Lobster Roll in the Garden: Eve's At The Garden

Eve's At The Garden, located at the Portland Harbor Hotel, is a fancy little place in Portland's Old Port with a great little outdoor dining option. Great except when it's 90+ degrees and you're not in the shade... then it's more like sitting at Satan's picnic table. Lucky for me, I was in the shade. This is one of those places I don't frequent often for lunch but I had my eye on their lobster roll which I sure was not going to be served in a cardboard basket.

There's no view of the water here because you're surrounded by the hotel—but the garden setting was relaxing and pleasant even on an unseasonably warm day in May. I enjoyed a freshly (and I mean fresh) brewed ice tea from my very own Tea Forte (which is the coolest little gadget ever!) while I awaited the arrival of my roll.

LOBSTER ROLL
Buttered Dog Roll | Lemon Thyme Dressing | Salt & Vinegar Chips

I'm often skeptical about a "dressing" on my lobster roll, but it was lightly dressed and not terribly overpowering with a nice flavor. The outside temperature made it a little runny towards the end—not the end of the world. The roll was deliciously buttered and toasted and slightly larger than your average hot dog bun. The lettuce was unnecessary as you probably already guessed but whatever, I think I need to stop complaining about the lettuce.

Before I get to the lobster, let's just talk about the salt & vinegar chips for a minute. I'm not positive, but I think they're homemade and absolutely delicious! I'm a sucker for chips and prefer them to fries with my roll. Not only did they taste amazing, but they were served in the most adorable little basket that I longed to purloin, and I may have had I brought a larger purse.

Now let's get back to the matter at hand... the lobster meat. I did not enjoy the lobster in this roll. It was tough and clearly overcooked. And the pieces were so big that when I tried to take a bite, I couldn't bite through the meat causing me to pull an entire tail piece off the bun. This was not enjoyable. I ended up taking much of the meat out of the bun, cutting it up on my plate and putting it back in just so I could take manageable bites. There's a problem when you can't physically bite through the tail meat... and I think that problem is leaving that little critter in the pot too long! Improperly cooked lobster makes me sad.

The price was a bit on the high side—$21 for a full roll or if you only wanted half, the price was $11. Who the hell is ordering a half a lobster roll? I say go big or go home, dammit! I can also say with 100% certainty, if I make a return trip to Eve's, I'll be ordering something other than the lobster roll. I hear the crab cakes are good.