Captain Scott's Lobster Dock

Even though I've only been there twice, I have absolutely fallen in love with Captain Scott's Lobster Dock in New London. Not only is the food delicious, but it reminds me of home.

Home for me is a small port on the Atlantic Ocean. Not the Atlantic Ocean that most people think about; the Atlantic Ocean of overpriced ocean view condos and good looking yuppies; of windsurfing and speedboat racing; of picturesque remote settings with sailboats offshore silently gliding across the water; and of jammed-packed beaches, loaded with tourists.

My Atlantic Ocean gives sustenance and serves as a mighty highway between great continents; the Atlantic Ocean of commercial fishing boats and lobster men; of fuel depots and boat yards; of cargo ships and railroad tracks leading in and out of warehouses; and of (seedy) waterfront bars filled with hardworking (and hard drinking) longshoremen, fishermen, and sailors from around the world.

CSLD sits on a spit of land jammed between Shaw's Cove and the Amtrack line just south of downtown New London. If you are facing CSLD the train tracks are on your left, somewhat elevated and forming a barrier between the Thames River and Shaw's Cove, with lobster pots stacked three and four high for a good thirty or forty feet across. To your right is a small harbor jam-packed with charter fishing boats and small pleasure craft, beyond which lies Crocker's Boat Yard. In back of you are fuel tanks and an old-fashioned turntable bridge that opens to allow boats out of the Cove and into the Thames and closes to let the trains pass (we saw the northbound and the southbound Amtracks go by). It is not picturesque, but it is beautiful nonetheless, at least to me.

There isn't much to CSLD, just a good sized lobster shack and a bunch of picnic tables, some of which are covered by a sturdy wooden pavilion. Needless to say, you'll be sitting outside, but that's fine on a nice warm summer day like today, especially when the breeze is out of the south and you can smell the saltwater. Do you really need anything else?

My wife started with the lobster bisque, which was very well done. There was plenty of whole lobster (i.e. not pureed) flavored with Sheri, butter, and a hint of garlic. I started with the New England clam chowder, which I really liked because it was neither too think nor too thick. You could really taste the stock which contained carrots, onion, and celery.

I had the fried clam strip plate, which was good. It was hot, crisp, and the clam strips were tasty. My wife, however, was the big winner. She ordered the whole belly clam plate. These were excellent (and better than the clam strips) for three reasons. First, they seem to have been fried in a lighter, crisper, batter. Second, not only were the claim bellies delicious in and of themselves, but they also still had a hint of sea salt on them, which made them even better. Finally, the clam bellies had been properly cleaned, so they weren't gritty (in fact, neither my wife nor I could taste any grit).

The last time we went to CSLD I had the lobster roll (hot), which was very good because it was a generous portion of hot, fresh lobster that had not been slaughtered in too much butter.

Both our plates came with french fries, which were just as they ought to be - hot, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not too salty. You also get coleslaw, which was good, because it was fresh and crisp, and not too creamy.

The first time we went to CSLD, we also got onion rings. They were OK, but not as good as the rest of the meal. You can only eat so much fried food and the onion rings aren't on a par with the french fries, let alone the fried seafood, of which there is plenty on every plate.

The pricing varies, depending on market prices for seafood, but our meal today plus two Cokes and a small cup of butter almond ice cream came to $40 give or take a few nickels.

CSLD also has a small fish market attached to the back of the shack. Even for a Sunday the selection seemed a bit limited, but the fish looked pretty fresh even by the (much more) exacting standards of those who live on the water.

I read somewhere that CSLD is open "seasonally" which probably means they are closed for the winter, loosely defined. So, you really should go and check it out before the summer ends. You'll have some great seafood and you'll get a taste of the Atlantic Ocean I love.

Here's the link to CSLD's website - http://captscotts.com/