Hops and Barley

When we first heard the name "Hops and Barley" for the kiosk near American Adventure, we thought it was another one of those drink-only kiosks. We figured they served a lot of beer, and the long, long lines at that kiosk on Saturday with all the "drink around the world" people supported that. They did have a full menu of Sam Adams, but we were happy to see that they were also serving a New England inspired menu of American classics.


This was, by far, one of the most expensive kiosks (for savory snacks), but lobster is always expensive.


First, we tried Linda Bean's lobster claw cuddler with drawn butter ($6.50):


One of the first questions at this kiosk was, who is Linda Bean? Luckily, they provided information stands all about Linda Bean, granddaughter of L.L. Bean, who is committed to sustainable, wild-caught Maine lobster. We were happy to hear that the kiosk was environmentally friendly.

M's take: This was good. It was nice to have seafood that wasn't drowned out by a lot of sauce, and this had a fresh, clean flavor. I'm not the biggest lobster fan but I liked this.

A's take: The claw was good and sweet. It was fresh, clean, and cooked perfectly. I didn't bother with the drawn butter since the lobster was perfect on its own.

Linda Bean's perfect Maine lobster roll ($7.25):


The "perfect" Maine lobster roll consisted of a butter-toasted roll with pure lobster meat, some herbs and mayo.

M's take: This was delicious and probably one of my favorite things at the entire festival. The only thing that would stop me from getting it twice in one trip is the cost. It's not really that much more expensive (adjusted for size) than lobster rolls here in NYC, so, while it was pricey, it wasn't overpriced. The bread was both soft and crusty, and so tasty (makes sense if it's butter-toasted!). The lobster itself was fresh and sweet, and the secret herb mix was great. I was really impressed by the giant pieces of real lobster that were in the roll. Highly recommended.

A's take: Picture a well made lobster salad with just the right amount of mayo on top of a toasty piece of garlic bread. This was a really tasty dish. The garlic bread was crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Perfectly garlicky, right amount of salt, and it was very well made. The lobster salad was surprisingly light and with the same sweetness and tenderness in the lobster as in the claw.

Pumpkin mousse with Ocean Spray craisins and orange sauce ($1.50):


M's take: This was surprisingly great. I wasn't sure what to expect from pumpkin mousse other than something heavy, but their take on this yielded a light dessert. Layers of pumpkin and orange sauce topped with craisins and streusel. Really good and really cheap! If we had more stomach space, we probably would have gotten another.

A's take: With pumpkin mousse I was expecting something pretty heavy. Instead this was very light and fluffy and simply amazing. The cranberries and streusel added a nice sweetness and tartness to the dish that paired very well with the spices of the pumpkin flavoring along with a bit of crunch/bite. The orange sauce added a nice freshness and citrus acidity to tie it all together. It was a great dish, and one that I would have liked to have tried again.

Generally the Hops and Barley kiosk had some great food. Had we had more time, we definitely would have gone back for more.

Favorite dishes at the Hops and Barley kiosk:
A: Pumpkin mousse
M: Lobster roll