Homage to Maine Drive In Restaurants

It's hard to imagine, but life used to exist before McDonald's. The precursor to the golden arches were the drive-in hamburger and hot dog stands. In Presque Isle, where I grew up, Keegan's was THE place to be. Never mind that it was essentially the ONLY place to be for young people. If you had a few dollars, you could go there and get something yummy (i. e. full of sugar, salt, and fat) for a reasonable price. Maybe you would see your friends. "Lights on for service" meant you didn't even need to get out of your car.

If you didn't have any money, or even a car to drive around in, you were in rough shape. The other activity was "tooling Main Street," which meant driving from one end to the other, turning around, and then doing it again. Yeesh. No wonder I was desperate to get out.

Keegan's closed years ago, but the other favorite was Winnie's which I loved because of their great onion rings:

Sadly, according to the web, Winnie's has closed in the past year, but not before the owner made a bundle with her lobster stew recipe. (How hard is lobster stew, anyway? Maybe I can make a bundle too...)

Back in 1967 when I was dating my first husband, he took me to the Mcdonalds on Broadway in Bangor, one of the first in Maine and certainly the first I had ever been to. I could not believe how fast he was in and out with a bag of fifteen cent hamburgers, and the fries and milkshakes that set the standard from then on, probably for not much more than a dollar or two for us both.

Thank goodness that the drive in restaurant is alive and well here in Hancock County. Maybe because we haven't got the population to support a Mcdonalds or Burger King, though the appearance of a Dunkin' Donut in Blue Hill this summer is sobering.

So here are the three drive-in treasures on the Blue Hill Peninsula: The Bagaduce Lunch, the Fish Net, and Madeline's. Both the Bagaduce and the Fish Net have been around for years.

Bagaduce Lunch gets the "Stunning Location" award hands down. Located right beside the reversing falls of the Bagaduce, in good weather, chomping down on a fish sandwich at the Bagduce Lunch's picnic tables cannot be beat. And how many times will you dine at a place that won an American Classic James Beard Award (2008)? Click here to see a video about the Bagaduce and their award.

The Bagaduce is pure business, closing ASAP right after Labor Day. Whew.

The Fish Net in Blue Hill is lowest on the totem pole location-wise (on the inside corner of where the very busy Maine Street heads up a steep steep hill), but it fits perfectly with menu and style. Here's the Fish Net's menu, posted outside, which could be for each of these three fine establishments:

The Fish Net closes around October 1.

Madeline's on Deer Isle popped up a few years ago. Madeline's is not on the water, but has a woodsy location on the main road north of the village and the High School that the owners have spruced up with picnic tables and a play area. Old timers on Deer Isle remember another Madeline's across the road, the remains of which are still visible. The new Madeline's is really Madeline's 2.

For us, Madeline's wins out, unless we are in Blue Hill and hungry, or want to make a special trip to the Bagaduce. Even though the Bagaduce has the reputation (I mean, James Beard must know what he is talking about, right? -- Yeah, I know, he is dead...), the food at the three places is pretty much the same. Hamburgers, crab and lobster rolls, fried clams or scallops, french fries and onion rings. And ice cream.  Who could ask for more?

Madline's closed for the season the last week of September. Now there is no place to go on a sunny day for a greasy hamburger, until next spring. Sigh.

What Surry has that Deer Isle does not: The Lobster Shack

Awhile back, we moaned with some new friends about the lack of a real old-fashioned lobster restaurant on Deer Isle. Even though Stonington tops the state in the pounds of lobster caught, you can't just sit at a picnic table on a dock and eat a messy shore dinner or a lobster roll, at least at a "reasonable" price.

I've been telling everyone that I need to hear from you and them about favorite yet little known places and activities (email me!), and did we get a good lead as a result or what: Althea of Mainescape in Blue Hill who is friends with my friend Wendy who is married to Bill of Nanatoo fame passed on a "must do" on Newberry Neck in Surry: The Lobster Shack. I'd never heard of it, and had never gone down Newberry Neck either. After all, Surry is just a bend in the road on the way to Ellsworth.

So yesterday, which was blisteringly hot and we had nothing planned for lunch, Drew and I headed out in search of lobster rolls. It felt like we drove and drove and drove, but in reality, The Lobster Shack was only 5+ miles from the turn off route 172 going into Surry towards Ellsworth. You can also get there from Blue Hill through East Blue Hill, about 11 miles. Finally we saw it: a long dock with red umbrellas. Perfect setting for lunch on a hot day.

Clinging to the narrow strip of land between the road and the water was the actual Lobster Shack:

A little rickety-tickety, just my style:

Past one o'clock, we were the only customers, and owner Bev Long yelled a welcome. The heat seemed to be keeping folks indoors, except for those down at the town beach  who we passed coming in. A few more brave and sunburned people straggled in after we did. We settled down with the menu while Bev sent down the waitperson who had been picking out lobster.

Now, I ask you, when was the last time that you saw dried fish ($5.25) or pickled wrinkles ($6) on the appetizer menu? Would never be too soon? We ordered lobster rolls (at $15 a fair price), cole slaw, and an ear of corn, cooked in the lobster water our waitperson told us. That was a first for me too!

Take a look at those lobster rolls: yet another "first ever," on a Bangor Rye Bakery bun (world's best rolls, for those in the know). It's hard to appreciate the amount of lobster, but look at that bun in the back. The lobster layer was an inch thick. The cole slaw was pickley vinegary and slightly sweet, the corn crunchy with a hint of lobster flavor. Yummy scrummy. We went at it.

Afterwards Bev came down to chat. Bev is my kind of person, real Maine (like me).  She and her husband Perry started the Lobster Shack 13 years ago. Basically, they service the lobster boats that tie up at the end of the dock, opening mid-June and staying that way sometimes into November (??!!) when the lobstermen haul their boats. Of course, that's where they get their seafood, too, so fresh is an understatement.

Even though traffic was light when we were there, Bev says they get swamped when they open in June, then steady and very busy through July and August. They have never advertized.  Clearly, don't need to. Hours are 11am to 8pm or whenever. A few nights before had been a full moon (hard to see with the fog, but the "moon peepers" were a determined bunch) and they were packed until closing and beyond. Call before if you take a lot of people (8 or more) (207) 667-1955. Oh, I forgot: you can bring your own drinks, they don't serve alcohol, and what they do have is sweet.

The Lobster Shack is a real find. The perfect place for enjoying lobster and crab in the traditional way. And the view is free.

Hot Stuff! Fire Brick Pizza

Drew and I look for places to practice our dancing, and I heard that Flash in the Pans (our very own local steel drum band) was playing in Blue Hill last Monday. Even though it has been cold and drippy, not the best weather for a street dance, this performance was enhanced by the promise of wood fired pizza.  Well, that made the decision easy: I had to see how wood fired pizza could be done in the parking lot of the Blue Hill Town Park. Not to mention, I love pizza

We got there early, in time to watch the band set up. It was a well-oiled production:

It wasn't too long before they were playing, and they are good.  Flash has been playing since 1990, but I'd never heard them before, embarrassing to say.  I moved south about that time, so missed it before now.

Flash plays all around the Blue Hill area through the summer, with the proceeds going to various good causes.  See their schedule here.

But this piece is about pizza, not music, so here goes.

Katherine Creswell had her pizza oven on wheels set up and a fire burning when we arrived.

Katherine built the oven herself (maybe with some help from friends), hitches it up behind her vehicle and takes it to gigs in the area. Based in East Blue Hill, Katherine says she sets up at the Blue Hill Farmers' Market on Saturday (9am - 11:30am) at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. She says she will also hire out to private parties: Does that sound like fun or what?

Well, the real question is: How's the pizza?

First let's watch her make it:

And the real action:

Then into the oven:

And here is the result:

Was it tasty? Well, let's just say it went fast and there was none left. It was delish!

Katherine uses all Maine ingredients. Here's the menu:

If I were planning a big party, I'd hire Katherine in a minute. If you want to do the same, you can reach Fire Brick Pizza at KatherineCreswell@gmail.com,  207-841-7877, and see her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FireBrickPizza