DCist challenges the omnivores among you to refute this statement: Lobster is nature’s perfect food. You can’t, can you? Is it because it reminds us of summer? Because it’s a little bit messy to eat? Or because we can unapologetically dip its sweet, tender flesh in butter? Really it’s all of the above.

Unfortunately, lobster is just too hard on the wallet to eat regularly. Thankfully some D.C. chefs have stepped down from the whole lobster entrees and started serving dishes that use a little less of the food of the gods but do so in ways that still offer it its rightful homage. Case in point: the lobster roll at Hank’s Oyster Bar and the lobster mac and cheese at Zola (Note: If you are good DCist’s Eating In column might tackle this recipe in the near future).

But we digress. The fact is that DCist spent a good part of Labor Day weekend eating some amazing crustaceans from Salt River Lobster — a company that trucks lobsters and other sea creatures down from Maine every week — and we would feel remiss if we did not inform those of you not yet in the know about this locally-sold bounty. The only catch is, if you don’t live in Maryland you have to haul over to the Bethesda Community Store on Old Georgetown Road on Friday or to the Kensington Farmers Market on Howard Avenue on Saturday to pick up your haul.

This week the company won our hearts when a woman asked what was available that day. “Didn’t you hear me just go through it?” snapped Andrew, one of the proprietors. We have a soft spot for those with no patience. Really, all they want is a little consideration for the rules. When we said we had e-mailed our order in, Andrew was all smiles.

At around $10 per pound, these crustaceans aren’t cheap. But when you’re covered from head to toe in lobster juice and you’ve got a pile of detritus in front of you, we’re sure you’ll agree it is money well spent.