Peaks Island Lobster Roll: The Inn On Peaks Island

One recent sweltering Sunday, we found ourselves trying to beat the heat by heading out into Casco Bay. We boarded a packed car ferry and set sail for Peaks Island where we rented bikes and rode around the island for an hour. (FYI: It wasn't much cooler than the mainland.) You know what riding bikes does (besides making me feel incredibly old and out of shape)? It works up an appetite!

We decided on The Inn On Peaks Island for lunch and were happy to have a table inside out of the heat. It's not a bad little place although the beer selection leaves a little to be desired. I was excited to see they had a lobster roll special, and despite my tendency to steer clear of lobster rolls that aren't a regular menu item, I ordered it! I mean how hard is it to construct a lobster roll? You'd be surprised how easy it is for a place to suck at it.

The Inn on Peaks sucks at a lobster roll. I didn't even need to taste it to come to that conclusion. For $18, I expect a little more than a fistful of lobster on my bread. I also expect that if you're going to jip me on said lobster, why don't you at least try to spread it out to cover the whole hot dog bun so it looks like... well, not like the picture. When it arrived in front of me, I almost asked the waiter if he was serious. But I'm pretty sure he was since he didn't apologize for it or offer to bring more lobster.

And that's not even the whole story. If you've been a loyal reader of this blog, you know I like my buns buttery and toasted. This one was the opposite of that. One side looked like it may have brushed against a hot surface at some point, but the other side was basically cold. I was confused. Was the kitchen staff drunk? Suffering from heat stroke? Eating hallucinogenics? Pissed off about life in general? Whatever is going on in your life, I think you should take a certain amount of pride in building a respectable lobster roll in Maine. This one was clearly made by a four-year-old with a broken arm and an attitude problem.

The only one tiny little bright spot in this experience was the taste of that tiny blob of lobster. It was lightly dressed with an herbed mayo and the meat tasted fresh and tender. It had real potential. The meat is half the battle – once you've perfected that, the rest is gravy.

Disappointed, we headed back to the dock to wait for the ferry home where we were entertained by Reggae Sunday amateurs that were so drunk by 2:30 in the afternoon, they needed to be escorted home. Nothing like standing in line to board the boat, wondering if you're out of the splatter zone in case they hurl.

West Commercial Lobster Roll: Clam Digger Restaurant

Every once in a while something sneaks up on you and surprises the shit out of you when you least expect it. And that's what happened the day I visited the newly dubbed Clam Digger Seafood Restaurant at the west end of Commercial Street on the outskirts of Portland's famed Old Port. You see... I drive by this establishment five mornings a week on my way to work. For the last million years or so, it has been a little run down shack called Benny's and as uninviting as it has always looked, I had this deep urge to try their lobster roll.

Over the past several months, I noticed some changes happening at the old Benny's – some improvements, some new picnic tables with nice umbrella's, some sprucing up of the old shack – and lastly, a new sign calling the upgrade Clam Digger. I was intrigued, to say the least. So one sunny lunchtime, I grabbed my favorite lunch buddy and headed on down to investigate.

Naturally, I ordered the lobster roll. Duh. The prices were reasonable for downtown Portland - the lobster roll alone was $19.99 and I upgraded with fries and coleslaw for an extra couple bucks. The next time I go back, I'll know that I don't even remotely need the fries and coleslaw – it was just too much food! (My lunch date didn't even finish her lobster roll! *insert surprised face emoji here*

Remember that thing I said about things sneaking up on you and surprising you? When I got my lobster roll, three things stuck out to me – things I generally despise when it comes to my lobster roll – the dreaded brioche roll, lettuce and big giant chunks of lobster. My hopes dimmed... I really wanted this place to be awesome.

So let's discuss...

First, the roll. The brioche... wasn't half bad. It actually didn't taste as briochey as I've had in the past and it was buttered up and grilled delightfully – I actually liked the damn thing. Yeah, I'm surprised too.

Second, the lettuce. A big leafy piece of lettuce was gently placed in the side so it was easily plucked out without dismantling the whole damn roll. Yay for garnishy lettuce!

And third, the big lobster chunks. This lobster was cooked to near perfection. Each chuck easily bit through without pulling a big piece off and into my lap. I was impressed. My only complaint would be the claw piece where the tip tasted a bit chalky but I'm not going slam them too hard for that. I've found that to be pretty common.

While I was eating this roll, I noticed that the mayo was applied directly to the roll and not mixed in with the lobster – something I'd never experienced but kinda liked. I also noticed that because of the amount of lobster in this thing, the beefier brioche roll was welcomed to hold it all together. Overall, I was quite pleased with the experience. The fries and cole slaw were tasty too... just too much!

According to the folks who waited on us, they hope to soon expand the business to include lobster bakes and live music at some point down the road. I'm glad someone is finally putting that place to good use and I hope people give them a shot! If you do... let me know what you thought.