Wollaston

Who knew there was such a nice beach so close to Boston? Well, I'm sure lots of people know, but for me the charms of Wollaston Beach in Quincy were a fresh revelation. Boston doesn't always showcase its waterfront location as much as it could, but here were beautiful ocean views, a nice stretch of sand, and at least four seafood stands to choose between for your lobster, clam, and ice cream needs.

I took a stroll there today with a friend who lives south of "Boston proper," and is thus more familiar than I with the ins and outs over there. This shot shows how close we were to the city. The sun was really hot, especially considering that just a few nights ago it was cold enough to turn on our heater, and the water was as smooth as glass.

After a sweaty walk along the water, who's up for a hearty meal of fried seafood? I am, I am! We chose Tony's Clam Shop, a 40+-year-old family business.

Tony's ran like a well-oiled machine. Lobster-shaped beepers lit up and vibrated when our orders were ready.

In spite of these lobster totems, I did not order a lobster roll, although I was as tempted as I am anytime one is on the menu. They looked generous and yummy, too. However, today I was in the mood for the (slightly) more economical fried clam roll, which also turned out to be generous and yummy. And the fries were notably crunchy and crispy.


A grand day out by the sea, almost without leaving town.

Lobster Roll Diaries: PJ's Family Restaurant

If you are a restaurateur who wants to serve good seafood, the best place to start might be to name your restaurant PJ's. One of my favorite places to go out for oysters and fish in San Francisco was PJ's Oyster Bed, and one of the best places I've gone for lobster rolls on Cape Cod is PJ's Family Restaurant in Wellfleet. (I am also quite fond of the happy dancing foodstuffs pictured on the back of their official t-shirt, pictured above.)


Unlike a lot of other places, PJ's has both an indoor eat-in area as well as a sheltered picnic table patio outside by the take-out window. While its roadside ambiance doesn't boast any particular charms (I think Cobie's in Brewster is still the best place on the Cape in that category), the lobster roll itself is everything I look for in the genre: buttered and toasted hot dog bun, generous chunks of flavorful lobster, and just the right amount of mayonnaise. My friend and I also ordered a side of fried clams, which were very good, as well.


PJ's also offers ice cream and frappes, which are always nice to have available when one is gorging on fried and mayonnaised summer seafood, even if in reality you end up being too stuffed and ill-feeling when the meal is done to actually be able to contemplate dessert. I think the solution must be to order a frappe along with the meal, before that reality has a chance to sink in.

Lobster Roll Diaries: Best Yet

I went with a friend for a late lunch at Neptune Oyster in the North End the other day, and all I can say is wow. What a great little place.

As you can guess from the marble tabletop and silver cutlery in the picture to the left, Neptune Oyster is no casual seafood shack, but in terms of upscale lobster rolls, this one was sublime. A generous helping of nice, big chunks of fresh, really lobstery-tasting lobster on a toasted brioche roll, which was also quite yummy in its own right. You can order the lobster served hot with butter or cold with mayo, a nice choice to have. We went with mayo, as that's how we both like our rolls in general, and it was a really muggy day so cold seemed best anyway. It wasn't cheap, but if you make a meal of it and start with a few briny Wellfleet oysters apiece (we did), I think you get your money's worth.

We practically had the place to ourselves, so it's hard to judge what the service would be like on a busier day at such a small, popular restaurant, but our waiter couldn't have been nicer, and happily spent lots of time describing his favorite oysters to us, and debating the merits of butter vs. mayonnaise. (Basically, for him it came down to this: "I like mine in butter ... because I like butter!" Well said.)

There's still no substitute for the charm of a ramshackle seafood place, but if I had an out-of-town guest who wanted to go somewhere nice but unpretentious for some fresh lobster and bivalves, I'd take them to Neptune Oyster in a heartbeat.

The North End is also always fun to stroll around, even on a hot, soupy day such as this one. We stopped into some of the little clothing boutiques that have sprung up in the area recently, and while we weren't exactly blown away by the merchandise, it's still nice that they're there. (It was too hot to be trying on clothes, anyway.)

Apparently the neighborhood's become kind of yuppified, and it's obviously very touristy, but I don't know, those old dudes leaning out their windows in undershirts looked pretty authentic to me. I don't think they let yuppies into places like this, either:


Also still going strong is Pizzeria Regina, much better known than our beloved Santarpio's, but still in the same league as the object of fiercely loyal local pizza allegiance. The parents of a friend of ours had their first date there many years ago, and it doesn't seem like it's changed much since.


Perhaps I'll get around to giving the full Regina rundown another day. It is surely deserving. But for now, I only have eyes for lobster. I might have to cook one for myself tonight, now that my seasonal mania has been ignited.

Lobster Roll Diaries: Barking Crab

Yesterday some friends treated me to a great lunch at the Barking Crab, a seafood place on Fort Point Channel in Boston. They had been curious to try a lobster roll, so that was the purpose of our expedition.

The Barking Crab can be a little tricky to find, tucked down behind a bridge on a side of town that most people, I would guess, don't often have reason to visit. Once you get there though, the location is hard to beat, right on the water and looking up at the buildings of the financial district. In a city so famous for its harbor (remember the Boston Tea Party?), it's surprisingly easy to let months go by without glimpsing any waterway but the Charles River (which, granted, is very nice in itself), so that makes this place extra special.

It also has a fun atmosphere, with lobster traps (or crab traps? I don't know) filled with twinkly lights, and a tented, open-air side (rather carnival-like) for summer, and a cozier enclosed dining room with a wood stove for winter. We sat at picnic tables under the tent this time.


As for the roll itself, well I'll tell you, it wasn't downright bad, but we weren't wowed. The lobster meat just didn't have much flavor, but I'm not sure if that's due to the time of year, the way it's cooked, or the luck of the draw. Whatever the reason, the end result was a dominant flavor of mayonnaise and parsley. I also prefer my lobster salad in larger chunks, but that might be a matter of taste.

The use of a baguette instead of a hot dog bun worked surprisingly well, in particular because the crust wasn't too hard. The fries and coleslaw that came with the sandwich were great (it's nice to have side orders to munch on, to make the lobster roll last longer), and we also ordered some fried Ipswich clams, which were perfect.

I like the Barking Crab overall. The food is fresh and simply prepared, and it would be a good place to take out-of-town visitors. Yet, although I had no trouble finishing everything on my plate, I probably wouldn't order their lobster roll again, except in the case of a true lobster roll emergency. Never say never.

Lobster Roll Diaries: An Inland Lobster Roll

Last week we made our first trip out to Walden Pond; too early to swim yet, but we took some visiting friends on a walk around its perimeter, and bought our annual parking pass in preparation for the summer.

On our way home we stopped at Dairy Joy, an ice cream stand we'd recently noticed in the town of Weston, quite close to Concord and Walden Pond. Along with soft-serve ice cream they also offer hamburgers and hot dogs, and, this being New England, fried clams and lobster rolls. Once I saw the menu I was helpless: there was no question of what I would order.

The lobster salad itself was very good, and the bun was grilled with a touch of butter, which is my favorite style of bun preparation. The portion was perhaps a little small compared to some of the lobster rolls I've had on Cape Cod, and lacking in the whole pieces of claw meat you sometimes get, but all in all, a roll with plenty of reason to feel good about itself.


Our veggie contingent appreciated the presence of a veggie burger on the menu, as well as a grilled cheese made with real sandwich bread (unlike the Ipswich Clam Box, where they use a hamburger bun), though the only available cheese was American, which did not score points.

But those details pale in significance when compared to the Dairy Joy's perfect location for a stop after a lazy day of lake-swimming, at a place whose only real disadvantage when compared to the beach, at least for this seafood-loving girl, was the absence of the classic seaside seafood shack. Paradise found.

Lobster Roll Diaries: J's Oyster

I spent an afternoon in Portland, Maine, this weekend, and fans of J's Oyster will be happy to know my friend and I found time to stop there for lunch.

I was expecting your typical wharf-side seafood shack, so was surprised to find J's feels more like a divey bar, albeit an oyster bar. It was pretty crowded when we were there so we took the available table by the door, but if I went back I think I would choose to sit at the bar and order a beer and a bunch of seafood, as my friend said she'd done on her previous visit.

So what makes J's such a favorite? In addition to its singular salty-dog atmosphere, I would guess it's the portions and freshness. I ordered the lobster roll (naturally) and was very impressed with the generous helping of notably large pieces of lobster meat. The price was much lower than most Boston rolls, too, and at a place with table service! The bun was grilled (yum, even better than toasted), and mayonnaise was served on the side (not sure this is my favorite style, but I can see how some might prefer it).


I have to say I found this roll a little bland, but that could definitely be due to the season, and I was also starting to come down with a cold. I also ordered a half dozen oysters, which weren't very good, but again you couldn't beat the price, and it may have just been a bad oyster day. I would certainly give the place another chance on all counts.

Lobster iconography abounds in Portland:


After lunch we strolled around town a bit, and found it a totally cute and happening place, a small coastal city with lots of interesting shops and good restaurants. I haven't been in much of a shopping mood lately, but I still had trouble keeping my wallet closed. Portland inspired me to give it my money!

One of the places we visited was a little "modern crafts" shop a la Magpie in Somerville called Edith & Edna. I noticed the work of several familiar indie craft names among its wares, and finally tracked down the elusive "sad toast" by My Paper Crane that I've been keeping an eye out for in recent months. Here's a shot of a giant-sized sad toast (sad because it's burnt, of course!) with other, happier, friends in the store's window.

Lobster Roll Diaries: One to Go

Even though beach season is over, I still frequently get hit by a lobster roll craving. Most of the places I know to get them in the city are sit-down restaurants though, which is fine if you're looking to Go Out to Lunch, but doesn't help when you want a quick bite. Plus, lobster rolls cost enough from the seafood shack - I'd rather not pay double for linen napkins and table service.

The other afternoon I was walking a visiting friend over to South Station to catch her bus back to New York when she voiced a sentiment I've heard from other out-of-town friends (mostly ones who've been brainwashed by the lobster-obsessed lunacy of this blog): "I wanted to try a lobster roll while I was here - is there anyplace nearby where I could get one?"

I was doubtful. You can get them at the Boston Chowda Co. chain, which is frequently found in Boston food courts, but there isn't one at South Station, and anyway, I find their lobster salad a little bland and watery. I know there are also a bunch of places on the piers by the harbor, not far from where we were, but I wasn't quite sure how to get over there, and with minutes to spare before my friend's bus left even that might be too far.

So just as I'd told her I couldn't think of anything close enough, we walked past James Hook & Co. Lobsters. I'd passed this place many times before and looked at it longingly, but I assumed it was only in the wholesale business. This time though, I noticed a discreet "Retail" sign with an arrow pointing around the corner. The storefront window looked dim, deserted, and hardly open for business, but having a friend in tow (and one with a serious lobster jones) gave me courage, so up we marched to check it out.

I've since done a little research so I realize this is hardly the discovery of the century - plenty of others have commented on the quality and value of this Boston standby. But hey, I didn't know, so maybe others don't, either. You can get a great, basic, $10 (as of November '06) lobster roll with plenty of fresh meat, as well as live lobsters, cooked ones, shelled meat by the pound and helpfully sorted by type (knuckle, tail, etc.), plus a bunch of other fish and shellfish. Looming behind the counter is the big, dim warehouse area, sloshing with tanks full of scrambling crustaceans. But even though we were clearly walking into a working seafood distribution plant, the man who helped us was as pleasant and helpful as could be. The retail counter didn't feel like an afterthought or an intrusion.

The next time I need a brown-bag lunch for the long bus ride down to New York, I know where I'm stopping first.

Lobster Roll Diary: Cobie's

If it's August, it must be time for another trip to Cape Cod. We headed down for a few off-weekend days in an attempt to miss the worst of the summer crowds (though there were still plenty of people around). While we intended to branch out this time, we ended up staying in Orleans where we've stayed a few times before. Obviously there are many nice towns on Cape Cod, but we found we were once again in the mood for this one's particular style - quaint but not overly cutesy, not too snooty with historic pedigrees, and convenient without being a mess of strip malls and chintzy motels.

This time we revisited a seafood place in Brewster that has to be one of the most picturesque roadside establishments ever: Cobie's, ideally located next to the Cape Cod rail trail and bursting with picket-fence charm. We had a vague memory of not liking it for some reason, but as it's so darn cute and was close to the lake where we went swimming that morning, we decided to give it another chance.


The covered picnic tables where we grabbed a seat.

Naturally, my recent adventures in lobster-consumption hadn't tided me over for long; in spite of other menu options, I was helpless before the possibility of getting a lobster roll. My companion discovered he could order a veggie burger, a big point in Cobie's favor, considering one memorable occasion at Ipswich's Clam Box where the only vegetarian item on the menu was a grilled cheese sandwich jury-rigged from a hamburger bun.

When the lobster roll arrived, I remembered what I hadn't liked so much about Cobie's: the roll consisted of chunks of lobster and only the barest trace of mayonnaise, if that. It also included an offending leaf of lettuce. Now, I realize lack of mayonnaise is considered a point of pride at some seafood shacks, where they prefer their lobster unsullied by such crude fillers, but I do feel lobster+mayonnaise results in a magic alchemy.


However, this time around, being less of a novice in both the Cape and lobster roll departments, I went in search of a side of mayonnaise, plucked off the lettuce leaf, and enjoyed my lobster roll mightily. I mean, look at the size of that claw. Much larger than my home-cooked one (which leads me to believe I purchased a soft-shell lobster, known for their shrunken claw meat). The bun was toasted, too. Simple as it sounds, that can make the meal.

By the Sea, by the Sea

Like much of the country, we had a few days of melting heat earlier this week. To escape it, a friend and I took off for the day to Rockport, north of Boston ... though even the ocean breezes couldn't compete with the air-conditioned car most of the time.

The cooling blues and greens of these sailboats in the harbor helped chill us out though.


Off Halibut Point we watched a lobster boat pull traps out of the water. "How picturesque," we cooed, observing the heroic fishermen. "Wait, is that guy naked??" said my friend.



We stopped to admire a little crab in a tidepool (or possibly a pool of stagnating rain water - get out, Crabby, get out!), until the biting flies forced us to move along.


The promenade of Bearskin Neck is lined with little maritime art galleries, women's summerwear boutiques, and fudge fudge fudge. Also airbrushed t-shirts featuring Bart Simpson in various lewd poses.


Of course the main purpose of the trip was a visit to Rockport's celebrated Lobster Pool restaurant.


As we waited in line for our lobster rolls and fried clams (and, ultimately, two sodas apiece - it was a two-soda day), the teenager ahead of us turned to ask if we knew what a lobster roll was, exactly. Oh, kid, you are going to be sorry you asked us that. We could barely suppress our glee in describing our favorite bite of high-low Americana seafood goodness.

"Different places have different ways of doing it ..." my friend began, which should have warned him off immediately. "Here they tend to use very little mayonnaise ..."

I felt the need to interject, "It's pieces of lobster ... on a hot dog bun! It's just lobster salad, on a bun!" Get it? Get it? my chortling tone was meant to imply. Expensive, special-occasion lobster on a cheap hot dog roll! And it's the best combination ever! Isn't it awesome?

Another kind of teenager would have tuned out at "very little mayonnaise," but this one nodded appreciatively, trying to take in the nuances -- he truly wanted to understand the lobster roll.

And apparently we adequately reassured him that he should go ahead and get his roll, even if the finer points of our reply were inevitably -- at least until he could gather a bit more personal lobster roll experience -- for the present lost on him.

I meant to look over later to see whether he was enjoying it, but by that time I had a lobster roll of my own, and was lost to everything but savoring each morsel, scant touch of mayonnaise and all.

Cape Cod Notes

The other weekend we went down to Cape Cod to celebrate my birthday. A few thoughts on our trip ...

Thrift shopping is so very wonderful on the Cape, so wonderful that they even put out a pamphlet so you won't miss any when you visit. I think they are so good because a) the summer population gets rid of stuff at the end of the season and b) there are a lot of retirees there, who leave behind their lifetime collections of stuff when they finally say goodbye to this world. Here is an archetypical Cape thrift shop, "For a Song."


We spent one afternoon at a beach we like in the town of Brewster. I love how different beaches have their own particular shells, the remnant of the whatever sea creature happens to dwell there for its personal environmental reasons. Along this part of the coast, scallop shells are so abundant that one beachcomber apparently decided the cache they'd collected wasn't even worth taking home.


The sky was all feathery over the beach that day.


In lobster roll news, I got a very generous helping at Kate's Seafood, but it lacked flavor, and was more like eating tuna salad. It also happened to be mixed with lobster roe, which was exciting and helped diminish my disappointment in this particular lobster roll experience. I do not know whether there was any connection between presence of lobster roe and lack of lobstery flavor. The onion rings were good, at least.

Lobster Roll Diary

In addition to its blueberries, Maine is also known for its lobster rolls (in fact my Maine friend showed me a copy of a book about childhood summers in Maine, titled "Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie"), so on our visit there I was hoping I might get a chance to try one.

However, we had surprising trouble finding a reliable purveyor. On the way to the beach, we passed a small general store with a big "Lobster Rolls" sign tacked to the porch. Unfortunately, two additional signs were placed directly above it, stating with equal enthusiasm: "Bait" and "Sand Worms." Not appetizing. A hand-painted sign further along the road directed customers to the "Lobster Shed" up a dirt driveway and behind a run-down ranch style house. Also not our kind of place.

We finally settled on a fresh fish and produce market in the artsy little town of Hallowell, a shop where live lobsters frolicked reassuringly in a spa-sized tank of water behind the counter. The owner's son prepared the mayo and lobster mixture while we watched, and there were no sand worms or bait to be seen.



The verdict: perhaps a bit overly bready due to the enormous bun, but otherwise perfect. Excellent lobster-to-mayo ratio, good rich flavor, generous chunks of lobster.