Those lobster rolls & 2 stellar sammies

Hello friends,

Anyone who hangs out with me knows that crowds are not my favorite thing.

I enjoy listening to a lot of different music, but rarely enough to go to a concert at an arena (my last big concert: Bruno Mars in Buffalo in 2017 and it was worth it). I'll almost always choose a low-key, intimate restaurant or bar over one that's sure to be packed.

That's why checking out the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck was my labor of love for D&C readers. I had heard that it was attracting crowds wherever it went, and on the day I went, it sure did. But the experience was perfectly pleasant, in large part because it was a nice day and the folks in line were friendly and chatty.

But also, I had written about the truck when it hit the road , so I knew enough to order ahead on the app, which cut my wait to a mere 15 minutes.

Was my warm Connecticut-style lobster roll worth braving the crowds? For my 15-minute wait, yes. You can't fault the amount of lobster you get in a roll for about 20 bucks (which is reasonable for a lobster roll these days).

But the 90-minute wait for the folks who didn't order ahead? I'd head to one of the other places you can get a lobster roll in Rochester, some of which I listed in my story about my food truck experience .

Have you been to Cousins Maine Lobster, or do you have a favorite place for lobster rolls locally? Drop me an email and tell me about it. (And thanks to Stephanie Lambe for taking my picture that day.)

2 stellar sandwiches

The lobster roll wasn't the only tasty sandwich I had last week.

Farmhouse Table , a new cafe next to Innovation Square downtown, makes several commendable sandwiches, including a BLT that's made with local lettuce and tomatoes. (A pet peeve of mine: Most restaurants continue to use flavorless tomatoes in their BLTs, even when spectacular local ones are in season. It's one of the reasons I only eat BLTs at home.) But the one that I've been craving is the curried chicken salad sandwich. It's a mayo-based chicken salad enlivened with curry and little bits of this and that; it's the addition of pickled red onions that really sets this sandwich apart.

Busy Bean Cafe is serving a hearty Cuban sandwich on its new dinnertime Cuban menu , called Raices Cubanas ("Cuban Roots"), at its Penfield location. It's the classic ― homemade roast pork, ham, pickles, mustard and the sometimes controversial mayo, which of course you could leave off if desired. Be sure to order it with chicharritas, similar to potato chips but made with plantains. And request some of the garlicky pink salsa roja for dipping.

Sunflowers in bloom

Not food related, but if you enjoy seeing hundreds of sunflowers in bloom (as I do), a couple of local sunflower fields are in full bloom.

Hopkins Farm , on Clover Street just south of Calkins Road in Pittsford, is spectacular right now. There's no admission to see them, just carefully pull on and off the road.

Wickham Farms , at 1315 Sweets Corners Road in Penfield, has 30 sunflower varieties blooming on 10 acres, as well as many other flowers. There's lots to do at Wickham Farms; click here for details.

Do you have a favorite place to see sunflowers, or other flowers? Find a great new restaurant or dish? Email me at tracys@gannett.com .

Scroll down for this week's food headlines and I wish you a delicious week.

Tracy Schuhmacher, food and drink reporter

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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Those lobster rolls & 2 stellar sammies