Last month, while thousands of people lined up hoping to receive “Great American Food” at nearby Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View only to be tragically let down, I found myself craving a quintessentially iconic American food item that was not included on the menu, which was put together by  Ed Levine of Serious Eats.

For some reason, I just couldn’t get excited about imported hot dogs, pastrami sandwiches, chicken wings, or PB&J’s.  Instead, I had my heart set on an “ultimate Maine Lobster Roll”.  So, I pitched Tony the idea (an easy sell), and we headed for The Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City - avoiding the crowds and chaos at Shoreline entirely.

And, after a short ride across the Peninsula, we walked right in, ordered, and soon after we were rewarded with these beauties.

No crowds, no lines, and no waiting.  Just an “ultimate lobster roll” imported from Maine, and served up locally.

Now, I realize “ultimate” is a word tossed around the food community with such frequency that it has lost much of it’s clout, but when The Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City emblazened the slogan “the ultimate Lobster Roll” under their logo, they were not messing around.  This is one “ultimate” that lives up to its claim.

What makes the lobster rolls at the Old Port Lobster Shack “ultimate?”

Russell Deutsch behind counter at The Old Port Lobster Shack

Meet Russell Deutsch, who hails from Boston, and is co-owner of The Old Port Lobster Shack with his wife, Lynn.  Formerly a top Maine lobster exporter to Switzerland, Russell is an accomplished expert when it comes to packaging, shipping and handling delicate, specialty seafood, and he imports his own live Maine lobsters and other seafood items, including hard to find soft shell and “full belly” clams, “picky toe” crabs, day boat scallops, oysters, mussels, and more - all flown in from fresh from the Altantic three times a week, just for the restaurant.  Of course, everything is harvested from the sea the morning it is shipped for ultimate freshness.

Russell’s respect for the gorgeous seafood he imports is evident in the kitchen of his Redwood City restaurant, where he steams his live Maine lobsters to absolute perfection and serves them up in generous heaps to throngs of loyal, happy customers.  Which brings me to the next factor in his “ultimate lobster roll…”

Lobster Rolls after all of the big pretty pieces were nibbled off the top.

Almost as important as the quality of the lobster to anyone who knows and loves their Maine lobster rolls, is the roll itself.  Russell calls the rolls ”hotdog buns”, as do many of his customers who were transplanted from the east coast, and they come in regularly just to buy his “hotdog buns”.

Armed with a superior recipe and special pans the he carted with him from the east coast, Russell baked his rolls in-house, until just recently.  Now that The Old Port Lobster Shack goes through around 120 dozen rolls on a weekend night, he has Le Boulangerie make them up for him using his recipe.  And, they are wonderful.  Perfect vessels for such a gorgeous sandwich.

I actually remember the rolls as fondly as the perfectly steamed lobster mounded upon them, and I crave them just as deeply, too.  Which is saying a lot for a girl who frequently leaves half of the bread from her sandwiches in a wasted pile on her plate.

The menu at The Old Port Lobster Shack is rich with irresistable seafood options from chowders and oysters to lobster pot pie and maple glazed scallops, and the chalkboard specials are equally tempting.  On this last visit, there was a special offering two steamed lobsters for $50.00, and several smiling diners in bibs taking advantage of the bargain.  There are also BBQ meat offerings on the menu, and they look pretty good.

Also intriguing, is the beverage menu, with a nice selection of wines, and beer in bottles and on tap, including Shipyard Export Ale and Old Thumper Ale from Maine - both on tap.  Bottled sodas include Moxies and Cap’n Eli’s - from Maine.

Tony and I usually share plates when we dine out, so whenever we visit The Old Port Lobster Shack we order one of each of the famous lobster rolls - dressed, and naked with butter ($18.75, each), and have them cut them both in half so we can try each.  They are fantastic both ways, and perfectly authentic.  Russell even uses Hellman’s Mayonaise on his traditional (dressed) rolls.

Sure, there is always talk of ordering something else, or maybe additional items like steamers, lobster bisque, lobster cakes and so on, but the lobster rolls always win out, and they are more than enough food for the two of us.   But, on this last trip we were drawn in by the chalkboard sign advertising fresh wild Maine blueberry cobbler, and we were excited about having that for dessert assuming we had room.

Apparently we weren’t alone in that idea however, and by the time we finished up our rolls they sold out of the cobbler.  So, on Russell’s suggestion, we tried the wild Maine blueberry pie a la mode.  It was superb, with a tender, flaky, buttery crust,and  jam-packed with intensely fragrant blueberries.  We absolutely loved the vanilla maple ice cream served with the pie, and devoured every last morsel with large cups of their rather fine coffee.

Perfection in Redwood City.  Now, that is my idea of good old fashioned slow, fast food.

Visited on Saturday, June 13, 2009

Old Port Lobster Shack

851 Veterans Boulevard

Redwood City CA 94063

650.366.2400

http://www.oplobster.com/index.htm