Paul Liebrandt Picks the Best Downtown Lobster Roll
Photo: Melissa Hom
Corton chef-owner Paul Liebrandt calls Maine lobster “a great piece of protein, a ball of red ocean-y goodness.” Lately, the Food & Wine Best New Chef is serving the crustacean in a dish with Parmesan crumble, Burgundy carrots, and balsamic brown butter. We wanted Liebrandt’s opinion on a more accessible version of the summer favorite, so we took him on a tasting tour of downtown lobster-roll specialists. He sampled Ditch Plains, Ed’s Lobster Bar, the Lobster Place, Lure Fishbar, Mary’s Fish Camp, Pearl Oyster Bar, and Urban Lobster Shack. (Mermaid Inn serves a notable option, but isn’t open for lunch, which was when we took the tour.) The chef rated the rolls: ten points for taste, five for presentation, and an additional five awarded at his discretion. Click through the slideshow to see how the city’s fish-shack emulators fared.
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