Lobster rolls were a bit of a discovery for us Aussies. This delicacy is associated with the state of Maine, but is also commonly available at seafood restaurants in other New England states and on Eastern Long Island in the U.S., where lobster fishing is common. It is basically the seemingly at odds combination of fresh cooked meat of a lobster, tossed with mayonnaise and served on a hot dog bun. Our first taste was courtesy of Famous Fat Dave who took us to Luke's Lobster in the East Village which doles out fresh, afforadable lobster, straight from Maine. The cool, sweet meat contrasted wondrously with the warm, buttery roll - what a taste revelation! After tasting this, we were keen for more. In Brooklyn, some friendly locals recommended we head to Walter's for dinner, a seafood restaurant on Grand St, Williamsburg. This place was fantastic, and something we felt that Melbourne definitely lacked. This was an upscale food experience in a down to earth, classic, bistro setting. We started off with half a dozen oysters on the half shell with Mexican sparkling wine, my sister ordered the lobster roll and I ordered 1 1/2 Lb steamed lobster with mashed potatoes, sauteed string beans and drawn butter. The drawn butter was an unctuous liquid that looked like a pool of gold in which to dunk the lobster meat. Normally, I am not this indulgent when it comes to food but the steamed lobster with sides was US$35. Plus the bottle of Gruet St Vincent's sparkling pinot noir/chardonnay from New Mexico was great value at US$30 too. Amazing food at a great price. Of course, we topped it all off with key lime pie for dessert. One of the best dining experiences ever!
We were still so enamoured by lobster rolls that on our stopover at LAX on the way back to Melbourne we ordered one last lobster roll at what appeared to be the only restaurant, other than McDonalds and Burger King, in the place. Sadly, and I suppose not surprisingly, it was pretty terrible!
Luke's Lobster Roll - 9/10
Walter's Lobster Roll - 8/10
LAX's Lobster Roll - 4/10
sounds and looks divine!
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