Maine Lobster Week: Here is a sneak peek at what local restaurants have planned

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — Lobster bisque, anyone?

Lobsters have been in quite a few national headlines in recent weeks – and not in ways fans of them would like – but here in Maine they will have a whole week to themselves to celebrate their contributions to the state’s economy and tourism.

Maine Lobster Week, an annual tribute to the state’s lobstermen, kicks off this Monday, Sept. 19, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 25. The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative sponsors the celebration.

“The Maine Lobster fishery has long prided itself on being a sustainable industry,” the collaborative states online. “The tradition of lobstering has been passed down for generations and is a cornerstone of Maine's coastal culture and economy.”

Restaurants throughout the state are ready for the occasion, including several here in southern coastal Maine. Among them: Alisson’s Restaurant, The Boathouse Waterfront Restaurant, The Burleigh at Kennebunkport Inn, and The Tides Beach Club, all in Kennebunkport, Via Sophia by the Sea in Kennebunk, and Nubb’s Lobster Shack and The Tiller, both in Cape Neddick.

Earlier this week, Ashley Padget, who owns Alisson’s in Dock Square, said her restaurant owns a huge selection of Maine lobster dishes. Next week, the restaurant will be featuring Maine lobster bisque, a customer favorite, as well as lobster bisque poutine, which is a plate of French fries topped with lobster bisque, fresh lobster meat, cheddar cheese curds, and scallions.

The restaurant also will be serving its assorted Maine lobster rolls and Maine obster macaroni and cheese.

“We have really ventured out of the box with how we prepare lobster rolls,” Padget said.

Alisson's serves a traditional roll, of course, with lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise in a buttered, split-top brioche bun, but there are unconventional offerings too, according to Padget. The Picnic Lobster Roll, for example, is topped with house coleslaw, celery salt and warm butter. As well, the South of the Border Lobster Roll includes avocado, cracked pepper bacon, lettuce and chipotle mayonnaise.

“Our most popular twist on a lobster roll is our trio,” Padget said, adding that the plate includes a traditional lobster roll, a bacon-lettuce-tomato one topped with smoked-bacon mayonnaise, and one topped with lobster bisque.

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Here's what Kennebunkport Resort Collection have on the menu

The Kennebunkport Resort Collection also recently offered a glimpse of what it will be offering when it comes to our red-clawed friends next week, according to KRC publicist Whittier Ambrose.

The Boathouse, for example, will have coconut curry lobster bisque, Lobster Pancit Bihon and molten lava cake on its menu. A meal at The Burleigh will offer lobster arancini, a lobster roll slider trio, and blueberry cheesecake paired with Gifford’s blueberry ice cream.

Over at The Tides Beach Club, there’ll be lobster bisque, stuffed lobster and local goat cheese with lobster coral crackers and honey. As well, Via Sophia will be serving lobster caprese, lobster risotto and lobster fra diavolo.

A complete list of restaurants in Maine that are participating in Maine Lobster Week is online.

Time to support Maine lobster

Maine Lobster Week is arriving at a time when local lobstermen are angry about Seafood Watch’s attempts to discourage people from buying Gulf of Maine lobster.

Seafood Watch is an environmental group that collaborates with companies, including Whole Foods and Cheesecake Factory, to label products it considers harmful to marine life. Earlier this month, the group gave the American lobster an updated red-colored “avoid” rating. The group cited the impact of lobster traps on North Atlantic right whales, listed as endangered both federally and internationally.

More: Maine slams Seafood Watch’s ‘red list’ attack on lobster industry

Lobstermen argue their traps are regulated in the United States to the point where they consider it unfeasible for right whales to get caught in their traps. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association recently said Maine lobstermen have not had an interaction with right whales in nearly 20 years.

Maine lobstermen are not the only ones pushing back against Seafood Watch’s campaign. Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills has weighed in too, as did Republican Paul LePage, her opponent in this fall’s gubernatorial race.

“Seafood Watch is misleading consumers and businesses with this designation,” Mills said in a statement. “This designation is flat out wrong.”

LePage, who served as governor before Mills, also denounced Seafood Watch’s designation.

“Our lobster fishing industry leaders have worked diligently for years to protect these whales and the environment,” LePage said. “Now, more than ever, our lobster industry needs a steady, proven, ally.”

As her restaurant gears up for Maine Lobster Week, Padget said the Maine lobster industry has been vital to Maine and Kennebunkport for generations. She encouraged people to donate to the Maine Lobster Association to assist the organization in its fight to protect the industry.

“We stand strongly with Maine lobstermen,” she said.

Reporter Max Sullivan and the Associated Press contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine Lobster Week: Here is a sneak peek at what restaurants have planned