In good Company

A quick lobster with a long view

By Jill Strauss

PORTLAND LOBSTER CO., 180 Commercial St., Portland, (207) 775-2112. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through October 15. Full bar. All major credit cards accepted.

DOWN ON THE DOCKS: Portland Lobster Co. succeeds in satiating.

Though the squawking voice from the PA system was loud enough to startle the fish swimming beneath us — “Number 819, your order is ready!” — my companion didn’t move a muscle. A woman wearing a floppy white hat and a T-shirt imprinted with the lighthouses of Maine was separating a steamed clam from its shell and dipping it into some melted butter, and my friend was mesmerized by the sight.

“That’s our order,” I said. “I’ll get it.” She nodded and turned her attention to a tour boat that had just pulled in a few feet from our umbrella table. A colorful gang of chatty folks from the Bay View Lady’s Lunch Cruise started to disembark. I couldn’t really blame my friend for being distracted. She likes to people-watch at least as much as she likes to eat seafood and I had taken her to a place where she could have her fill of both: The Portland Lobster Company — an immaculate lobster shack with space for a dozen people indoors and over one hundred outdoor seats — which opened in June.

I went to the pick-up window to get my tray. It was laden with the “Twin Lobster Dinner,” two one-pound lobsters, french fries and slaw, as well as a clam roll, a cup of fish chowder, and a piece of blueberry pie. “Oooh, that looks wonderful!” said a Bay View Lady voyager whom I almost tackled on my way back to my picnic table. “Where do you get that?”

“Place your order inside,” I pointed with my elbow, “and they’ll call your number out here.” She thanked me and headed inside the small, freshly painted building where I knew two friendly young cashiers would greet her.

The two bright red crustaceans on my tray also enthralled my friend, and for a while she focused all of her attention on cracking open the claws and sucking the feelers. (This is her system. She always saves the tail for last.) Since she had two of them, I tucked into the tail of her second lobster and was delighted to see that it was sweet and succulent. I was also happy with my fragrant fish chowder made with real fish stock and cream. It was steaming hot, nicely seasoned, and rich with haddock.

By the time I got to my fried clams they were cold, but even if they were hot, I would have been disappointed with them since they were overbreaded and overcooked. The lightly dressed cabbage slaw and the previously frozen salted French fries were bland and we both decided to refrain from eating them since we hoped the blueberry pie would be better. Fortunately, we were in luck. The pie, which is not made on the premises, was surprisingly good. The crust was thin and flaky and the sweet filling was loaded with wild Maine blueberries.

One of the most delicious items on the menu is the lobster roll. I know this because I returned to the Portland Lobster Company on another beautiful day last week in hopes of tasting the lobster stew, which, the menu states, is made to order. Alas, they were all out of it by the time I got there, so I settled for four ounces of freshly picked lobster (this includes meat from the tail as well as knuckles and claws) topped with a lemon butter glaze, nestled in a grilled bun with a little lettuce and a wedge of lemon. It is accompanied by a tiny paper cup of mayonnaise (which I did not need since the meat was nice and moist), some fries, and some slaw — a very good deal for $9.95. The best bargain has to be the Children’s Menu, which features a choice of native shrimp, chicken tenders, clam strips, or haddock nuggets, complete with fries and slaw for $4.50.

What really makes this picturesque restaurant appealing to those who work in the area — or those tourists who have to get on the road in a hurry — is its ability to deliver quality food fast. Tod Dana, a Portland entrepreneur who, along with two silent partners, owns the Portland Lobster Co., says he is devoted to efficiency and that is why he is committed to the “quick-serve” (he prefers that phrase to “fast food”) concept. The shack has been doing so well that Dana and his partners may open up several more Portland Lobster Co. restaurants in Maine in the near future.

I am not a big fan of fast-food restaurants or chains, and I enjoy bantering with a knowledgeable waitperson, but clearly the quick-serve system in general, and the Portland Lobster Co. in particular, appeals to many harried people. This would explain why, while I was sipping my Country Time Lemonade and savoring my luscious lobster roll at lunch last week, several well-dressed businessmen were scarfing down crabmeat rolls and Casco Bay Beers in between calls on their cell phones. I don’t really mind the streamlined service as long as no one tries to rush me away from the cawing seagulls, the bustling tour boats, and the pleasant breeze that blows off the water.

Jill Strauss can be reached at straussj@adelphia.net.