Clawing their way to the top

If you want to find the best lobster rolls on the Cape, ask anyone. Opinions abound

By Andrea Pyenson, Globe Correspondent, 8/20/2003

Just say the words "lobster roll" on Cape Cod and 10 people will give you the names of 10 different places that serve "the best." This coastal New England specialty, fresh lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise and celery, traditionally served in the most idiosyncratic way -- on a buttered and toasted hot dog roll -- is one of summer's most delicious treats. It tastes best when the temperature is warm, the ocean is nearby, and at least a few grains of sand have worked their way between your toes. Variations in a lobster roll's basic ingredients can either elevate it to star status or reduce it to a soggy mess. Most people like big chunks of meat -- and only meat -- in their rolls. Four or 5 ounces is typical. Other lobster roll experts say they can't live without the crunch of finely chopped celery. Mayonnaise -- commercially made is what most cooks use -- holds the salad together, but there should not be enough to soak through the roll.

Finally, there is no better packaging than a soft, buttered roll that is toasted on a griddle just enough to produce a light, golden crust. From seafaring Cataumet, just over the Bourne Bridge, to eclectic Provincetown, at the Cape's farthest tip, scores of restaurants and clam shacks entice customers with promises of lobster roll perfection. They're printed on signs, written on chalk boards, and chatted up by waiters and waitresses. Deciding which are "the best" may be a ridiculous enterprise. It's certainly a matter of personal preference.