MOON DAY
If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember exactly where you were fifty years ago today on July 20, 1969. I had a summer job at Cornell University and was living in a rooming house near the campus. My fiancé, now the Chief Penguin, was doing Air Force training in northern Maine at Loring Air Force base. I lived in Ithaca without a car (I didn’t own one) and walked everywhere. Usually my kind father came and retrieved me and I went home to Auburn for the weekend, but not this one. (I think my folks were going out of town.)
Given how momentous an achievement the moon landing was, students and others were invited to gather in one of the Cornell lounges for the historic moon walk. With no personal computers, iPads, or iPhones, twenty strangers and I sat, eyes glued to the small TV screen. Transfixed, we held our collective breath and watched as Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon’s surface, planted the American flag, and uttered that memorable statement, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Although we might phrase it slightly differently today, it was an awesome occasion! Now we have billionaires dangling the lure of space travel for ordinary people with dreams of getting to Mars. Will travel to Mars really be in our future, who knows?
CURRENT READING
I bought Kiese Laymon’s Heavy: An American Memoir just because it looked interesting. A black man raised in poverty in Mississippi, Laymon addresses this work to his mother, the “you” referred to throughout. I am about halfway into it and not sure what my final response will be. I’ll report back when I finish it.
COASTAL DINING
From Boothbay Harbor to Southport, we get around the local dining scene with multiple visits to favorite eateries. Here are a few notes on first visits for this season.
Harborside Tavern
We refer to this restaurant as Fiona’s Place since chef Fiona did a stint cooking at the Newagen Seaside Inn several years ago. The food that summer was especially memorable. This year, instead of stopping for lunch at Sarah’s Café in Wiscasset (lots of construction going through town and torn up sidewalks), we continued on to Boothbay Harbor.
The Chief Penguin ordered the chicken quesadilla (odd choice, some might say, but it’s one of his two standard lunch orders, the other being a Reuben), and I had my first lobster roll of the season paired with cole slaw instead of the fries. Both were tasty and delicious combined with a view of the harbor from the second floor dining room. Their dinner menu looks even more appealing so I sense we will be back!
Thistle Inn
It was fitting to have our first night’s dinner here as we’ve dined at the Thistle many times over the thirty summers we’ve come to Maine. Recently, the food has only gotten better.
We sat outside on the deck under the trees in a perfect corner table. The Chief Penguin ordered the clam chowder, which he pronounced the best he’d ever had (have to agree based on my taste of it!) and the lobster tail in a brandy cream sauce, as pretty to look at as it was delectable. I had the house green salad and the crab cakes. Both were good, but not exceptional, while menu prices have increased.
Ports of Italy
This Italian restaurant remains one of our all-time go-to places and is consistently excellent. Homemade pasta, real thinly sliced veal prepared several ways, including the newest addition, scaloppini with pencil thin asparagus; and occasionally, by special request, veal saltimbocca. The Caesar salad is big enough for two and is nicely dressed with thin strips of Parmesan. Inside is cozy, but the spot to be is on their screened porch above the street. Nothing special about the view, but airy and just right for a summer night. We have been coming here so many years now that both the maître d’ and Tony, the waiter, greet us warmly.
Cozy’s Waterside
Our casual favorite, Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor on Southport, has been reincarnated as Cozy’s. The menu is mostly burgers of all types, hot dogs, the requisite clam chowder and lobster roll, other sandwiches, and a few salads. We’ve had one dinner thus far and began with the wonderful shishito peppers. The Chief Penguin thought the fish and chips entree was an excellent rendition. My grilled haddock sandwich on brioche was also quite nice. I miss some of the fish entrées on the old menu so the jury is still out as to how often we will dine here.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved). Header photo is an idle boat at Molly’s Cove.
