In Search of the Best Lobster Roll

I’m hitting the road this week–from the North Shore to New Hampshire and up the Maine coast–to find the best lobster roll in New England.

Mention this fact to strangers and you get an awful lot of advice: “Red’s in Wiscasset is the best!” “Red’s is a total sham!” “Go to Cape Porpoise!” “Go to my place, at the end of a dirt road on an island that’s accessible only at low tide!”

It’s like a competitive sport sometimes with foodie types. Everyone wants to lay claim to the biggest, most out-of-the-way discovery.

Meanwhile, I just want a good roll. I’m very anti-partisan on some key questions: butter vs. mayo, chopped celery vs. none. I’ve had great lobster rolls both ways, and a little individual creativity should be welcomed.

What I’m not so neutral about, though, is the bun. It must be a New England-style top-split hot dog bun, buttered and griddled on both sides. Don’t talk to me about hamburger buns or croissants, or puffy, crust-on-the-outside hot dog buns. It offends all that is holy and sacred and I won’t have it.

So…at the risk of opening a floodgate of conflicting opinions, what do you all think? What’s your favorite place to get a lobster roll, here in Boston or along the coast?

p.s. You may have noticed that The New York Times just ran a similar story about one author’s search for the best fried clams in New England (you need to be a member of Times Select to read it).