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Lobster: on a roll

Linda Perney

The lobster roll at Ditch Plains, in the Village. (Viorel Florescu/Newsday)

As the weather heats up, we go looking for that ultimate New England treat: lobster rolls. Here's where we found them.

MANHATTAN

FishThis small place draws a lively crowd after work for super-fresh fish. In addition to the lobster rolls, there's a raw bar, and a fish market -- just in case you'd rather chow down in the privacy of your own living room. (280 Bleecker Street; 212-727-2879; $25 per roll)

Ed's Lobster BarA onetime chef at Pearl Oyster Bar, Ed McFarland has opened his own place, which gives off its own New England vibe. Besides the rolls, there are lobster ravioli, lobster potpie, even a lobster burger -- not to mention clam chowder, shellfish stew, and a raw bar. (222 Lafayette Street; 212-343-3236; $27 per roll)

Ditch PlainsThis is the place to go if you have a yen for a lobster roll in the small hours -- they stay open till 2 seven days a week. Even if it's the middle of the day, though, the rolls are just fine. (29 Bedford Street; 212-633-0202; $25 per roll)

Mary's Fish Camp. As lobster rolls go, Mary's has one of the best in the city. There would be those who would hold out for Pearl's, and there would be those who would swear by the Mermaid's. But we know better than to get into the middle of that one. Suffice it to say that Mary's delivers one terrific roll. (64 Charles Street; 646-486-2185; $33 per roll)

BLT Fish Shack. Laurent Tourondel has come a long way from his roots with the Troisgros family and Paris's legendary Joel Robuchon. But he's easy enough with the American vibe to settle into the Fish Shack, with an extensive raw bar, and specialties like crabcakes, fried clams, and, of course, lobster rolls. (21 West 17th Street; 212-691-8888; $24 per roll)

Grand Central Oyster Bar. They have just about everything else so, naturally, they have a lobster roll. Theirs comes sided with sweet potato chips and slaw; crabmeat gives it a little extra oomph. (Downstairs at Grand Central Station; 212-490-6650; $27.95 per roll)

Pearl Oyster Bar. You be the judge: Is this the best lobster roll in the city? There are plenty who say it is. And if you don't want lobster, the clam chowder gets raves, too. (18 Cornelia Street; 212-691-8211; $27.95 per roll)

The Mermaid Inn. They don't call theirs a lobster roll; to them, it's just a sandwich. But never mind what they call it. It's the real thing alright. From the same people behind The Red Cat and The Harrison. (96 Second Avenue; 212-674-5870; $27 per roll)

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn Fish Camp. Mary Redding -- who also owns Mary's Fish Camp -- has opened a second place across the river in Park Slope. This one has the lobster rolls that made the original Mary's famous, plus a garden to eat them in. (162 Fifth Avenue; 718-783-3264; $33 per roll)