Sam’s ChowderMobile: Bringing Northeast Flavor to the West Coast
Being that the freshest, most delicious lobsters on the planet come from the faraway reaches of Maine, it usually isn’t the most sensible cuisine to order in the Bay Area. Yet I love this cravenly crustacean with all my heart and just can’t bring myself to give it up completely. So imagine the sheer elation felt when I was able to get my hands on a juicy, succulent lobster roll sandwich from a food truck parked just several blocks away from my San Francisco apartment.
I have to personally thank Sam and his ChowderMobile for coming to Ft. Mason Park, home of Off the Grid, the celebrated FoodCart extravaganza making its weekly rounds through San Francisco. Originally opened in 2006 as a 225-seat restaurant south of the city in Half Moon Bay, the popular demand for Sam’s exceptionally fresh and expertly prepared seafood gave way to a traveling truck–less than a year later–bringing the distinct deliciousness of the ocean to a broader, Northern California audience.
Before ordering the Lobster Roll from Sam’s, I had yet to be satisfied by any lobster sandwich offered on the Western side of this country. Somehow this unassuming food truck was able to change all that, in just one bite. Heaping mounds of impossibly delicious Maine Lobster was plopped down atop a lightly toasted club roll–tons of flavor without an overwhelming amount of mayonnaise, which can often drown out the subtlety of good seafood. The New England Clam Chowder, with it’s copious clumps of chewy seafood and perfectly thick consistency is probably the best chowdah this side of Appalachia. Apparently their scrumptious shrimp po’ boy is another can’t-miss classic.
And I’m clearly not alone in my exuberant praise: NBC’s Today Show recently called their Lobster Roll one of the 5 best sandwiches…in the country!
Thanks again, Sam’s ChowderMobile, for bringing culinary completion to my immediate neighborhood. Be sure to check out their website and see when they’ll be bringing their unmistakable brand of seafood satisfaction to your own section of the city.
