Lobster Roll from Broad Street Oyster Company (17 of 40)

I'm not exactly sure where I got my affinity for crustaceans from but I'm guessing that it started early in childhood. I was born in Bangor, Maine and although my family moved to Tucson, Arizona long before I could form any memories of the East Coast, I think I idealized my state of birth and the thing it is arguably most famous for: lobster. I made a pact to myself early on that I would not eat one until I could have it the way God-intended: Maine-caught, fresh from the Atlantic, bright red and with a side of drawn butter.

And I managed to do just that. My ex and I honeymooned in Cape Cod in October of 2004. We took a day trip up the coast to see the fall colors and visit the place where I was born. On our way back, we stopped for dinner and the time had finally come for me to try a proper Maine lobster. Behold! 23-year-old me and Lenny the Lobster:

Turns out I like lobster, but I don't actually love it. Problem is that I spent so much of my life building up this delicacy in my mind that whenever I see it as an option, I feel compelled to get it. It represents something fancy, reserved for only special occasions and a treat of sorts. When Broad Street Oyster Company in Malibu showed up on my Instagram feed with a mean looking lobster roll, I knew I was going to have to try it. 

Now, visiting this restaurant in itself is an ordeal. If you ever want to try it for yourself, do yourself a favor and plan ahead. You can order online for a specific pick up time or you can wait in this super long line. 

I ordered ahead. Yay me! Even with that though, finding parking near the Malibu Country Mart is a total pain in the arse. I had to park a solid block and a half away. 

Getting to by-pass the line was nice after the long walk though and the staff was great. They have a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. I had pre-ordered a sober-curious single serve of something called Kin Euphorics. When I got there, they were out of my request so not only did they work to suggest a suitable alternative, they gave me an entire bottle of the Kin Euphorics concetrate for me to mix at home! Very cool since I had been wanting to try it for awhile.

Anyway, I headed to the beach and even though quite a bit of time had passed from pick-up to get-in-my-belly, I enjoyed every last bite. Not a bad way to spend a few hours of a Saturday and the last day of my vacation if I do say so myself.