How Blue Dory started
Blue Dory was a bait shack with a chowder pot in 1986. The lobstermen ate at the counter while they waited on the tide. By the second summer the counter had tourists on it, and by the third there was a deck.
The family still holds two of the boats. The chowder recipe is the one from the shack, written on an index card that is now laminated. We open the day after Patriots’ Day and close for January.
What we insist on
- Lobster from our own boats, cooked within a day of landing
- Chowder thickened with potato, never flour
- Haddock from the Portland fish exchange, cut here each morning
- Whole-belly clams, never strips
Who cooks
A kitchen of eight in summer, four in winter. Two on the fryers, one on the steamer, one on the raw bar, the rest on the line. The lobster picker starts at seven.
Good to know
Is the lobster roll served hot or cold?
Either. Cold with mayo is the Maine way; warm with butter is the Connecticut way. Choose when you order.
Is there anything that is not seafood?
The fries, slaw, corn and both pies have no fish in them. Tell us in the note if someone at the table does not eat seafood and the kitchen will grill a chicken breast.
Can I buy live lobster to take home?
Yes, at market price, packed in seaweed and newspaper. Call ahead so we have the size you want on ice.
What about shellfish allergies?
Everything is fried in the same oil and the kitchen is small. If an allergy is severe, we would rather you know that than find out.