This illustration, serving as the cover for the August 4, 1997 issue of The New Yorker, depicts a whimsical seaside scene where anthropomorphic lobsters are dining at an outdoor restaurant. Three large, bright red lobsters sit around a circular table covered with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth. Each lobster wears a white napkin tucked into its shell, and one appears to be reading a menu with its claw. In the background, another lobster sits alone at a separate table, sipping a drink.
The restaurant is located on a wooden deck overlooking a calm, deep blue ocean under a clear sky. A lone sailboat is visible on the horizon. Behind the main table, a large glass aquarium filled with green water and several small green human figures—resembling swimmers or divers—creates a humorous reversal of the typical seafood restaurant environment. A simple, green hanging pendant light illuminates the dining area from the wooden ceiling.
The style is clean, stylized, and evocative of vintage magazine illustrations, utilizing bold colours and crisp lines. The warm, earthy tones of the wooden deck and the saturated red of the lobsters contrast sharply against the bright blue sea and sky. Light levels appear bright and sunny, consistent with a mid-day coastal setting. The overall mood is surreal, humorous, and satirical, flipping the roles of diners and aquatic life.