By Suzanne Hodgson

Staff Writer

A bridge separate two of the top contenders for the best lobster roll on the southern coast of Maine. The Travel Channel Show “Food Wars” arrived in the Kennebunk’s last week to pit two well-known lobster roll pioneers against each other.

Steve Kingston from Kennebunk’s Clam Shack and Adam Padget from Allison’s Restaurant on Dock Square in Kennebunkport faced off in a taste test for bragging rights for best lobster roll.

Kathleen Fleury of Down East Magazine and Brian Duff of the Portland Phoenix were the judges for the contest, with show host Camille Ford casting the tie-breaking vote, if necessary.

While the hundred fans at the event and restaurants know the winner of the lobster roll food wars, the general public will have to wait until the show airs.

“I was so stoked when I found out we were coming to Maine, we don’t very often go some place I really want to travel. I’ve always wanted to come to Maine. I love moose, seafood and blueberries,” Ford said. “I love lobster. I love anything that has mayo and seafood.”

During taping at the Nonatum Resort, approximately 50 fans for each restaurant showed up to support their favorite roll by wearing white Allison’s T-shirts or blue Clam Shack shirts.

“It’s the best lobster roll you can ever eat,” said Kelly Ryan, 10, as she worked on an “I love the Clam Shack” poster, although she admits she has never eaten another restaurant’s lobster roll.

Prior to the taping, guests from both sides of the bridge were treated to small versions of Allison’s lobster rolls. One of the many traitors to the Clam Shack was John Sprague, although he remained on the side of the shack even after trying the Allison’s lobster roll. 

“Now that it’s been revealed it was from Allison’s, I have to tell you it was substandard,” Sprague joked. “That’s not to say Allison’s isn’t good, I just have to go with the Clam Shack.”

Husband and wife Kevin and Louise Brostek found themselves on opposite sides of the crustacean kerfluffle. Kevin Brostek, a Clam Shack fan, joked if the shack won, he’d be riding home in the trunk, but if Allison’s won, she’d be walking home.

“It’s just personal preference,” Louise Brostek said.

“I enjoyed (Allison’s) last night but (The Clam Shack) is where the edge is,” Kevin Brostek said.

Although the standard lobster roll is a fairly simply construct of bun, mayonnaise and lobster meat, the simplicity makes the challenge even more complex for the judges who most boil the decision down by choosing between a traditional lobster roll from Allison’s or a variation roll from the Clam Shack.

The Clam Shack uses the tail, claws and knuckles of a soft shell lobster steamed in salt water, but it’s the buns that really set the roll apart. Instead of the traditional hot dog roll, the shack uses a fresh baked Kaiser roll from Reilly’s Bakery in Biddeford. The rolls are toasted with butter and the lobster meat is added on with butter or mayonnaise.

Allison’s makes a more traditional roll using the knuckles and claws of a hard shell lobster with mayonnaise and lettuce on a 10-inch hot dog roll.

“I’m so nervous,” Kingston said right before he stepped in front of the Travel Channel cameras. “All day yesterday I kept coming back to (the roll) and I finally had to say ‘just make the thing.’ If it’s not good enough, oh well, we’ve been doing it the same for years.”

Kingston admitted he ate at least four lobster rolls the day before and had trouble sleeping that night.

Padget was only slightly less nervous as he scanned the crowd.

“Today should be fun. It looks like the fans are pretty even,” he said.

The judges, on the other hand, were excited by their task.

Fleury and Duff were both on hand to give their professional critique and although “no one’s been dumb enough” to ask Duff to judge a food contest before, Fleury was fresh from another Maine favorite food tasting contest, the Maine Whoopie Pie eating contest.

“I love lobster,” Fleury said. Fleury, a native from Maine, said she especially enjoyed lobster during a summer clam bake.

Duff on the other hand is not from Maine and calls himself a “convert” to loving lobster.

“In the summer I like to have a little lobster,” he said.

Both judges admit there are many variables going in to the contest including whether the lobster is served hot or cold, how much mayonnaise is on the sandwich, hard or soft shell crustaceans and of course, the bun.

“I like the classic bun, white with the split top,” Duff said.

Duff did not realize that only one of the lobster rolls he ate that day would have a bun close to the classic one.

When Kingston received a call from the Travel Channel a few months ago asking if he would like to compete in a “Food War” against another local lobster roll restaurant, he said yes. Then he realized he got to pick another restaurant to compete against. Instead of taking the easy way, Kingston decided to compete against a traditional roll in order to get a good competition.

Check the local listing for the traditional versus modern lobster roll competition, which will air in late August on the Travel Channel.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.