Lobster salad roll a big hit for The Back Eddy

WESTPORT — When you change the menu of an iconic restaurant you never know what’s going to happen.

For The Back Eddy, it’s even more daunting to change when your diners range from summer weekly vacationers, summer residents, beachgoers, day trippers, foodies and super loyal locals all looking for their favorite dish to check off their summer must-do list.

But change turned out to be a great thing for The Back Eddy this summer, said owner Sal Liotta.

In short, lobster salad sandwiches and burgers ruled. Add in six daily specials in smaller plates and the tide has turned for the seasonal waterfront restaurant.

For the first two decades of the restaurant’s existence, lobster salad sandwiches and burgers were banished from the menu as the restaurant forged a distinct culinary identity that started with Liotta’s original partner, James Beard award-winning chef Chris Schlesinger. A couple years in to the business, Liotta and Aaron DeRego, the sous chef at the time, bought Schlesinger out of the business partnership. DeRego sold his partnership to Liotta earlier this year, with plans of owning his own restaurant.

DeRego’s departure opened up new opportunities in the kitchen leading to sous chef Nigel Vincent being promoted to chef. With a new creative energy in the kitchen, Liotta decided to switch things up by adding the two items that were most requested over the years: a burger and a lobster roll.

Sure enough, they were both big hits. As of late last week, Liotta said they have sold 3,112 lobster rolls and 1,000 burgers. Orders for the burgers piled up so much the grill was overwhelmed and they had to take them off the menu for July and August.

But now that the craziest part of the summer is over, the bacon cheeseburger with artisanal Brandt beef, high quality cheddar cheese and applewood smoked bacon is back and the chef and his team are brainstorming ideas for the fall.

The phenomenally successful lobster roll, made Back Eddy style with a just a touch of mayo served on a grilled, buttered brioche bun, became the biggest seller at lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. “It was a treat for people to have a lobster roll for lunch — it really took off,” said Liotta. “It really pushed up lunch sales dramatically and it made summer a lot easier.”

As for some of the items that were taken off the menu, diners found other items to try out in lieu of the scallops wrapped in bacon with succotash, but the lobster casserole lobby won out. That dish got a second chance on the menu.

The deck became a raw bar and barbecue area called Smoke on the Water where they featured items such as shrimp cocktail and pulled pork sliders in a more casual atmosphere. “That had its own draw too,” said Liotta.

The daily specials, typically five or six smaller plates to meet the way people eat today were also a hit with diners, he added. One of the more popular ones was a shrimp dish with grits from Gray’s Grist Mill with a tomato bacon jam that was inspired by a Liotta’s off-season visit to a low country-style food hall restaurant in South Beach, Miami.

Now that business has settled into the slower pace of fall, Liotta is heading out on some culinary adventures again to sample fare in Dallas; Louisville, Kentucky; South Beach and Los Angeles. “After this summer, I need a break. I haven’t had a day off since last March,” he said. “On this trip to Dallas I’ll be eating tacos so you might see some tacos on the menu next year.”