Taste Testing Lobster Rolls: Someone's Got to Do It

You've heard of a pub crawl but how about a lobster roll crawl?  While in New England, plans called to start one in the late afternoon and eat our way through three restaurants known for their lobster rolls.  By the end, I guarantee I was the one with a roll-- hanging over my belt.

Perkins Cove

It all started in the quintessential Maine town of Ogunquit. Ogunquit with its Perkins Cove would win the contest for a look-alike Cabot Cove, the charming hamlet of Jessica Fletcher on the old TV series, "Murder She Wrote".  It's upper class, preppy, clean and oh so Maine.  Rocky coastline, lighthouse, walking trails and adorable little shops. 

 The Taste Test

The Lobster Shack, Ogunquit, Maine

First stop: the Lobster Shack. Yes, that is its official name, and an adroit one at that. The seafood shanty has been in operation since 1947, the oldest restaurant in Perkins Cove. Originally built around 1900, the simple lobsterman's shack housed traps, rope, buoys and other fishing equipment.  Over time the building was updated and added to, but was still little more than a storage shed, with no running water, heat, or electricity. In 1947, the shop was converted into a restaurant called Maxwell Perkins Lobster Pound and remained much the same through the 1950's-60. In the winter of 1977 a storm surged through Perkins Cove and did quite a bit of damage to the building, but the original frame remained. This prompted a major renovation that reorganized the kitchen and updated the plumbing, electrical work, and dining room. The “Shack” has been owned and operated by the Evans family since the 1980s.
 
Live lobsters caught by local lobstermen wait in tanks filled with ocean water pumped straight from Perkins Cove. Can't get more local than that!

Serving chowder at the Lobster Shack

 
We started off with a cup of seafood chowder made from an old New England family recipe. The kitchen uses no thickening flour, just the perfect combination of clams, haddock, potatoes, onions and spices in a milk and cream base. After the chowder, I dove straight in for the traditional lobster roll sandwich.  It comes on a buttery toasted roll, mostly lobster meat with or without mayonnaise. I gobbled down about half of it knowing I was in for more. The lobster tasted fresh, tender and juicy- exactly what I wanted.

Lobster Roll at the Lobster Shack

Lobster Roll Price: $17.00

Satisfaction: 10

Next we drove on to Jake's Seafood Restaurant in Wells, about two miles north of Ogunquit. The family-run restaurant stays open year-round and is extremely popular with locals, especially at breakfast time. Believe it or not, they open at 5 a.m. for breakfast, seven days a week.

Jake's Seafood Restaurant in Wells, Maine

Jake's  claim to fame comes from their fried clams and onion rings, but I thought the lobster roll was mighty fine. Only owner Ky makes the seafood chowder because she wants to make sure it comes out right. Jake's lives up to their motto, "Five star dining on a paper plate." The restaurant is also a favorite stop for ice cream, available from the outdoor take-out counter as well as in the restaurant.

Fried Clams

Lobster Roll Price $14.99

Satisfaction: 9

Finally, we headed in the opposite direction and ended up at Shore Road Restaurant and Market, a seat of the pants operation with a fantastic product. The restaurant is in its first year with a new owner, Jason Johnson, and he is working to make it a go.  By all rights, he should succeed.  The lobster roll is brimming with succulent meat and sells for an amazingly low price of $9.99. You can't beat it.

Shore Road Restaurant

The little restaurant rests just minutes from York Beach and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as offer a wonderful little market with fresh produce, dairy, meat, snacks, and wine and beer.

Shore Road Lobster Roll with homemade chips

Lobster Roll Price: Only $ 9.99

Satisfaction: 9

The Results

Debi says: Could be that I liked the atmosphere in the Lobster Shack and hence rated their product the highest with a 10. Honestly, I would be more than thrilled to eat any of these lobster rolls any day. They were all fantastic. 
 
Judy says: I wanted transplant them all back to Florida's First Coast so we could take turns dining on lobster rolls year' round. If I had to pick one it would be Jake's. Loved the overflowing lobster and the no-gimmicks family atmosphere. I've had better onion rings but their clams were the best.

Afterwards

Nubble Lighthouse, Cape Neddick, Maine

To walk off the feast, we drove to nearby Nubble Lighthouse at Cape Neddick, another spectacular photo-op in Maine.  Didn't have time for a tour but this location is gorgeous. We also passed by what looked like fair grounds. 

Lastly,  we returned to the venerable Cliff House Resort standing high above a rocky ledge (Bald Hill Cliff) with thunderous waves below. The Cliff House has been welcoming guests since 1872 and is the place to stay for an Ogunquit vacation. However, the resort is closing after this season for a MAJOR renovation, so next July and August (2016) it will be even better. But, remember: location is,as they say   everything, and the panoramic vista at the Cliff House won't change.

View from my balcony at the Cliff House, Ogunquit, Maine

My spacious room overlooked coast, but the highlight of the visit was my facial at the spa. The therapist used Maine ingredients to make a blueberry smoothie mask. Wish I had a photo of my Smurf-like face. The additional sensation of smooth hot and cold rocks sliding across my skin made a fantastic indulgence, highly recommended.  

The Cliff as seen from the Cliff House Dining Room

To finish  our trip we attended a sold-out performance at the Ogunquit Playhouse. For 82 years it has been staging quality summer theater and the current facility is excellent. We watched an amazing cast perform "Victor Victoria" to a standing ovation.  No wonder tickets are hard to come by.

The Ogunquit Playhouse

The next morning the Good Girls were driven to Boston where they hopped a plane and returned to Jacksonville and St. Augustine.  We are still raving about our Two Nation Vacation to anyone who will listen; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine make superior summer getaways. Go soon!

Nighttime View of the Cliff House

Learning to be Lobstermen in Portland

It had to happen. The day we arrived in Maine, the weather changed from gorgeous to gray skies and pounding rain. The kind of day you'd like to sneak back to bed with a book. And, we were staying at the Westin Harborview- known for their Heavenly Beds!

Gray skies in Portland

Alas, we only had only one afternoon in Portland and were signed up for a Old Port walking Foodie Tour.  Thank goodness, plans were changed; we'd  hop in a van between downtown stops.

Downtown Portland

Portland, Maine is a city of only 66,000 people but has 300-plus mostly independent restaurants. The combination of reasonable, one-year-long rental rates and immediate access to lobster and other seafood has created a foodie haven.

Cheese selection at the Public Market

The tour , led by knowledgeable guide Christopher Papagni, includes sampling Maine-inspired food. First we hit the Public Market House where a variety of vendors rent space. Artisanal cheese was featured along with a few other prepared foods. Seems there are some fabulous local cheesemakers around Portland.

Public Market Samples

Next we stopped at Dean's Sweets, a chocolatier who offered us a Needham.  A Needham is a traditional Maine confection made with mashed potatoes, coconut, and confectioner's sugar then dipped in chocolate.  We also tasted a truffle; I chose the Chocolate Stout Truffle made with beer.  Kristin and Dean Bingham, the charming owners, have been in business for ten years, but only six months in the Old Port location. 

Truffles from Dean's Sweets

Next we had a tasting at  Vervacious, founded by a pair of high-techers who chucked it all to sail around the world and bring back their favorite flavors. They offer luxuriously packaged spices, oils, and balsamics. We also enjoyed a serving of lobster mac and cheese they proved lobster makes anything better.

Vervacious Spices

One step into Gritty McDuff's and you know where the locals hang. The pub was hopping. If you belong to the Mug Cub, beer is just $2 a mug on Sundays. Ed Stebbins, the brewmaster, told us he opened it as the first brew pub in Maine since prohibition. We tasted a hot pretzel and a flight of beer. I liked the Black Fly Stout, which the Beer Advocate.com rates at 100.

Beer Flight at Gritty's

Lastly, we stopped in Vena's Fizz House which up until recently only sold non-alcoholic drinks but now runs a full bar. Bitters are the thing here, and owner Steve Corman can whip up some awesome concoctions. It's worth a stop to see the vast number of different, exotically titled and labeled bitters they stock. Don't bother to count, it's 150!

Steve Corman adds bitters at Vena's Fixx House

Bitters

Like soggy rag dolls, we flopped back to our rooms in the Westin, and I drew myself a warm bath.  We were on our own for dinner in the hotel, and Judy and I limited ourselves to a bowl of seafood chowder. Perfectly delicious and perfect for a rainy night.

Next morning the group attempted to eat healthfully but as always, we failed.  We headed down to the marina for a hands-on lesson on lobstering. We boarded the Lucky Catch, a lobster boat, where a local photographer snapped our picture.  Sure, it's touristy, but the pic was good and makes a nice memory. 

The Good Girls on the Lucky Catch in Portland, Maine

Judy helps Debi with Lobsterman Outfit!

No sooner were the lines cast off, than we donned the appropriate attire: orange oil-cloth pants, aprons, and gloves. We love to dress up so thought it was fun to feel like a real lobsterman!

The boat moved out into Casco Bay where we saw historic Fort Gorges,  beautiful homes along the shore and six lighthouses. We helped reel-in the lobster traps and learned how to measure the crustaceans. Too little or too big, back they go.  We threw every one back on this outing as it was early in the season. Maine laws differ from Canada; they are stricter but trapping (with a license) is open year-round. The captain claimed the Maine lobster population was growing. 

Judy learns how to measure a lobster.

We also helped re-bait and lower the traps, experiencing the difficulties of the job. So glad the rain was gone!  Would not be enjoyable to be lobstering in cold, wet weather. All in all, we learned that the Good Girls are much happier eating the delicacy that catching it. 

Happy Lobster Eaters

Speaking of eating, it was lunchtime, and we'd received a tip that the best lobster roll in town was out in Fort Williams Park at Bite into Maine, a lobster roll food truck. We found it parked on a gentle hillside across from the Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine. FYI: This area is actually in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Lobster Roll Food Truck "Bite into Maine."

The line was long but worth the wait. Fabulous picnic fare on a picnic table in the park with a Maine Root Beer to wash it down. Afterward, I strolled over to the Lighthouse, one of the most quintessential photo ops in Maine.  This one is a beauty from land or from the water (as we had seen earlier).

A Lobster Roll Picnic

Lighthouses and lobster; Maine has a good thing going.   

The Beautiful Port Head Light, Oldest Lighthouse in Maine.

Gorgeous homes along the Bay

Fort Gorges in Casco Bay near Portland.

Lobster from Pot to Mouth

Ready to cook. Photo by Debi Lander.

Having learned how to plank salmon, we figured how hard could boiling a lobster be, right?

Right, with lobsterman and Liscombe Lodge Food and Beverage manager Ryan Hagen showing the way. Still, a lot to learn.

Male or female? Females have the longer tails for carrying eggs. Females gestate for nine months but, lucky gals, can choose when during a two-year period they want to start.

Males have the larger claws. Ah, those claws. One is the pincer, the other the crusher and you don’t want to be caught by either so pick a lobster up on its carapace behind and out of range of the claws.

Lobster 101. Photo by Debi Lander.

It takes these crustaceans seven years to mature and are best caught just after molting. Prices here vary with the size of the catch, $6.50 a pound if plentiful, $10 and up a pound if  sparse.

You can keep them alive in the fridge under wet newspaper for up to four days, but don’t ever eat a lobster that has died before hitting the boiling water.

Ryan says lobsters don't feel pain, although who but the lobster knows for sure? They are very lethargic, cold water creatures by nature, so what is pain to us probably doesn't wake up until the lobster is already dead.

Think of the sensuous luxury of consuming that fresh, warm meat and let your lobster take the plunge.  Remove the rubber bands from its claws first, says Ryan.

Ryan adds lobsters to the pot. Photo by Debi Lander.

When cooking, figure 12 minutes at boiling per pound, with one quart of water per pound and one tablespoon of salt if not using seawater. But don’t count on it. Pull one of the antennae: if it comes out easily, lobster’s done. If not, keep boiling and steaming. Everyone from Newfoundland to Maine seems to have a secret additive: Add salt, add sugar, add whatever comes to mind, I guess.

Tools for the lobster feast. Photo by Debi Lander.

Let the cooked lobster cool a bit.

Ryan dries off the lobster as it cools. Photo by Debi Lander.

 Twist or cut off then crack the claws with a nutcracker.

Ryan shows off his cracking skills. Photo by Debi Lander.

Take the walkers off. Toss the body. Take the tail in hand, stretch and squeeze it then twist the meat out. Don't forget the sweet meat inside the tail fan. Enjoy.

Now it's our turn to work. Photo by Debi Lander.

Lobster shells are good for compost and for keeping slugs out of the garden. Dry them in the sun and crush first.  The golf balls used for driving practice on cruise ships are made from lobster shells. You only get 70 percent as much distance but they are biodegradable and isn't that a fitting circle of life?

Debi salutes her lobster with a glass of good Grand Pre, L'Acadie Blanc. Photo by Judy Wells.

Don’t feel badly about depleting the lobster population. Clawed lobsters, the kind you find in cold water, are increasing in number thanks to stringent harvesting regulations in both Canada and the U.S.

Those humongous 10 or more pounders? Not good eating. Too old, too tough. The smaller 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounders are for best for eating.

Excuse me now, please. Need to check the boiling lobster pot.