Eaton Street Seafood Market, Part 2

Along with the seafood at the Eaton Street Seafood Market is their own special menu. There's some attention grabbing features on this menu.  The one that caught my eye? The Lobster Roll.

And while I couldn't bring myself to spend $15 on one "sandwich" when I first discovered the menu, the thought of a classic lobster roll flooded my mind: fresh, delicious lump lobster tail and claw meat mixed in a light mayo-lemon dressing, seasoned very simply with salt and maybe some other herb, like dill or thyme for a pop of flavor. The thought of the classic lobster roll (maybe with an unexpected key west twist) lived in my mind until I could wait no longer to taste it.

After scraping up enough pennies, getting over mommy-guilt and rationalizing getting only one lobster roll for me (instead of me and my two little ones--after all, that'd be 30 bucks...if they shared one roll), I made my way to the market and got it!!
I walk in. Order. They ask if I want it toasted, I say yes (how could it not be toasted, right?). And I wait about 5 minutes while they prepare the lobster roll that I have had many a succulent fantasy for. The guy behind the counter returns with a white styrofoam box, places it inside of a plastic bag and hands it to me. I pay, and head out of the market to the car.

As soon as I sit in the driver's seat, I open my box and find:

My long-awaited lobster roll, halved. And a small bag of fried plantains chips.

Okay, I'm gonna be honest: I was thinking the lobster meat was going to be more lump-tious, but it looked like it was chopped or really hard to get out of the shell. But, hey, its still a good amount of lobster in there.

I'm not sure what type of bread it was...maybe a potato roll/bread? I'm not sure, but it apparently was toasted well and was still warm when I unwrapped it.
At this point, the kids in the back seat are hearing paper and wrappers crinkle and rustle and are interested in what they're missing out on...so I hand over the bag of fried plantain chips. Then I dive in!
The lobster is sweet, as it should be. The dressing is thinned nicely and doesn't over-power the delicate-ness of the lobster. It aaaalllllllmmmoosstt needs more salt, but that would compromise the sweetness of the lobster meat. There is also a hint of butter--I can't tell if it is with the lobster and mayo, but my guess is that it's from the toasted bread. The lobster and dressing are really good. The roll, however....

As you can see from my partially bitten lobster roll (apologies for that), the roll is definitely toasted--in fact, it is toasted too much for this particular type of sandwich. If I wanted toast to put jelly on, or peanut butter, or even for a grilled cheese sandwich, this is what I would want it to look and taste like. However, those same charred bits that complement a grilled cheese sandwich don't fit the delicate flavors of a lobster roll, and over-powers the sweet  flavor of the lobster on the inside. Actually, that strong flavor made me only eat the lobster inside of the final bites of the second half of the roll.
I reflect for a moment and remembered the first time I went there, a gentleman ordered a lobster roll (which is partially what brought my attention to it in the first place), but he did request for it to be lightly toasted.  Of course, I recall him saying that after I took the first few bites, then I understood why.
Part of me gets somewhat defensive says that the guy shouldn't have to ask for the roll to be lightly toasted--after all, it's supposed to be lightly toasted in the first place.

The Bottom Line:
Food: PreTTy good! The charr on the outside of the bun sorta ruined it for me, but I know that if i get it lightly toasted, it'd be a nice treat.

Price: Prices range from $10 - $15, so really not that bad..think of it as going to a restaurant for a burger, but not having to leave a tip. Perhaps not family-budget friendly, though since everyone will want their own sandwich.

Service: Again, Okay. Not overly friendly, but I was accommodated appropriately.

Overall: All of the items on the menu seem tasty..I mean, who doesn't like lobster, crab cakes or shrimp? I say definitely give a try..just ask for things lightly toasted.