Fun With Carbs

I achieved what I set out to do: eat lobster every single day of our Friday-to-Tuesday Maine trip.

It’s not hard to do, when you’re in the land of the flagship crustacean. And here’s where I go Forrest Gump on you. Lobster dinners. Lobster rolls. Lobster stew. Lobster bisque. Lobster sushi. Lobster Benedict. Lobster pizza. Lobster fettuccine. Lobster BLTs. The more creative restaurateurs go wild with the sweet, succulent meat. Here’s a rundown of all the lobster we consumed in four days:

Billy’s Chowder House: We were here within an hour of arrival, starting our meal with excellent, fresh fried wholebelly clams (complete with miniscule grains of sand) and what turned out to be the best lobster roll of the trip. Grilled top-split bun (almost a foot long,) cold, sweet lobster meat mixed with just the right amount of mayonnaise, no celery or lettuce to foul it up. Very much worth its $19 price tag, and I don’t say that too often. 216 Mile Road, Wells.

Beachfire Grill: We were here for happy hour, enjoying $5 martinis and $2 beers, when we got hungry and checked out the menu. Yes, there it was – lobster guacamole. No bargain at $12.95, but as you can clearly see, they absolutely did not skimp on the lobster meat. The guacamole itself was not forgotten – perfectly mashed avocado with hints of seasonings.

Beachfire also has lobster-topped nachos ($17.95.) Pair them with the lobster guac and you’ve got yourself one delicious $31 appetizer. 658 Main Street, Ogunquit

Barnacle Billy’s: We grabbed lobster rolls from Billy’s before walking along Marginal Way. Theirs were about the same price as Billy’s Chowder House ($18) but almost half the size. I guess we were paying for scenery. Nevertheless, these were plenty tasty. You’ll see a very liberal dusting of paprika on top of the meat, but that surprisingly didn’t change the flavor too much. 50-70 Perkins Cove Road, Ogunquit

Jackie’s Too: Call me lazy, but I didn’t have lobster in its original, labor-intensive form until our final night in Maine. But Jackie’s Too was the place to have it, situated steps from the ocean in Perkins Cove. Keeping with tradition, I ordered the lobster bake: a 1 1/4 lb. lobster with mussels, steamers and chowder. It’s almost too much food for one person, but it’s pure , unadulterated Maine coast bliss. Perkins Cove Road, Ogunquit

Honorable mention: J’s Oyster Bar, Portland

J’s Oyster Bar (recommended to me by food blogger friend Dave S. of Dave’s Cupboard) almost didn’t happen for us. During our day trip to Portland, my dear spouse decided he needed a break from lobster, and seafood in general. Shock. Horror.

So since it was a comfortable, overcast 70 degrees, we decided on Indian food. Yelp led us to Tandoor, where we had a less-than-mediocre meal. Rob agreed to check out J’s afterward, quite smartly, as a way to placate the annoyed food blogger.

What we found at J’s: a very relaxed, come-as-you-are casual atmosphere, local brews (Shipyard, Allagash, Casco Bay) and some of the freshest and best-tasting oysters we’ve ever knocked back. Here’s the best part: you can get a “baker’s dozen” oysters for TWELVE DOLLARS.

Our friends vacationed there this weekend and ate like kings for $50: lobster rolls, oysters and several beers. 5 Portland Pier, Portland