Just 7 More Days of Lobster Rolls - Noank, Conn.

Once upon a time, I hated lobster. I know, completely asinine. But apparently taste buds really do change, because just a few years ago I finally gave into peer pressure and decided to give lobster one last shot. Don't ask me why, but I suddenly loved it. And so naturally, I've been trying to make up for all those long-lost years of lobsterlessness.

Mr. Lobster and I get along
swimmingly nowadays.

Enter Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, an unassuming little place right on Long Island Sound that's known for its fresh, buttery lobster rolls. My doctor recommended it, so it can't be all bad, right? If you're a lobster fanatic, there are just a few days left in 2011 to get a hold of these babies before they close up shop for the season.

Today's Stefcations Highlights:

• What You'll Find: Fresh lobster rolls and other fresh seafood
• Where You'll Find it: Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, Noank, Conn.
• When to Go: This Columbus Day weekend, Fri-Monday, from noon to 7 p.m. (or you'll have to wait and try again, come Memorial Day Weekend)

You'll find Abbott's hidden away in Noank, Conn., a town - well, technically, a village - that's really part of Groton, Conn. (P.S. If you Google Noank, the first link that pops up is for Abbott's. Just sayin; this place quite literally appears to put Noank on the map.)

Bring your wine, beer, or champagne along with you - This place is B.Y.O.B. But don't get all dressed up or calling up to make a reservation. Abbott's is an uber-casual lobster shack. We're talking picnic tables and not a whole lot else. Yet what it lacks in furnishings, it makes up in tastiness. 

Hot lobstah!

There are plenty of choices on the menu, from clam chowder to crab cakes to oysters, much of which tempted me, but I opted simply for the hot lobster roll that I'd heard so much about. For $15, you'll get the beauteous lobster roll with a bag o' potato chips, humbly presented with a miniature tub of cole slaw and two slices of bread-and-butter pickle, mmmm. 

Granted, $15 might seem a little steep, yes. But it's not what you might envision. No mayonnaise-y nastiness serving as filler, and no sketchy, greasy bits of phony lobster. This is a quarter-pound of fresh, steaming lobster meat that's being shelled out right behind the counter. Admittedly, I could have easily eaten two. 

If you want in, I recommend going ASAP. They're open now until Columbus Day, on weekends only, and won't be back till Memorial Day Weekend. It's going to be a lonnng winter. Let's rock!