Owner Vincent Milburn and the rest of the Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. team source only seasonal and sustainable—and sometimes local—catch like wild Alaskan salmon and Arctic char at the retail counter inside their Brooklyn fish market-eatery. They put those fresh goods to use in dishes like this exemplary lobster roll: hand-picked, hyperfresh lobster meat is served either Maine- (i.e., with mayo) or Connecticut- (with butter) style, some celery and tarragon for texture, and Maldon sea salt and a spritz of lemon for taste inside a split-top Balthazar bun. It's served with salad or fries and a house-made pickle, but what you'll really want is a second roll. $34.
Unlike reuben sandwiches, Baked Alaskas and eggs Benedict, the lobster roll is not actually native to New York. (It’s a delicious export from our tri-state neighbor, Connecticut.) But just because we didn’t invent it doesn’t mean we haven’t perfected it. Years after Rebecca Charles pushed the first Manhattan lobster roll across the marble counter at (the sadly now-closed) Pearl Oyster Bar, the sandwich has become a local staple, a crustacean-filled highlight among the best things to do in the summer in New York. From no-frills sandwich shops to the city’s best seafood restaurants, these are the best lobster rolls in NYC.
