Thank you to Down East Magazine, Rowan & Littlefield, Down East Books, and Netgalley for a free for honest review advanced reader copy of “Best Main Lobster Roll.”

If you know me, you know that in the last few years I have fallen hard, one-way ticket and never coming back, for The Lobster Roll. I got my first one up in the North East of the US, and I’ve been getting them anywhere I could find them since (but, of course, always judging them against my best friends fabulous homemade ways and an unexpected and strangely delightful delicatessen in an airport a year ago). I just had to jump at this book the moment I saw it was being offered and I was not disappointed at all.

The entire beginning of the book is a ‘definitive oral history of the lobster roll,’ from chef’s and restaurant owners, from those who remember the history as it was seen, while it was happening. I found this hugely entertaining and engrossing to read the history of lobster rolls through people’s childhood memories, travels across the us, their parents, their learning. Every time I thought the section was done they would ask another insightful question and I would fall into it all over again.

The next three sections were, also, amazing. First there were the Master of the Roll, telling us where to go get all the best Lobster Rolls in the Northern East (all of these with names, addresses, rankings, advice one what to eat and when). This was followed by a section about the locations of lobsters in the sea, and another on all the accessories to best have when eating them.

The last section was a cookbook section, maybe no more than about a dozen recipes, but all of them different so you could try making these beauties yourself. I might have to try my hand at it this summer (and I will SO VERY be keeping my notes on where to get them in Nova Scotia when I’m there over the summer).

This is going to be another lovely tome for my kitchen shelf once it is out! ( )