CT Lobster Roll

Captain Scott's Lobster Dock

80 Hamilton St

New London, CT

860-439-1741

PSA - CASH ONLY!  GO TO THE ATM

and estimate up to about $25 per person.  Also, this is outdoor

seating only, so be prepared if it is raining.

CT style Hot Lobster Roll

While on vacation in New England, and after re-connecting a friendship with my old prom date, I went out to see the old prom date and family in Connecticut for dinner.  This is a first for me to eat a nice dinner in Connecticut.

I may be from Boston, but I did not get out much to other New England states while I lived there.  Most people in the city do not have cars because it costs so much to keep one.  The cost is insurance, and paying for a parking spot.  Some parking spots along Commonwealth Ave and Beacon St cost about $500, 000.  Yes, parking can cost more than most peoples 3 br/4ba with 2 car garage homes in the rest of the USA.  It is not worth having a car with the T (subway/trolley), walking and Zipcars available.  Anyway, living in Boston without a car meant that my world was as large as the T and commuter rail would go.

This trip I got a rental car and was able to drive all over New England, and decided to drive down to New London to see my old prom date pal.

Captain Scott's Portrait

It was so great to see my old prom date after they were just here in Nashville.  Funny thing, the week I was on vacation in New England was the same week as the record high heat wave in New England and it was literally hotter and more humid in New England than it was in Nashville, which is usually always hot and humid in the summer.

The old prom date has lived in Connecticut for many moons, and informed me of the Connecticut traditional Hot Lobster Roll.  I have never heard of this before because I never lived in Connecticut.   A traditional Maine and Boston lobster roll is cold lobster meat mixed with mayo on a hot dog bun.  A Connecticut Hot Lobster Roll is hot lobster meat drizzled with hot butter and put in a hot dog bun.  Bring it on!  I love that idea!  And the old prom date also explained what a Rhode Island clam chowder is, and it is a clam broth steeped with onion and bacon and served with chopped clams and potatoes. New London is fairly close to the Rhode Island border, so there is some cross over in regional specialties.  The old prom date said I must try the Connecticut Hot Lobster Roll and the Rhode Island Clam Chowder.

Captain Scott's Dock view

After I arrived in Connecticut, off we went across town to the best New London lobster shack, The Captain Scott's Lobster Dock.  So, there was a big parking lot fairly full, a line of about 20 people long to order food, and many people sitting with their lobster rolls at the many picnic tables.  We parked the car and became the back of the ordering line.  As we moved up in the ordering line, people at the picnic tables finished up and left with new people picking up their orders to sit down.  As we approached the lobster shack window, I turned around, and there were about 20 people behind me.  This went on for the hour or so while we dined, the line never got shorter, and the tables were always at the same level of fullness, and the through put was sustained.  

I got the Connecticut speciality Hot Lobster Roll and the Rhode Island specialty Rhode Island Clam Chowder.  The Connecticut Hot Lobster Roll is simply a whole small lobster chopped and piled onto a hot dog bun with butter.  There is no Old Bay, not salt, no pepper, no nothing, just pure lobster and butter, and this simplicity is the perfect way to eat lobster.  This is so dang good.  I really will never eat another cold mayo lobster roll ever again.   I am a total Connecticut Hot Lobster Roll convert.  I also liked the Rhode Island Clam Chowder as it was a nice light broth based soup.  I still like the New England Clam Chowder better, but sometimes I am not in the mood for a heavy cream based soup like New England Clam.

Up to this point in time, I equated chowder with a heavy cream based soup, except for New York style clam chowder which is a brothy tomato soup.  But, because my old prom date is a fairly accomplished home cook and has traveled the world including France multiple times, he told me that chowder is actually a reference to a chaudiere in French (latin root) which is a stew pot.  As it became a USA thing, chowder still refers to a stew pot, and the stew pot is filled with fish or shell fish stew/chowder.  

I will repeat again, this is a cash only place. CASH ONLY.  Go get green back.  Get those yuppie food stamps out of the ATM before going to order your large hot lobster roll.