Lobster Many Ways

I just got back from a quick trip to Martha’s Vineyard. It’s very pretty there – the beaches are beautiful and the houses are immaculate, with pretty flower boxes and/or potted flowers out front.  But enough about that, let’s talk about the food. Specifically, lobster.

Lobster rolls are the way to go in this part of the world and there is a debate about the best way to make a lobster roll.  They are typically served either hot with butter or cold as more of a lobster salad with mayonnaise.  In the name of research, I tried both.

First up, a hot lobster roll with butter from Menemsha Fish Market. This featured 1/3 pound of lobster, served hot with butter on a roll. We opted to add a cup of lobster bisque on the side.  If you are looking for the pure taste of lobster, this is the way to go.  The lobster was fresh, a bit sweet and yummy.  The squeeze of lemon was just enough seasoning. The bisque was so-so. It was a bit greasy and not as flavorful as it could have been.

Next up, a cold lobster roll from Edgartown Seafood. This featured less lobster than the hot one, but there was still a lot of lobster. The roll was pretty much the same (In both cases, the roll was a whimpy white bread roll – I was longing for a nice brioche roll).  Fortunately, the mayo content was light, just enough to moisten the lobster. It was a nice sandwich but it needed salt or some sort of seasoning.

The verdict? If you are looking for a pure lobster experience go with the hot roll and commit to spending some serious money to get one with plenty of lobster (the lobster roll + bisque at Menemsha Fish Market was $22.99). Otherwise, you can get the cold one (they are usually cheaper). But if you ever get the chance and can try both do it.

I also tried several other forms of lobster.  A whole lobster (also from Edgartown Seafood) was nice but a bit difficult to eat. We got it cooked and cracked but lacked the tools in our hotel room to properly eat the lobster. If I were to do that again, I’d make sure to bring some tools.  We got bisque with that lobster too and it was fairly flavorful and had a good amount of lobster meat.

 

 

Fried lobster from Sandy’s at Plymouth Beach (we were headed back to Boston by this time) was a bit dry and maybe not the best use of lobster.   Their cold lobster roll was quite good though.

Have you ever had a lobster roll? If so, do you prefer hot or cold?