iStockphoto
The Connecticut coastline is littered with dining establishments that pride themselves on their lobster rolls. That includes the restaurants that are engaged in a rapidly escalating arms race while charging eaters hundreds of dollars in an attempt to make a name for themselves.
There isn’t a single state that’s known for lobster more than Maine, which is home to a thriving industry that hauls in around 110 million pounds worth of those crustaceans on an annual basis (meaning it’s responsible for the majority of the meat that’s harvested in America each year).
Connecticut sits in eighth place in the rankings with the approximately 150,000 pounds that are caught off its coast each year, and its many clam shacks and seaside joints rely on their neighbors to the north to supplement the supply that’s used for the state’s signature take on the lobster roll.
Lobster rolls in Maine tend to be the “cold” variety that involves coating the delectable meat in mayo, which I would argue is inherently inferior to the hot “Connecticut-style” that traditionally revolves around a split-top hot dog roll that’s been toasted on a griddle and filled with chunks poached in butter.
It’s pretty hard to screw that up, and it can also be difficult for the restaurants that serve them to set themselves apart. However, some places have attempted to do exactly that while ushering what I can only assume culinary historians will eventually refer to as the Great Connecticut Lobster Roll War.
There’s a lobster roll arms race brewing in Connecticut
You don’t have to drive too far along the Connecticut coastline to come across one of the many seasonal seafood establishments that usually provide you with a prime view of Long Island Sound.
That includes The Clam Castle in Madison, a local institution that’s been in business for more than 60 years and recently garnered plenty of attention for the “Lobzilla,” a two-foot-long lobster roll that contains two pounds of meat and will set you back $180.
The over-the-top item was initially marketed as the “World’s Biggest Lobster Roll,” but according to the Hartford Courant, it didn’t hold the title for very long after sparking a conflict that mirrors the Chicken Sandwich Wars that Popeyes kicked off in 2019.
At the end of April, Supreme Seafood in North Branford fired a shot at the competition by rolling out a three-pound lobster roll dubbed the “King’s Claw” for $230 while positioning it as the biggest one you can get in New England.
It didn’t take long for The Clam Castle to try to retake its crown, as it responded with a four-foot, four-pound “Kong version” it’s peddling for $319.
At this rate, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before someone comes to the table with a five-pound option, and there’s also a golden opportunity to set the currently unclaimed Guinness World Record for most expensive lobster roll.