Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Maine Report Part Three: Roadside Stands

I lost my copy of the Jane and Michael Stern's Roadfood in my divorce, and it still makes me bitter. I have the new version, but I was attached to that copy that had travelled with me to so many drive-ins and clam shacks, diners and hot dog stands. I love road food, love the simple, strong flavors, the sense of joy and freedom of eating with your hands at a picnic table next to your car. Lobster fettucine has its place, but so do clam rolls. Particularly clam rolls made with fresh, big-belly clams.

Here's a plate of fried seafood to make you weep. Scallops, clams, shrimp, and under all that, a big slab of haddock. All fresh and local. All amazing.
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All that fried deliciousness was bought here:

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Notice the locally-made blueberry pies and cakes on the table in front of the menu. I dare any foodnik to drive by without stopping.

Sometimes, though, you just want a hot dog. This one, from a different stand, was rather alarmingly red:
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I saw the same hot dogs for sale at the fish shop later in the trip. J. asked the woman behind the counter what made them so red. In her heavy Maine accent, speaking very slowly, she replied, "They just come in that way." The mystery remains...

4 comments:

Liz said...

Sounds like a great vacation so far. I still can't figure out the red hotdogs. It freaked my 8 yr. old niece out though. Until she tasted them with her eyes closed and realized it tasted like hotdog. They don't have them everywhere... the ones at Wasses are more "familiar".

Anonymous said...

Mmm, Jordan's hot dogs! I always loved having those at my grandparents' Independence Day cookout, and we could only ever get them up in Maine. My boyfriend doesn't believe me when I tell him about the red hot dogs...

-Rae

Marc said...

Did you get to Red's Eats in Wiscasset or Barnacle Billy's in Ogunquit? Or perhaps the Moody Diner in Waldoboro? So many good roadside places in Maine...

Pyewacket said...

Marc - I'm afraid I didn't get to check out the southern Maine roadside stands, because I brought my cats with me on vacation. No dawdling on the road! We drove up in a straight shot.

I've been to most of the places around Ogunquit, where we used to spend a lot of time when I was a kid, but I've never made it to the famous Moody's. I've always wanted to...