I love a good New England style lobster roll, aka Maine lobster roll filled with tender flavorful meat of the lobster knuckle along with claw and tail meat, combined with a little celery and a touch of mayo.
According to The Manual: The Maine lobster roll and the Connecticut lobster roll involve different temperatures and different condiments. The Maine lobster roll is served cold, with the lobster meat gently seasoned with salt and pepper and dressed in a light coating of mayonnaise, sometimes bolstered by the addition of finely chopped celery. The resulting lobster salad then gets packed into a grilled and buttered bun (preferably a top-sliced New England hotdog bun). The Connecticut lobster roll, on the other hand, includes hot lobster meat topped with warm butter.
I’ve had my share of lobster rolls, but never here on the Jersey Shore. Can you believe I have never had a Connecticut lobster roll? Lobster dripping in melted butter with a touch of lemon. I think I may be missing out here.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, I had a lobster roll at a place called “Ninety Nine” in Kingston New York. It was pretty good, but not New England good. If I eat lobster in any type of preparation, I prefer Maine lobster. Lobster tails are the part of the lobster I consume most when dining out.
I have never purchased lobster tails at the fish market or grocery store because I have no experience cooking lobster in any form.
According to Lisa C, a blogger from The Chopping Block, most of the tails you find available at grocery stores, and not specialty fish procurers are going to come from a spiny clawless species of lobster. Warm-water lobster tails are mainly from Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. Cold-water lobster tails generally come from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Breakin Bread on the Boulevard - 115 Boulevard, Seaside Heights, NJ 08751
I’ve been to the specialty store on Fischer Blvd in Toms River and the food is expertly prepared. Not sure if the Seaside restaurant sells lobster rolls, but they do have a special called a Lobster Cannoli that’s been getting rave reviews. I really want to try one.
Tony Boloney’s Pier Village - 72 Ocean Ave N, Long Branch, NJ 07740
This spot is known for creatively named pizzas, subs & other snacks, with inventive topping options. They have a sandwich that is not what you would call a lobster roll, but it got my attention when Melissa S. posted a photo on social media. It’s called the “Lobsta Trap” and it looks massive. It’s steamed lobster, garlic aioli, bayou butter, and fresh smoked mozzarella, with a sprinkle of celery salt.
