And, of course, not every New Englander is married to the classics. Bob’s Clam Hut owner Michael Landgarten, for one, fancies the lobster on a steamed bun at Portland’s Eventide Oyster Co. and the lobster sliders on biscuits at Kittery’s Robert’s Maine Grill almost as much as his own.

It's likely you'll have to wait for a table—or, even better, a seat at the concrete oyster bar—at Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley's hugely popular seafood spot. No worries, though: just use the down time to slurp back a couple of oyster shooters, dig into the nicely curated list of local and international beers, and mull over your order.