Photo courtesy of Mattitaco
Welcome to the seventh Edible Eat of the Week! A recurring series, Edible Eat of the Week celebrates the bounty of Long Island by showcasing special, seasonal eats and the people who make them.
The Eat: A lobster quesadilla that practically screams “summer” with generous chunks of lobster throughout.
The Place: Mattitaco in Mattituck.
The Story: It’s no secret that we take lobster very seriously around here. We scour Long Island for the best lobster rolls each summer, and then delight in sharing, additionally, where you’ll find our favorite non-traditional ones. We swoon for lobster fettuccine and lobster BLT tacos; our lobster love has even driven us up to Maine in search of more crustacean iterations to eat and explore.
So we’re especially excited—perhaps even more than usual—about this week’s Eat of the Week: the lobster quesadilla at Mattituck’s Mattitaco.
“The tuna melt weeps in the face of the lobster quesadilla,” says Justin Schwartz, owner of Mattitaco. “Our lobster salad has a bit of a kick of heat, but that is balanced out by adding roasted locally-grown sweet corn and celery. Our salad is made with only lobster claw (the best part of the lobster). We use three different cheeses in the quesadilla but I’m not will to divulge which ones. I’ve probably already said too much.”
And while Schwartz’s description is hilarious—with a generous dollop of intrigue—the quesadilla itself is nothing to laugh at. Unlike most lobster quesadillas you’ll find on the Island, Mattitaco’s actually lives up to its name, containing generous chunks of lobster in addition to its mysterious blend of three cheeses. The result is pure magic—and more than worth the drive to Mattituck.
Just be prepared: Once you see the full menu, it will be impossible to order just one thing.
“Our menu is a team effort,” says Schwartz. “Sometimes we see a restaurant do an amazing dish and say, ‘Wow, that would make a killer taco.’ Other times a local farmer will contact us and say, ‘Hey, I have a bunch of XYZ, can you use it?’ The answer is always yes, and now time to figure out how. For example, our summer farm-to-taco, there has been an abundance of local summer squash, and we are serving it shaved with radish, onion, cilantro and a lemon, honey, and mint vinaigrette. It is Sofa King Good.”
And so, too, is this lobster quesadilla.
Pro Tip: If you like beer, treat yourself to Mattitaco’s own Surfeza Mexican Lager, made in collaboration with North Fork Brewing Company. “It’s the perfect summer beer,” says Schwartz. If you prefer wine, go for their house-made white sangria instead. And if you’re not drinking, you can never go wrong with a Topo Chico.
Read more: Mattitaco Brings a Taste of Mexico to Mattituck
