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\u201cI\u2019m the owner, chief cook and bottle washer,\u201d he quipped while adding that he closes the restaurant only three days a year, and hasn\u2019t taken a full day off since Christmas of 2015. \u201cI always have projects to do on those three days of closure.\u201d<\/p>\n
No doubt, his front-line presence and hospitality are among the keys to his success.<\/p>\n
DeCoste uses claw and knuckle meat in his delectable lobster rolls, noting that he imports about 500 pounds of it per month from coastal Maine. Lobster season there is year-round, so there\u2019s always a steady flow.<\/p>\n
Lunch or dinner at Pete\u2019s potentially begins with an order of fried mushrooms or calamari\u2014or better yet, a bowl of hearty New England clam chowder. The latter is a recipe taught to him by his father who was a cook in a restaurant for 50 years. The chowder sports a semi-thick texture and a comforting, subtle flavor.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s nearly impossible for me to pass up the buttery lobster rolls when I visit\u2014 although I can vouch for the Italian cold cut sandwich stacked with salami, capicola, mortadella, Provolone and veggies. Request a little extra oil and vinegar on it and you\u2019ve scored a genuine back-East bomber.<\/p>\n
The fried shrimp with freshly cut fries are also noteworthy. The plate features nearly a half-pound of Mexican white shrimp that are dusted thinly in a blend of corn and white flours\u2014and without seasonings as to allow the natural sweetness of the cornflour and the shrimp to ring through. The same flour blend is used on the never-frozen Atlantic cod for fish and chips.<\/p>\n
DeCoste shows the same traditional respect to lobster, hence the reason that only a tad of mayo is permitted to interfere with the meat\u2019s sweet, delicate flavor. Although buttered rolls also come into play as a natural enhancement to the construct.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lobster is the star of the show,\u201d DeCoste pointed out. \u201cSome places on the East Coast do lettuce and celery, but that\u2019s not so common.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lobster-roll sandwiches are available cold (Maine style) or hot (Connecticut style). Either way, you get substantial meat in each, enough to produce chunky pieces that tumble onto your plate as a meal bonus.<\/p>\n
The actual rolls are sourced from an East Coast bakery. By design, they\u2019re known as \u201csplit tops.\u201d They resemble inside-out hot dog rolls, allowing the cooks to butter and grill them from the outside.<\/p>\n About a year ago, DeCoste introduced a rotating list of Tuesday specials. Those dishes include cheese steaks, Reuben sandwiches, baked haddock, and \u2018American chop suey,\u2019 which translates to a goulash of ground beef, elbow macaroni and tomatoes. \u201cIt\u2019s a New England thing,\u201d said DeCoste.<\/p>\n When asked if San Diego can expect to see another Pete\u2019s Seafood and Sandwich come ashore in the future, DeCoste said, \u201cWe have definitely been thinking about a second location somewhere north of here and probably more coastal. But nothing is in the works yet.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/cdn.sdnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20230203013244\/Petes-Seafood-and-Sandwich-American-chop-suey-special-225x300.jpg\")