Omnivore - Lobster lobster everywhere

• Brad Kaplan
• A Lobster Roll with a view at Shaw’s, New Harbor, Maine

I love lobster rolls. The simplicity of fresh lobster meat, a butter toasted bun (ideally the “top-loading” hot dog style), and... that’s about it. Actually, I do prefer a touch of mayonnaise mixed in with the lobster, and am not averse to a crunchy leaf of lettuce. I was lucky enough to spend some time in Maine recently, where I went from lobster shack to lobster shack trying to devour as many lobster rolls as humanly possible. We hit ten different places in four days, and, while the differences were subtle, there were definitely some great ones and some merely very good ones. Most of them were served right beside the dock where the lobstermen were bringing in their catch, so you can’t get any fresher than that. Our favorite was distinguished by it’s homemade top-loading roll and the deft touch with a hint of mayonnaise mixed in with the lobster meat.

Back in Atlanta, I’m always on the lookout for a good lobster roll. I’ve tried Souper Jenny’s (not my cup o’ tea), and Legal Sea Foods (a poor replica of what they used to be up in Boston), JCT (pretty good) and Crawfish Shack (that is NOT a lobster roll). My favorite in Atlanta has actually been the special that comes along every once in a while at Yeah! Burger.

It sounds like I should check out Goin’ Coastal’s version, and I’ve read on Atlanta Cuisine that Once Upon a Cake actually has a good one up in Alpharetta. So... tell us where you’ve had a good lobster roll in Atlanta. Besides, of course, in your own kitchen.