Tasting Table's Lobster Roll Rumble Tailed It!

If you needed a kickstart on your lobster roll fix for summer 2014, Tasting Table's Fifth Annual Lobster Roll Rumble was the place to be!

The event brought rich, buttery, savory, and meaty lobster rolls from all over the USA to New York's Metropolitan Pavillion, which was decked out like a New England getaway, complete with picnic tables and, naturally, dancing lobsters.

Cape Cod, a sponsor of the event, provided their excellently crispy and salty chips to accompany the twenty-four restaurants competing to serve the fan favorite and editors' favorite lobster roll. 

Though tasting all twenty-four rolls seemed like a daunting task, each homemade mayo, toasted bun, and poached claw or tail rendition made it difficult to turn down any of the tantilizing options.

Thames Street Oyster House (Baltimore, MD) won the Fan Favorite and Robert's Maine Grill (Kittery, ME) won Editors' Choice Award.

A native Chicagoan, the lobster roll from Da Lobsta (Chicago, Il. – no bias!) was our favorite– perfectly warm and buttery and packed with plenty of lobster meat.  Other favorites included The Clam Shack (Kennebunkport, Maine), The Clam (New York, NY), and Ditch Plains' hot dog slathered with lobster mac and cheese.

The event also provided a great opportunity to taste some of New York's best lobster rolls, including classics from Red Hook Lobster Pound, Luke's Lobster, and Lobster Joint.  

Fans of lobster rolls, open bars, and a night away in New England spirit have to wait another year for Lobster Roll Rumble to return to NYC, but the first ever Lobster Rumble in Los Angeles wil be held on August 1!  We're thinking it's the perfect way to combine the joys of both coasts.