"Who said lobster rolls are just a summer thing? No one. No one said that. We're open 7 days 11:30-9," Ford's Lobster posted on Facebook on Nov. 1.

Well, maybe someone said that, but I am not one of those someones.

I ate all or part of three lobster rolls across five days this month, and beyond being delighted to find reasons to eat lobster rolls, my rationale for eating lobster rolls in the name of journalism was trifold.

First, I am not a winter person, and I thought that the tastes of summer might help keep away the winter doldrums. I suspect I am not alone in this.

Second, I wanted to do a thorough accounting of where one can get a lobster roll in the winter, as I knew some places to be seasonal but was unsure about others. I also suspect I am not alone in this uncertainty.

Lastly, I wanted to know if lobster rolls, and fried seafood dishes stereotypically viewed as summer specialties, taste any different in the winter.

I must admit that my strong preference for hot lobster rolls — while lobster in any form is superior to no lobster, why adulterate lobster meat with mayo and celery when you can enhance it with butter? — means I hadn't eaten a cold one in a while.

That means I didn't have much of a reference point for the cold lobster roll I ate at Dog Watch Café or Ocean Pizza, but I can say that the hot lobster roll I had at Ford's was as good as any I had this past summer. Both Kerrie Nyman of Ford's and Sam Vafidis of Ocean Pizza said their lobster is fresh year-round.

Ford's, which started serving food in 2010 and opened its inside dining room in 2012, is in an interesting position in that it's open year-round while its two seafood neighbors in Noank, Abbott's Lobster in the Rough and Costello's Clam Shack, are seasonal.

Nyman thinks more and more people know that Ford's is open year-round, but she's always surprised when people say they didn't know, since it's been open in the winter for a while now.

"We definitely have a reputation as a summer place, but we have a pretty decent local following," Nyman said. Ford's is closed for the month of February but will reopen March 1 with the same hours.

The Stonington Borough location of Dog Watch Café was crowded for lunch on Jan. 17, as two friends and I ate a cold lobster roll, a codwich and whole belly clams while staff sung "Happy Birthday" to a 5-year-old. Mary Biekert, The Day's resident whole belly clam expert and aficionado, pointed out that the clams were on the small side — still tasty but yielding less juice.

The bread of the lobster roll was perfectly crispy and the mayo wasn't overwhelming, my fear with cold lobster rolls. The cognac-colored cod was crunchy around the edges with tender, flaky fish inside.

Manager Heidi Chronister said she thinks most locals know they're open year-round, though not necessarily out-of-towners. She said the menu doesn't vary too much throughout the year, but new additions to the menu are brisket and grilled oysters.

Darcey Eck, catering director at Dog Watch, said seafood is fresh whenever possible for regular, year-round menu items. Recently, the restaurant most often rotates between Seawell, Ipswich, City Fish and Watch Hill Oysters, depending on what is in-season and available.

If you really want bang for your buck, opt for the lobster roll at Ocean Pizza; the size caused my dining companion to interject with an exclamation as she saw the food arriving. We also got a clam strip dinner, which offered the comforts you want from any fried food.

There are many other places in southeastern Connecticut to get lobster rolls, along with clam strips, whole bellies, fish and chips, and calamari.

A few other summery dishes that jumped out to me from online menus, but that I have not gotten to try yet, include the baked avocado with lump crab and corn at Flanders Fish Market, seafood bruschetta at Prime 82, lobster Benedict at Kitchen Little, and lobster grilled cheese on French bread at Go Fish.

On the sweeter side

You didn't think I forgot about ice cream, did you? I wouldn't leave that out of a roundup of places to get summer foods in winter.

One Friday night recently, my dinner consisted of one scoop of peppermint patty ice cream — the flavor of the month — and one scoop of maple walnut from Mel's Downtown Creamery in Pawcatuck, which owner Mel Goggin said is closed only four days a year. I figured if I was going to eat ice cream in winter, I might as well get in-season flavors.

Both were heavenly, and the peppermint patty was a refreshing twist on the usual mint chocolate chip.

"We have a lot of fun in the off-season," Goggin said, noting that there are a lot of fundraisers in the winter, plus collaborations with other Westerly-Pawcatuck businesses. There was a Spider-Man meet and greet benefitting the Westerly Animal Shelter on Dec. 21, and a fundraiser on Sunday supports the Westerly High School trip to Italy.

In a partnership running November and December, for $10 people could paint two ornaments at Get Fired Up and get a small ice cream cone. There is also an upcoming partnership with At Home Science, called ValenSlime's Day & Sundaes.

Mel's has been open for almost eight years, and Goggin said she has "worked very hard to make sure people know we're open year-round." She said the consistency of hours helps, with the only difference being a Sunday-Thursday closing time of 9 p.m. in the winter instead of 10.

In New London, Berry's Ice Cream & Candy Bar recently reopened after being closed since the end of December.

"For me, it's to regroup and reorganize for the year to come, and to make any improvements that we're making," owner Laura Beckham said. She added, "It's really a devotion to the city and the community to stay open in the harsh winter months."

Beckham noted that it's not so much about needing a break, but that "our hands are forced on us because there just isn't as much foot traffic." (Nearby, Muddy Waters Café and Thames River Greenery also take annual winter breaks.)

Along with ice cream and candy, Beckham sells coffee and soups, and she's adding a waffle bar. She will also be announcing "Late Night at Berry's," a limited menu for bar-goers on Fridays and Saturdays.

e.moser@theday.com