- Hey, we are Sorted.
- We've been eating and traveling together
for well over eight years,
and we reckon we've worked out a formula,
or a set of rules, to increase our chances
of the best food and travel experiences possible.
- [Barry] Today we're in Portland, Maine,
famous for world class seafood and lobster.
- [Jamie] So, Baz and I are gonna go head-to-head
in an ultimate lobster roll battle at the end of the trip.
- [Ben] But today, in order to research lobster
and explore Portland properly,
we're having a seafood scavenger hunt.
- [Barry] And we'll be using our lost and hungry rules
to hopefully have some experiences
that we'll remember forever.
(upbeat rock music)
- Ready?
- Mm-hm.
- Yeah.
This is gonna be the first time that we've seen
what each other got up to.
(upbeat music)
We put out a video on YouTube asking for recommendations
from Portland locals.
So Mike and I just picked a few
and headed to the Old Port area.
- Portland feels like a more laid back cross between
New York city, 'cause of all the buildings
and the architecture,
and the harbor and Wharf bit of San Francisco.
(upbeat music)
- That says that the Portland Lobster Company
is Maine's best lobster roll.
- This is Portland Lobster Company.
(upbeat music)
- Let's tick off classic lobster roll.
(upbeat rock music)
Fresh meat, brushed with sweet butter,
served on a toasted bun.
The smell that you get
is the butter, wow!
If you love lobster, you're gonna love that roll.
- [Barry] Whereas Ben and I decided to take
a different take and head to a less crowded area,
some thought.
- [Ben] Not even mid day, already a queue.
Good sign in my books.
- [Barry] This was the other variation
of the classic Maine lobster roll,
this time mayo instead of melted butter.
- [Ben] Not shy on huge chunks of Lobster.
- Cold, refreshing, sweet lobster,
just fits the scenery perfectly.
- [Ben] And with scenery like that we thought we may as well
rack up some points while we were there.
Fried clams, yes.
- [Barry] Well, back at the Portland Lobster Company,
Jay was in full flow gathering more local recommendations
and also racking up the points.
- Every subscriber has to be worth
at least one point, right?
- Ten points.
- [Mike] Ten points?
- [Jamie] Ten points for a new subscriber.
- [Mike] Thank you. - That seems fair.
- Sorry, did you actually add ten points
to your score from that?
- You're gonna be very disappointed
at the rest of the video.
- Oh, is this how it's going? - Oh, no.
(chill music)
- So many recommendations to come to Highroller
for the quintessential Lobster roll,
but the menu's really interesting,
and so we had to get something different,
'cause that's also worth a point,
a lobster roll with a twist.
How about a lobster cheese crisp taco?
Fresh Maine lobster, romaine, and a choice of sauce
in a cheese crisp shell.
By adding the crisp of a cheese taco in there,
not only do you get a massive hit of cheese flavor,
you get a real crunch,
which is so different.
We got the roasted red pepper,
and the charred pineapple mayo,
which was the severs suggestion.
Oh my goodness.
The pineapple just adds a real high level zing.
- [Ben] Baz and I were still at the coast,
this time at Bite Into Maine,
eating America's best lobster roll.
I think I prefer it when it's all dressed
in that slightly seasoned mayonnaise.
- And I've got for a twist,
it's a wasabi mayo lobster roll.
This was a big moment of inspiration for my battle recipe.
I think I prefer this to classic.
- [Jamie] Whist Baz was working out how he was going
to ignore the brief, as usual,
I was getting my own lobster roll tips from Baxter
co-founder of Highroller and rocker of tremendous sideburns.
- I would say get good bread and get fresh meat,
those are the two most important things.
- [Mike] Baxter also explained the reason
the lobster was so good in Maine.
- It's a different species than like, Florida lobster
or spiny lobster as they call it.
But it has like a sweet flavor and it's also super mild
because of the cold waters here.
- So for another point, I got us this.
I'm not sorry.
Can I make this even better?
Lobster ghee adds a really punchy lobster flavor.
- [Mike] Portland's food scene, even outside of seafood,
has an amazing reputation, so next,
it was all about trying more local recommendations.
- Holy Donut!
This was recommended to us by basically everyone online
and everyone that we've met since we've been here.
Locally sourced ingredients,
one of which being mashed potato.
(upbeat music)
We need to make some decisions.
I think the recommendation was to get the Maine blueberry,
'cause they grow blueberries in Maine.
(upbeat music)
Oh!
It's actually got blueberries through the dough,
- It's actually put real mash potatoes through a ricer,
and then add that to the dough, and it's a cake batter.
And the result is a really fluffy, smooth,
mash potatoey style texture.
- We're on a roll, where next?
- Portland Head Lighthouse, reported to be
one of the most photographed in the world,
one of many in the area, and the oldest in Maine.
While we're here, it'd be rude not to play
Lighthouse Hunters.
(heavy rock music)
Lighthouse.
A lighthouse.
In the distance!
Lighthouse Building, Lighthouse Circle,
small chubby little lighthouse.
Lighthouse.
Toilet lighthouse.
Large framed lighthouse.
I found a lighthouse!
They even have lighthouse crisps.
(heavy rock music)
Downtown lighthouse.
(heavy rock music)
- So this lighthouse hunting is getting silly now.
(heavy rock music)
There he is.
- It was worth the run, I found a lighthouse.
- Oh, God.
- I actually love my lighthouses.
(laughter)
- You've gone above and beyond, you know that?
Next up, really need to get some points on the board,
we've come to The Standard Baking Company,
a highly recommended bakery from you guys,
and we're getting a Pecan financier
and a raspberry and rhubarb tart.
That smells so fruity.
- Pecan financier, half cookie and half cake.
That is unlike anything I've ever had before.
You get a really nice flavor, and crunch from the pecans,
and there is a cheeky little bit of chocolate on the top
that it just about melting.
Cooked to the roof of your mouth.
- [Barry] Ben and I had made our way into town
and headed straight to a recommendation
that kept being mentioned.
- Few extra points, we've come
to one of the most recommended places,
Mr Tuna, for three hand rolls.
Tuna, crab and scallop,
and not seafood, but their local
foraged mushrooms.
Seared tuna, bit of chili, bit of pickled cabbage,
avocado, tempura crumb.
- [Barry] Not only that, but the owner gave us
an extra mackerel dish, which also meant extra points.
- Mackerel is one of those kind of oily fish
that when you absolutely sear it with super heat,
it comes out with all those oils and chars beautifully,
and then that little blob on top, fermented carrot,
it just sets the whole thing off.
And to ensure we kept the momentum,
another lobster roll, this time at Eventide.
A steamed bun, so it hasn't got that
kind of buttered grill mark,
but instead the lobster is tossed in browned butter.
- [Barry] It was so fluffy, buttery and squidgy,
completely different to any texture we'd had yet.
- [Ben] Do you prefer mayo or butter?
- Both!
Can I do both?
- [Ben] Buttered mayo?
- Buttered mayo?
- [Mike] Casco Bay is where most
of the seafood is caught in Portland,
so I booked us on a trip there.
Then I told Jamie.
So Jamie's a bit annoyed
because I insisted we come on a boat
to get a point
and he wants to do more lobster roll research.
- Yeah, I've got to win a lobster roll battle tomorrow.
- Yeah, but we're going to see so many
lighthouses on this trip!
- It's an hour boat trip for one point.
(Mike laughing)
Lighthouse.
(camera shutter going off)
Lighthouse, lighthouse.
This lighthouse spotting is easy.
Driving a boat, that's gotta be worth five points, yeah?
- [Mike] Five points.
- Five points.
- Wait, sorry, you just made another rule up?
- Five points for driving a boat.
- I didn't read the appendices,
which obviously had all the extra rules in.
- [Mike] You're having a nice time.
- I am having a nice time.
- [Mike] Yes.
You're crying!
- I'm crying because I love lighthouses!
(upbeat rock music)
So is it the LightHouse, Lovers Cruise,
(Mike laughing)
or is it the Lighthouse Lovers, Cruise?
'Cause I'm sure we fall into either category.
- [Mike] Oh.
(jazz music)
- Next stop, Boone's,
another community recommendation, one point.
What are we gonna get?
The lobster roll, two points,
that equals three points.
(laughter)
- No, no!
- That's how it works, right?
- [Mike] Are we just making up our own point system?
- One of my favorite things about eating lobster is
it's acceptable for an adult to wear a bib.
Tooled up, and ready to go.
We have two different types of lobster roll,
we have the cow island, which is with mayonnaise and lemon,
and we have the knaw oyster, which is with drawn butter.
And, we have a baked and stuffed lobster.
What's it stuffed with?
More lobster.
I want all of my lobsters to be baked and stuffed
with more lobster.
That is delicious and warming and
it's like a cuddle.
The incredible thing is, how many different textures
can you get with that?
You get the crunch of the butter and the breadcrumbs
on the outside,
but then you get the really sweet, juicy meat on the inside.
What's not to love about all of that?
- [Ben] As the end of the day approached,
Baz and I were cramming in as many last minute points
and research as possible.
Hot roasted, white asparagus with crab bearnaise
and halibut with green romesco, burnt cream,
some wonderful greens.
- [Barry] Hands down the best dishes we'd eaten all day.
- [Mike] He's had some inspiration!
- Oh, if you could see inside of my mind,
it's like all those numbers, it's like the matrix,
but with lobsters.
- And this here is the best lobster roll I have ever eaten.
That is amazing, pure, glutinous,
personally, I think garlic butter and lobster
are the best combinations you can possibly get.
That is unbelievable.
(jazz music)
- Done it.
(gentle music)
- [Mike] The sunset dictated that our Portland
scavenger hunt was over, so we met up at our final
local recommendation to reveal our scores.
(gentle music)
- This looks very nice, and I can also see
two losers sitting inside.
- Hello, have you had a losing day?
We had a great day,
and we have eaten - Had a great day.
- So much seafood and lobster,
and I found loads of lighthouses.
- And I really don't wanna lose.
- [Mike] Okay, ready?
- Yeah.
- [Mike] Ready?
- Ready.
- [Mike] In three, two, one.
- How'd you do?
(cheering)
That was close, but not close enough.
And you celebrated, knowing full well
that you cheated the system.
- [Barry] No shame.
- After results, losers buy dinner,
as if we needed more food.
We have come to literally the most requested place, Duckfat.
And this is a bit of a hidden gem,
'cause there's one in sort of central downtown,
but this one is attached to a brewery, Oxbow,
and it's cool.
And there's a huge space to sit and enjoy it,
loads of different beers inside with Oxbox,
and we've gone for poutine.
- Boys, good day.
- Awh.
(laughter)
- Cheers.
- That is one fat duck, that is amazing.
Things that stood out for me today were
lobster ghee, amazing.
Baked and stuffed lobster, incredible.
But then also, the simplicity
of the classic lobster butter bun.
- The key is fresh beautiful lobster,
which you can't go wrong here,
and I think I've found some really cool
local produce to use.
- Barry's eaten more lobster rolls than we have,
but I don't think that's helped him,
because he's eaten more different lobster rolls.
- Jamie's gonna stick to a classic, I reckon.
But he's gonna go big, bold,
and maybe over the top.
- I don't think he has a clear direction yet
of how he's gonna make his roll.
- [Jamie And Barry In Unison] And that might
play to my advantage.
(upbeat chill techno music)
- [Mike] I'm excited for your battle.
- I'm looking forward to the battle.
- If you cheat in the next one...
- How am I going to cheat in a battle?
(upbeat chill techno music)