in 2002. After hearing complaints that the soup was bad, they recalled it, then worked with a Maryland canning company for this year's product. The recipe is the same and, judging by public response, still quite popular.

Bill Ferguson, a dancer with Garth Fagan Dance, got a few cans.

"I've never had it before," said Ferguson, of Brighton. "But Garth's hunches are 99.9 percent right, so I thought I'd go with it."

Duane Girdner, Seniorsfirst vice president of marketing, recounted stories people told him of visiting Dickens for the bisque. He said Valley Manor sold about 300 of its 400 cases Tuesday. The remaining bisque will be available through the end of the week, at $10 per 15-ounce can, by calling (585) 242-0940. Valley Manor is considering selling it later in stores or online.

"It's a dearly loved product," said Girdner, who was wearing a shirt that said "Souper Man" and a button that read "The Bisque is Back." He said employees from Rochester General Hospital stopped by for a case and a half after patients saw news accounts and longed for it. Later, two firefighters arrived by truck to buy a case. Karyl Friedman of Penfield came for the memories as well as the delicacy.

"Back in the '60s, we came (to Dickens) every Friday night," she said