mere cat

World’s Longest Lobster Roll

I don’t know what possessed me to drive all the way to Maine just to witness the creation of the World’s Longest Lobster Roll. Sure, I love lobster rolls, but I prefer rolls you can pick up and eat (unlike the giants from Red’s Eats, Pearl Oyster Bar, or Mary’s Fish Camp, for example). In the end, I decided it was worth making an exception to be in on this history-making event. Besides, it was great fun.

When we arrived at the site on Commercial Street in front of Portland Lobster Company around 11:00, a long string of tables was already set up on the sidewalk. We paid our $20, which entitled us to a certificate of participation, a T-shirt, and, of course, a piece of the Longest Lobster Roll. All we had to do now was stand around in the beautiful sunshine and wait. And take lots of pictures!

The giant bun showed up near 11:30, but the truck didn’t stop and continued down Commercial Street toward the ferry terminal. By the way, this video includes a description of how Amato’s Bakery made the roll with an oven they mounted on wheels.

The bun was unloaded from the truck and brought back to the assembly area by a large group of volunteer bun bearers that included members of the Maine Roller Derby team.

The sixty-foot tray was conveyed gently...

...and set down on the tables.

Margaret Salt McLellan, Linda Bean’s executive chef, got to work slitting the roll.

Then a team of volunteers laid down a bed of Miracle Whip. (Kraft was a generous sponsor of this charitable event.)

The next step was stuffing the roll with about 48 pounds of lobster meat donated by Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine Lobster Roll.

Almost finished.

Done! Sixty-one feet, nine and a half inches.

The last step was cutting that roll into almost 200 pieces.

Show us the money. The event helped the West End Neighborhood Association provide swimming lessons for needy children.

Here’s our portion, complete with chips and lemonade. The meat was superb, very fresh with a hint of the flavor of the sea and absolutely no filler. It’s a shame they couldn’t grill the roll, but that would be completely impractical. Honestly, the Miracle Whip didn’t bother me.

It’s a shame I didn’t get decent pictures of the awesome people who made this all happen, including Linda Bean, the mayor of Portland, and people from the West End Neighborhood Association. It’s also a shame that this would be our only trip to Maine this year, but we had a wonderful time during our one-day stay.

I never thought I would see a lobster roll bigger than Red’s, but this one definitely was. I wonder if Rockland, home of the Maine Lobster Festival, is going to let Portland steal the lobster limelight? The emphasis at the Rockland festival is on whole lobster, not lobster rolls, but the Festival would be a perfect setting to mount a challenge to the record.