Maine vs. Connecticut: Which Red Hook Lobster Pound 'Roll is better?
Ah, summer. Just the word, alone, conjures up whimsical visions of the navy blue Atlantic, board shorts, beach cruisers, and every North Easterner's favorite warm-weather sandwich, the lobster roll. Now, before I delve in to the difference between Maine and Connecticut-style 'rolls, I think it would be a good idea, just for those of you out there who do not know what a lobster roll is, to give you a brief description (per Wikipedia, of course):
"A lobster roll is a kind of sandwich filled with lobster meat. A traditional lobster roll contains the fresh cooked meat of a lobster, tossed with mayonnaise and served on a grilled hot dog bun or similar roll, so that the opening is on the top rather than on the side. The filling may also contain diced celery and/or scallion, or may use drawn butter instead of or in addition to mayonnaise. The sandwich may also contain lettuce, lemon juice, salt and black pepper...."
OK, so now that you're up to speed on what a lobster roll is, let's discuss the difference between lobster roll styles: Connecticut vs. Maine.
Connecticut-style lobster roll: lobster meat and butter. That's it.
Maine-style lobster roll: lobster meat + spices and chopped celery, bound together by mayonnaise. This is the most traditional 'roll.
Red Hook Lobster Pound is located in, you guessed it, Red Hook. Brooklyn. That wouldn't be a big deal, except for the fact that my friends and I decided that we should *bike* to the 'Pound from our home base in Manhattan. Considering that I was rocking my one-speed beach cruiser, the journey was a little bit tougher than I had expected - especially those round trip climbs up the Brooklyn Bridge. Ouch! Needless to say, all of the pedaling and huff-puffing made every single bite of my meal that much more enjoyable.
Taking a breather on the Brooklyn Bridge: Ceci and yours truly
Connecticut-style lobster roll
Bun: A+
Quality of lobster meat: A+
Condiments: scallions, C+
Compatibility of particular style to bun, lobster meat, condiments: B-
Verdict: I found the scallions/green onions too pungent and crunchy for the delicate lobster meat. As far as the "style" is concerned, the butter bath in which the lobster chunks were bound was awkwardly sour and tangy.
Maine-style lobster roll
Bun: A+
Quality of lobster meat: A+
Condiments: scallions, A- / iceberg lettuce, C+
Compatibility of particular style to bun, lobster meat, condiments: A+
Verdict: I did not find the scallions/green onions on this particular style offensive because they were not overly used. However, I found the iceberg lettuce shreds to be a bit of a random afterthought. Call me a creature of habit/a traditionalist, but THIS is how a lobster roll is supposed to be made. Folks, we have a winner!
...And, for dessert...
Robicelli's Maine blueberry cupcake: the icing tasted like sweetened Vaseline, whichleft an uncomfortable film on the roof of my mouth - the "cake" portion of the cupcake was a bit dried out but, nonetheless, was filled with plenty of *real* Maine blueberries. I will definitely skip this calorie-waster on my next visit.
Conclusion
Maine stole the show, in terms of lobster roll styles. And even if you're one of those obnoxious girls who claims "not to like mayonnaise" (code for "I freaking love mayonaise, but it will make me fat!"), you, too, can enjoy this particular style, as it's not very mayonnaise-y.
…
Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle