For the last few month’s, my wine pairing work list (my favorite work list) has included pairing a lobster roll from one of the Washington DC food trucks. However, I recently learned of Luke’s Lobster (624 E Street NW) that opened in May 2011. So rather than have a lunchtime lobster roll from a food truck and glass of wine (still a good idea), Chef Sue and I decided to give Luke’s Lobster a chance at satisfying our lobster dependency.
We were not disappointed. On the contrary, we were delighted well beyond our expectations. We decided to treat ourselves at Luke’s Lobster and order “Noah’s Ark” billed as a taste of Maine for two which included two half lobster, crab and shrimp rolls, two pairs of Empress crab claws, chips, and Maine sodas. Luke’s Lobster claims the rolls are made Maine style with the seafood served chilled on a buttered and toasted New England-style split-top bun with a light touch of mayo, a sprinkle of lemon butter, and a dash of “secret” spices. If you are not craving a lobster roll at this very moment, you are either not a fan of crustaceans, or may be from an alien race inhabiting the meat bag you call a body.
These seafood rolls were spectacular. Everything that surrounded the seafood was applied with a very light touch leaving the wonderfully prepared seafood to speak for itself. The seafood is the star of the show, and Luke’s Lobster does a brilliant job of ensuring the other components of the sandwich do not detract from the beautiful tenderness of the seafood.
Having only lived in New England for a few years, I cannot claim to be a lobster roll aficionado. However, Chef Sue is an authentic New Englander so I had to ask; “how does this lobster roll rate on authenticity?” The moans of approval and a thumbs up from the hand not occupied with the lobster roll told me that Luke’s Lobster had satisfied the discriminating palate of a New England native.
With these straight forward, delicate and fresh flavors, pairing with this meal was easy stuff. I chose the 2008 Ledson Sonoma coast Tres Frais Chardonnay. Here are the tasting notes from Ledson Winery and Vineyards:
“A blend of our Stainless Steel Chardonnays, this Sonoma Coast Chardonnay delights with lemon, apple, lychee fruit and pineapple flavors that swirl with aromas of butterscotch and notes of vanilla on your palate. Smooth and crisp, this Chardonnay follows with a clean finish perfect with dishes like lobster, mashed potatoes, garlic linguini, or grilled scallops in lemon-butter sauce.”
According to the fine folks at Ledson, this wine was made for lobster. I completely agree. The fresh fruit and vanilla notes were a perfect complement to the seafood. The body of this Chardonnay matched perfectly, and the smoothness combined with the crisp finish allowed the flavors to blend nicely leaving the wine and seafood flavors to linger equally after each bite. The 2008 Ledson Sonoma coast Tres Frais Chardonnay is normally $28, a good value, but is now specially priced at $17 on the Ledson website. At $17, this is an exceptional value that I highly recommend for your next lobster indulgence. Better yet, order a bottle (or maybe a case), head over to Luke’s Lobster, and enjoy a beautiful bi-coastal marriage of flavor – a spectacular indulgence worth every penny.
In vino veritas, buen provecho.
Craig
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