Lobster Fizzle

Remember my post of 6/11, setting the stage for this summer’s contest on the Cape for the maker of the  “Best Lobster Roll Anywhere?”  Well, the trip is over and …. well, read on.

First, a return to some basics is in order.  Let us start at the very beginning.  A very good place to start.  Now, if I ruled the world, the perfect lobster roll would look something like this:

Oversized  hot dog bun – toasted lightly

Said bun overstuffed with tender, fresh, cold lobster meat

A side of mayo, to add as desired

That’s it…stop right there, don’t add another thing to this recipe, except….

Optional - throw in perhaps a side of Cape Cod Kettle Chips, or slaw, or beans, but no fries please, and on a separate plate if possible. Optional indeed, as a lobster roll, properly made, needs no help in satisfying one’s taste buds, or appetite.

Not optional – a glass of white wine (not too dry, not too sweet).  The brand or name doesn’t really matter.  Hell, after the first glass I couldn’t tell (or care) what I was drinking anyway.  Or beer – that works too - most any kind except for those with “fruit” in them.  Fruit, in beer - what’s next?  Pomegranate?  Omega 3s?

In life, anticipation and reality are oft times quite different. And thus it was on my most recent trip to Cape Cod.  The long awaited duel between Chapins restaurant and the Sesuit Harbor Café – didn’t live up to the hype.  Kinda like the Weather Channel predicting the end of the world every time it storms, or so it seems.

In the interest of validating the big contest to come, I had lobster rolls at the Lobster Pound and the Lobster Claw, both in Orleans.  As their names imply, they should have great rolls.  Well, they were ok, but ultimately disappointing.  Small hot dog buns, too much salad material, and stingy of meat, both were what I would call just average.  But, it didn’t stop me from eating them.

Then it was on to the main event.  I first went to Chapins, the one on Lower County Road in Dennis Port (hint: stay away from this one; go to the Chapins on Taunton Ave. on the other side of the Cape.  It’s near Chapin Beach, hence the name).  I started here as, so far, they have my vote for the best lobster roll anywhere.  So far.

 

Chapins - the cold roll

I had a cold lobster roll and then a hot one (not at the same time, if that’s what you were thinking).  Both were as I remembered them….good, and LARGE (lots of good lobster meat, more so in the cold roll than the hot).  The thing I liked least is that even here, they had “stuff” in them…..like lettuce, and other things that made this, to a small degree, part roll and part salad.

 

Chapins - the hot roll

 Next I visited Sesuit Harbor Café, visit being the operative word. This place is a gem, tucked away in a far corner of a large marina.  Even with Mrs. Garmin at your side, you have to know exactly where you’re going or you will have difficulty finding it, and once located, you will probably find yourself parking under some huge boat high up on a rack above your head. Hint: get there early and think about bringing your own chair and little table, so you don’t have to feel hurried to eat and leave to make room for the perpetual line forming behind you.  I would actually love to spend some time there eating, drinking, and just soaking up the quintessential essence of the Cape, but…

When you have just spent the day at Nauset Beach with 7 kids, two things are certain.  One, you are tired.  That alone is a great reason to hang out at a place like this and just chill, enjoying the end of the day. But let us meld the first observation with a second.  The kids.  Well, by late afternoon, they were beyond tired, approaching rapidly the end of their rope and soooo ripe for a colossal meltdown.

Sesuit Harbor Cafe  (lots of meat-find the roll)

So, a take out meal it was, and I really don’t know if that affected the quality of the lobster roll or not.  It was a good roll, very good actually. Lots of lobster, fresh and tasty. but also, lots of lettuce, and even a tomato (talk about your salad!)  And all this on a very small bun.  It was so small (as were the ones at the Pound and the Claw) that I swear they must make those buns especially for this purpose.  Lord knows a hot dog placed in one would find itself leaking out both ends.  The quanity and tenderness of the lobster meat saved the day, but in the end, after the last bite, I had to pronounce Chapins the winner once again.

In my frustration, it suddenly occurred to me the single reason why Chapins continues to hang onto the mythical cup.  They use a French roll … for the roll.  It is much larger than the typical hot dog roll used by the others, hence, more lobster.  And their use of “stuff” was in line with other restaurants, so what ended up being essentially a tie was broken by the size of the bun.

Disappointed and depressed, I left the Cape unfulfilled in my quest.  Add to that the general malaise felt every time I leave anyway, and you have a double whammy.  But in my self imposed despair, a glimmer of hope!  During the week, an experienced Cape native emailed me and offered  some restaurant choices.  I reviewed them, sadly, the night before leaving.  There was one, way down the list, that caught my eye …. a place called Moby Dick’s, in Wellfleet.  Very informal, kid friendly, you order at the counter, only here there are people who just bring your order to the table.  Sounds a lot like Abbotts and Sesuit Harbor! Online I went, found the menu, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but this description: 

“Moby’s Lobster Roll  -- tender tail and claw meat with just a touch of mayo on a toasted New England roll.”

Are you kidding me?  My description of a perfect lobster roll almost word for word on a restaurant menu?  Tender meat - toasted roll - hint of mayo -  this is it! I found it! The only apparent wild card is the New England roll.  If that turns out to be large, and filled with meat, then folks, I think we have a serious, and I mean serious, contender.

One major problem…I won’t be back till next year! How can I wait a full year?  Cruelty in its purest form.  But, in the wait, there is sublime anticipation, not unlike that of a first kiss.  The visit will be made all the better by the wait.  Or so I hope, once again.  Till next year then....counting.

Mark Twain Quote: “There is no unhappiness like the misery of sighting land (and work) again after a cheerful, careless voyage.”