A reader named M, from Boston, writes:
OK, I have nothing against mayo, except that I can’t stand to eat it, and I suspect that it goesrancid very easily, That said, like most Bostonians, I like lobster, but I hate picking one apart. The alternative is a lobster roll. There are 2 kinds of lobster rolls: those made with melted butter and those made with mayo. The problem is that I can’t seem to find a single restaurant in the Boston area that serves a butter-based lobster roll. — This is what we call choice.
Well M, one great thing about your area as that you have acccess to affordable lobster. (who knew a bug could be so delicious) I have always avoided the rolls cause there is an adhesive involved, and the mayo industry wants their slimy product to always be that adhesive. I’d imagine butter would work great since most people like to dip fresh lobster in hot butter anyway. It’s ashame that mayo weezled its way into the picture. I have mentioned several times how it’s sacriledge to combine bacon and mayo since bacon is a gift from God , being so versatile and delicious. Therefore, one could say that lobster is “the bacon of the sea” so infecting it with mayo is 1st degree fish-slaughter.
Everywhere I ask, they all say that they make up the lobster ahead of time, and they like mayo, so that’s how they make it. Please let me know if you or any of your supporters know where I can get a nice mayo-free lobster roll.
I did some preliminary research and it seems like Connecticutt is the one state that is actually known for using butter on their lobster rolls. I realize that’s a bit of a hike for you but the next time you are heading south, you could have some success.
Best of luck to you and happy eating,
Craig Horwitz
Update-8-24-2010 : M came through with a solution for us! This is the type of grass roots investigation that really shows off the skills of our anti-mayo army!
Found it!
The 99 Restaurant, a chain of mid-priced restaurants mostly in Southern New England with a few in other areas, including one in Philly, has a lobster roll made with butter instead of mayonnaise. I haven’t tried it yet, but plan to soon. There is one in the Boston suburb I live in.
It costs about $16, which I’ll admit is pricey.
Lobster is endangered from Cape Cod to North Carolina. The government wanted to ban lobstering there, but lobstermen lobbied for the right to extinction.
From north of Cape Cod up to Nova Scotia, in what’s known as the Gulf of Maine, lobster is still plentiful. The North Shore town I live in has a lobstering fleet.
Here’s a link to the page that lists it. 99 Restaurant Seafood Menu