Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

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Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

Ed came out to say hello and we admired his art work.

          I just got back to West End Avenue a week ago from a visit to lobster roll country in Maine and Massachusetts. We had lobster rolls in Camden, Stonington and overlooking the surf in between excessive breakfasts and coastal dinners. (Read last week’s BITE: Seaside Escape).

Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

The last time I came here it was the Bay Burger, and the first lunch of my 2018 Hamptons getaway.


          I didn’t expect to arrive in Bridgehampton last Thursday on my first visit to the heart of ostentatious pleasures in two years to discover that Bay Burger on the Sag Turnpike had vanished and lunch would be sea creatures in many forms, served by Ed’s Lobster Bar East.

Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

There is an Ed and his name is Ed McFarland.

Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

That’s a lot of lobster stuffed in the roll but isn’t the price of $34 a bit outrageous?

          It was nearing two in the afternoon and the place was deserted. We were supposed to order from the kitchen and the waiter would deliver to our table. Last Thursday was one of those rare August days, not to hot, not too cool, not too humid. Fran anchored our table on the porch sipping her iced tea, while complimenting our server on his tattoos.

Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

I rarely bypass a wedge salad and this one is fresh and crisp — enough for three – at $14.


          Everything arrived at once. As usual, between me and Howard, we ordered too much of so good.  I couldn’t resist the massive wedge salad with a rubble of blue cheese, candied walnuts, bacon and a few cherry tomatoes.

Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

Everything arrives at once. Photos are by Howard Schuster.


          We carefully divided the fried Ipswich clams with their fat breaded bellies and the crusty little Day Boat Scallops served beside sprawls of skinny fries and tartar sauce for dipping. We certainly didn’t need lobster mac and cheese to fuel our afternoon excursion. But any form of mac and cheese will rarely be overlooked by me.


          It was a deep bowl full of seafood chunks and pasta shells in a very rich soup, too much after too much already. I brought it home as a gift for my hosts. And yes, I had already delivered a raspberry-peach pie from the Round Swamp Farm Shop in Bridgehampton, which we — mostly me — would eat for breakfast.

Back in the Hamptons: My Lobster Roll Infatuation

Fried day boat scallops are banked with crisp fried potato thins and tartar sauce.


          As I’ve often said and want to believe, calories don’t count if it’s vacation excess. All my waistbands are elastic. I suggest any readers who are susceptible to my undisciplined habits favor them too.

Ed’s Lobster Bar East 1742 Sag Harbor Turnpike. Sag Harbor. 631 725 1131.Wednesday through Monday 11:45 to 10 pm. Closed Tuesday. 
Round Swamp Farm. 97 School Street. Bridgehampton. 631 296 8078 
Round Swamp Farm 184 Three Mile Harbor Road, East Hampton 631 324 4438

In her role as restaurant critic of New York Magazine (1968 to January 2002) Detroit-born Gael Greene helped change the way New Yorkers (and many Americans) think about food. A scholarly anthropologist could trace the evolution of New York restaurants on a timeline that would reflect her passions and taste over 30 years from Le Pavillon to nouvelle cuisine to couturier pizzas, pastas and hot fudge sundaes, to more healthful eating. But not to foams and herb sorbet; she loathes them.

As co-founder with James Beard and a continuing force behind Citymeals-on-Wheels as board chair, Ms. Greene has made a significant impact on the city of New York. For her work with Citymeals, Greene has received numerous awards and was honored as the Humanitarian of the Year (l992) by the James Beard Foundation. She is the winner of the International Association of Cooking Professionals magazine writing award, 2000, and a Silver Spoon from Food Arts magazine.

Ms. Greene's memoir, "Insatiable, Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess"(www.insatiable-critic.com/Insatiable_Book.aspx )was published April 2006. Earlier non-fiction books include "Delicious Sex, A Gourmet Guide for Women and the Men Who Want to Love Them Better" and "BITE: A New York Restaurant Strategy." Her two novels, "Blue skies, No Candy" and "Doctor Love" were New York Times best sellers.

Visit her website at: www.insatiable-critic.com

Gael Greene

In her role as restaurant critic of New York Magazine (1968 to January 2002) Detroit-born Gael Greene helped change the way New Yorkers (and many Americans) think about food. A scholarly anthropologist could trace the evolution of New York restaurants on a timeline that would reflect her passions and taste over 30 years from Le Pavillon to nouvelle cuisine to couturier pizzas, pastas and hot fudge sundaes, to more healthful eating. But not to foams and herb sorbet; she loathes them. As co-founder with James Beard and a continuing force behind Citymeals-on-Wheels as board chair, Ms. Greene has made a significant impact on the city of New York. For her work with Citymeals, Greene has received numerous awards and was honored as the Humanitarian of the Year (l992) by the James Beard Foundation. She is the winner of the International Association of Cooking Professionals magazine writing award, 2000, and a Silver Spoon from Food Arts magazine. Ms. Greene's memoir, "Insatiable, Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess"(www.insatiable-critic.com/Insatiable_Book.aspx )was published April 2006. Earlier non-fiction books include "Delicious Sex, A Gourmet Guide for Women and the Men Who Want to Love Them Better" and "BITE: A New York Restaurant Strategy." Her two novels, "Blue skies, No Candy" and "Doctor Love" were New York Times best sellers. Visit her website at: www.insatiable-critic.com

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