Catching two lobsters and three jazz musicians in Newark

Twin Lobsters at Iberia Peninsula Restaurant in Newark's Ironbound section.

Even before you order, a waiter will bring you a salad and crusty Portuguese bread.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I've been eating in Newark's Ironbound since the 1970s, and one thing I really appreciate in the densely populated neighborhood is a restaurant with good food and free parking.

On Sunday evening, we visited an old favorite, Iberia Peninsula on Ferry Street, before going to a jazz concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

The Portuguese restaurant offers unlimited barbecued meat (rodizio) and 24-ounce lobster tails, but we decided to take advantage of a special of simply broiled Twin Lobsters ($32), served with house-made potato chips or yellow rice or both.

We started with a complimentary salad made with dark-green romaine lettuce, not iceberg, and ordered an appetizer of Shrimp in Garlic Sauce ($11.50).

An appetizer of Shrimp in Garlic Sauce can be shared by two. The sauce is filled with thin slices of fresh garlic.

Our Twin Lobsters were served with addictive restaurant-made potato chips, above, and yellow rice.

Many temptations

I broke my diet twice, once with bread crusts dipped in olive oil and again with the addictive restaurant-made potato chips.

A glass of vinho verde, with a slight fizz, was $6, and a double espresso was $5.

Our bill totaled about $60, including the tax, and we couldn't finish all of the rice or potato chips.

The lobster meat and shrimp were delicious.

It's a short drive from the restaurant's free parking lots to the paid lots at NJPAC, where we enjoyed a concert by Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums.

In a brief introduction, Jarrett said they've been playing together for 32 years.

A double espresso came with two lemon peels.

I was surprised to see empty tables in the main dining room at Iberia Peninsula, above. A group of 20 were noisily celebrating a woman's birthday not far from where we sat.

Iberia Peninsula Restaurant, 63-69 Ferry St., Newark; 1-973-344-5611. Free parking.

Web site: Two restaurants named Iberia