A Summer of Lobster Rolls
Cannot believe our summer of fun in the sun is coming to a close… Where in the world did it go? San Francisco and Newport Beach, that’s where. Don’t hate us, it couldn’t be helped. And during our travels and back at home base , we became obsessed with Lobster Rolls. Not low-cal, light sushi lobster rolls, but the sandwich kind, with lumpy pieces of lobster, smothered in mayonnaise, plopped inside a warm buttery roll…and usually served with a side of fries. Not great if you are on a diet, but great if you forget you are on a diet.
Because we spent much our summer on the west coast, and not the east coast, where they truly are known for their lobster rolls, I’ve decided to mention where we have found our favorites, in the 3 cities in which we spent our summer. I’m sure my friends in the NE will beg to differ, so we plan to do a trip to Maine, in the not too distant future, to check out their lobster rolls and hopefully one-up this blog. Cannot wait!
Santa Monica Seafood – Costa Mesa, CA
Recommended by a dear friend… Fabulous. Finding a great lobster roll in Orange County was easier said than done, so we had to rely on the advice of a local. We were not disappointed.
Shaw’s Crab House – Chicago
Meredith and I like to split one of these with 2 dirty martini’s. Best Happy Hour Ever!! Oh yeah, the lobster roll ain’t bad either.
San Francisco Fish Company – Ferry Building on the Embarcadaro
This was the first lobster roll we encountered…we came across this little deli, and decided to split a lobster roll, as a little snack. We promptly ordered 3 more. And this is where our obsession started with lobster rolls. And dark chocolate toffee as well. The Ferry Building on the Embarcadaro is also where we take a ferry to Tiburon, to our favorite Mexican restaurant; where we sit outside for happy hour with the largest platter of a seafood appetizer known to man, enjoying carafes of not too terribly bad wine; enjoying lattes and frozen yogurt, as well as fresh fruit from the farmer’s market on Thursday and Friday’s. If you are headed to San Francisco, don’t miss the Ferry building.
So, we decided we also wanted to make lobster rolls at home, so I searched high and low (or just googled best lobster rolls) and found a few options. We tweaked the recipes, getting rid of the onion, lessening the mayo, and basically making them our own. Oh, and we decided to come up with a lower cost version, since lobster can be upwards of $25 – $30/LB… which gives you almost No lobster meat. So we found a less expensive option. Langostino lobster tails. Found at Costco, for $23 / bag. The bag makes about 6 good-sized lobster rolls.
My Favorite Lobster Roll Recipe
1 LB package Langostino lobster meat (I get mine at Costco)
2 tablespoons Hellman’s mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons melted butter
4 New England Style hot dog rolls, ones with a split top (you can use regular if you can’t find New England style, which we have never been able to find in Chicago)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
Chop the lobster meat into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss the dressing with the lobster meat and set aside. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. We like the lobster filling, cold.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add two tablespoons of butter. Toast the outside of the hot dog roll in the skillet until golden brown. Flip and toast the reverse side. Repeat with remaining rolls. Be careful not to burn the buns, as I tend to do more often than not.
Open each roll and fill with 1/4 of the lobster salad. Drizzle 1 tablespoon melted butter over each roll and top with 1 tablespoon chives. Serve immediately. Doesn’t get better than this, unless you use real lobster meat, but this langostino version is pretty darned tasty!
Our summer in review – featuring not only pics of us, but some of our favorite haunts and views.
And the summer started with a girl graduating from college.
Two girls, one Prom. And no, we were not his date. #spoilsport
I have the Best story of patrons behaving badly, and ripping to shreds the restaurant manager, all over a baby buggy, which was blocking everyone’s path, and the German patrons had no intention of moving it. #noclass
This is Patrick’s happy place. Mine as well.
Still not over the Blackhawks not winning the Stanley Cup.
Awkward family selfie.
Mer Mer’s first day of work…
Dirty martini and seafood ceviche…happy hour of champions!
My favorite view in the world.
We can do it!
Cakebreak Cellars. The happiest place on earth! And September starts my wine club with them! #pinchmeIamsogiddy
Zack visited twice!
Only thing missing in this picture is me!
One of my favorite pics of the summer…with my high school besties.
Combining pleasure with some work with some of my favorite people, ever! We insisted on seeing the pictures the photog was taking, and had him delete the ones we didn’t like. #controlling
First day of Senior year! But it was still summer!
The girl likes to pose.
Another angle of our favorite view.
Enjoying some wine at lunch overlooking Fisherman’s Wharf.
Just a girl and a boy in a bucket hat, enjoying the beach. 🙂
Arlington race track… lots of laughs, not too much in winnings.
Murph does enjoy lounging on a lounge chair.
AT&T Ballpark in San Francisco. They service Stella and Napa Valley wines. What’s not to love?!
View from our home away from home, overlooking the Bay. We left our hearts in San Francisco. <3
Song of the Day: Why Can’t I, by Liz Phair
Happy 2-year anniversary Murphy. She came to live with us 2 years ago today and has brought an additional element of joy and love into our home.
It’s gonna be a great fall!
Go Bears!! Go Bronco’s (Barrington Bronco’s)
xoxo,
T.
Oh cabana boy!
