Metro - October Proof

96 Best Winners Restaurants 3Ties $5.95

October 2018

Plus...

HIKING WITH GHOSTS CANNING AT HOME • MAGICAL WAND MAKING

CONTENTS

OCTOBER 2018

FEATURES 41

BEST RESTAURANTS 2018

You voted — and we’ve got the results!

72

GET OUT

Plan a staycation in Freeport with fantastic food, shopping, hiking and more

IN EVERY ISSUE 08

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Local news & sightings

16

41

BEST RESTAURANTS 2018

72

GET OUT: FREEPORT

OBSESSIONS

What we can’t get enough of this month

80

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Ditching the self loathing and

ON THE COVER The votes are in!

Find the 2018 Best Restaurants on page 41.

2 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

PHOTOS: ©JENIFOTO/ADOBE STOCK; BDN FILE

feeling good

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FOOD & DRINK

HEALTH & FITNESS

20

30

14

Beets are ready to pick — and we’ve got a great recipe to use them

LOVE

An ode to George and Barbara Bush’s love story

22

IN SEASON NOW

HIKE ME

Haunted woods, spooky spectres and ghostly tales make these October hikes extra fun

CANNING CAN DO

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) AP PHOTO/KATHY WILLENS, FILE; COURTESY OF CHERYL WIXSON; AISLINN SARNACKI; AMY ALLEN; ©JOEY333/ADOBE STOCK: ©RICH KOELE/ADOBE STOCK

A local food preservation expert offers tips for home cooks

HOW TO

HOME & FAMILY

OUTSIDE

32

36 THE HISTORY & LORE BEHIND JACK O’LANTERNS

78

CRAFTING WITH KIDS

Make magic wands with your little witches and wizards this Halloween

34

CREATE IT AT HOME

A simple and cute pom-pom garland

WOODS & WATERS

The tradition of the corn maze

All about Halloween pumpkins

39

HEY, PUMPKIN!

Family-friendly October events www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

TheISSUE Food

ON A HOT EARLY September day, I got a personal tour of the pumpkin and gourd patch at the Bangor Community Garden, where my kids and I have tended a garden for the last two seasons. In the patch, long gourds hung — including one that was so tall that a hole had to be dug to give it more room for growing. Large pumpkins still on the vine continued to grow, destined for a special charity event.

The efforts of volunteers have transformed that spot of land on Essex Street into a thriving garden where local residents can cultivate their own spots for food for a nominal fee each season. It’s a beautiful thing to watch as the brown boxes become green and lush in early summer and thrive with bounties of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and more as summer progresses.

And, as a parent, it’s been an excellent hands-on education for my children.

They’ve seen how careful watering and tending can lead to robust harvests. They’ve also seen that sometimes the best attempts won’t lead to growth, like when our cucumber seeds never sprouted this season.

Now that it’s fall, our attentions are turning to putting up for winter. If you’re interested in canning too, be sure to see Abigail Curtis’ story on page 22, with some good advice for safe canning. And if you’re also interested in pumpkins, check out Crystal Sands’ story on the origin of the pumpkin as a decorative item on page 36.

That’s not all. This month’s Get Out takes us down to Freeport, which is so much more than just a shopping destination. See that on page 72.

This is also the Best Restaurants issue. Check out the results of our restaurants survey beginning on page 41. And a very big thanks to everyone who voted this year.

Hope you have a wonderful autumn and enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it.

SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR

Connect With Us Online bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro @BangorMetro bangormetro talkback@bangormetro.com 4 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000

PUBLISHER

Richard J. Warren

EDITOR

Sarah Walker Caron scaron@bangordailynews.com

ART DIRECTOR

Amy Allen

aallen@bangordailynews.com

COPY EDITOR

Kaylie Reese kreese@bangordailynews.com

SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER

Fred Stewart

fstewart@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Julia Bayly

jbayly@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Abigail Curtis acurtis@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Aislinn Sarnacki asarnacki@bangordailynews.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Duchesne, Emily Morrison,

Crystal Sands, Katie Smith

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5

6 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

Paid Advertisement for Winterberry Heights

Bangor Metro Magazine. October 2018, Vol. 14, No. 8.

Copyright Š Bangor Publishing Company.

Bangor Metro is published 10 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher.

Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine.

Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit.

Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication.

Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine both in print and online.

Editorial: Queries should be sent to Sarah Walker Caron at scaron@bangordailynews.com.

Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Director Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129.

Subscriptions/Address Change: The one year subscription cost is $15.95. Address changes: to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date. Please contact Fred Stewart at 207-990-8075.

Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129.

COVER DESIGN: Amy Allen

Find your perfect

AUDIENCE

Advertise your business in BANGOR METRO!

CALL 990-8134 for details bangormetro.com www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7

WHAT’S HAPPENING

SUNDAYS BLUEGRASS JAM SESSIONS

Head to the Grange Hall at 1266 North Main Street in Brewer on the first and third Sundays of the month from October through May for bluegrass jam sessions. Listeners are invited.

The sessions run from noon to 5pm and are $3 for members and $5 for nonmembers to attend. For more information, contact Sandra Moon at 207-827-3698.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 DOWNTOWN BANGOR FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 EMMC AUXILIARY KITCHEN TOUR

Tour six amazing kitchens in the greater Bangor area, ranging from an empty-nester's dream kitchen to an expansive modern farmhouse-style kitchen in the 14th annual EMMC Auxiliary Kitchen Tour. Just about every size, style and budget featured. Tour happens between 12-4pm. Tickets are $30 each and available at emmcauxiliary.org, the EMMC gift shop and other locations.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 LITTLE ENGINEER DAY

Join local and regional artists and artisans for an evening celebrating creativity throughout downtown Bangor at the Downtown Bangor First Friday Artwalk. The artwalk, presented by the Downtown Bangor Arts Collaborative, aims to bring the community together through art. 5-8pm. Free.

ALL ABOARD! Calling all little wooden train lovers for a day of chugga-chuggachoo-choo fun at The Briar Patch, 27 Central Street in Downtown Bangor. The free event runs from 11am to 2pm. Games, track building, storytime, coloring, cookies, prizes and more. Perfect for choo-choo lovers.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 ACT OUT: WOMEN’S ADVENTURE EXPO

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8 APPLE HARVEST DAY

Find the right bike? Want to solo hike? How about muscling the kayak onto your car?

Join Maine women of all ages at Act Out! for skills and gear to get the most out of your next trip into the wild. Keynote will be presented by Bangor Metro’s Aislinn Sarnacki. Event runs from 10am to 4pm at Husson University. Free.

8 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

Bob for apples, see apple cider being pressed, check out the apple slingshots and more at Apple Harvest Day at Montague’s Barn on Little River Road in Grand Lake Stream from 12-4pm.

At 2:30 p.m. apple historian and professor Todd Little-Siebold will lead a discussion on the history of apples in the Grand Lake Stream area and lead an identification walk to area trees.

The Grand Lake Stream Historical Society will also be holding their annual open house event during the same time. This event is free, and everyone is welcome. For more information, please contact DLLT at (207) 796-2100, or email info@downeastlakes.org.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10 THOMAS HILL STANDPIPE TOUR

Climb inside the Thomas Hill Standpipe to see the fall foliage view from the top.

It’s a great spot (and time) for photos! The standpipe will be open from 3-6pm. Free.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 WEST AFRICAN KORA HARP CONCERT

Sean Gaskell will play a 21-stringed West African kora harp in a special concert at Freeport Community Library on Library Drive from 6:30 to 7:30pm. The instrument is native to the mande people who live in The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The music is traditionally played by oral and musical historians known as griots (gree-ohs).

Gaskell has studied under Malamini Jobarteh and Moriba Kuyateh of Brikama and Kane Mathis of Brooklyn, N.Y. Free and open to public. For information, call library at 865-3307 or visit freeportlibrary.com.

PHOTO: BDN FILE

OCTOBER

OCT. 10 Thomas Hill Standpipe Tour

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9

WHAT’S HAPPENING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 SEE “JULIE”

The National Theatre Live Broadcast of "Julie" will be shown at 7 p.m. at Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. Julie initiates a power game with Jean that rapidly descends into a savage fight for survival.

This new version of August Strindberg’s play "Miss Julie," written by Polly Stenham, remains shocking and fiercely relevant in its new setting of contemporary London.

Adult $15; senior $10; student $8. All fees included. Subscribers receive 50 percent off all fees, deduct $1 from ticket price.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 CALDER QUARTET

The Calder Quartet will perform at 3 p.m. at Collins Center for the Arts in Orono, as part of the John I. and Elizabeth E. Patches Chamber Music Series. Patrons and artists are invited to a post-concert reception where they can meet up with other chamber music lovers for treats and conversation. Adults $36; K-12 students free, when accompanied by at least one paying adult. All fees included.

Subscribers receive 50 percent off of all fees, deduct $2 from ticket price.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 SEE “ROCK OF AGES”

The "Rock of Ages" 10th Anniversary Tour will come to Orono at 7 p.m. at Collins Center for the Arts, featuring the music of hit bands such as Styx, Poison, Twisted Sister, and Whitesnake among many others.

Orchestra $71/$63; balcony $49/$35. All fees included. Subscribers receive 50 percent off all fees, deduct $3 from ticket price.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT

SOPRANO EVA-MARIA WESTBROEK

Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings Puccini’s gun-slinging heroine in this

STILL STUMPED? 



10 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30

The Portland Cello Project performance, including songs from Radiohead’s “OK Computer” album, 7 p.m. at Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. Orchestra seating $30/$25; K-12 student $15. All fees included. Subscribers receive 50 percent off all fees; deduct $2.50 from ticket price. www.collinscenterforthearts.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27





romantic epic of the Wild West, with tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the role of the outlaw she loves in "La Fanciulla del West" 1 p.m. at Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. Tenor Yusif Eyvazov sings some performances. Baritone Zeljko Lucic is the vigilante sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts. Adult $25; seniors $20; students $10. All fees included. Subscribers receive 50 percent off all fees, deduct $1 from ticket price.

SEE “THE NATURE OF FORGETTING”

Through physicality and live music, "The Nature of Forgetting" tells the story of a middle-aged father struggling in the early stages of dementia. The show is a moving articulation of the countless dimensions of memory and amnesia, linking science with real life experiences, 7 p.m. at Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. Orchestra seating only $30/$25; K-12 $15. All fees included. Subscribers receive 50 percent off all fees, deduct $2.50 from ticket price.

Here are the answers to last month’s Pop Quiz.

 Visit our Bangor Metro Facebook page to play online!

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11

WHAT’S HAPPENING

1

HERE’S A LOOK AT JUST A FEW SPECIAL EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH...

2

1: The American Folk Festival drews thousands to the Bangor Waterfront in late August. The festival is a large-scale, three-day event offering up music and dance from the many cultures that make up America today.

2: The dance tent was a popular spot Saturday afternoon at the American Folk Festival.

3: The Locke family volunteers at American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront.

SHARE YOUR EVENT PHOTOS! 12 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

Email your photos and captions to

talkback@bangormetro.com

PHOTOS: JEFF KIRLIN / THE THING OF THE MOMENT

3

4

FOODIES UNITE!

4: Sarah’s House, which provides temporary lodging in a comfortable “home away from home” environment to cancer patients (and their caregivers) while they’re receiving treatment, recently held a Chef Gala and Auction fundraiser.

It’s our annual food issue! Test your nom-nom-nom know-how!

Play online at bangormetro.com for your chance to win a FREE one-year subscription!

5: Jen Lowe and Jen Rancourt at Sarah’s House Chef Gala and Auction.

6: Hundreds attended the 4th Annual Bucksport Arts Festival that took place in September on the Bucksport waterfront. The event was held in partnership with Main Street Bucksport, whose mission is to promote a vibrant downtown Bucksport.

5

6

FIND ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S POP QUIZ ON PAGE 10!

Visit our Bangor Metro Facebook page to play online!

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13

ARTS & CULTURE

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

In this Nov. 14, 1988 file photo, President-elect George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, are shown during a morning beachfront news conference in Gulf Stream, Florida.

14 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

LOVE BOOK IS AN ODE TO GEORGE AND BARBARA BUSH’S LOVE STORY

PHOTO: AP PHOTO/KATHY WILLENS, FILE

BY SARAH WALKER CARON

HE BECAME THE 41ST PRESIDENT. She championed literacy as a first lady, and believed that reading aloud to children was critical to their development of reading skills.

And together they have a love story that spans more than seven decades and includes six children, 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Their story has been immortalized in “George & Barbara Bush: A Great American Love Story,” by Ellie LeBlond Sosa and Kelly Anne Chase, released earlier this year by Down East Books. Encompassing the Bushes’ World War II separation, the loss of one of their children to leukemia, their oil field ownership, politics and life after the White House, this book is an intimate portrait of the private life and love of a very public couple.

President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush’s moving story was compiled by their granddaughter, Sosa, and a co-author, Chase, using thousands of letters and diary entries as well as photographs, interviews and more. Though Sosa had heard stories of

her grandparents’ life together through the years — it’s part of the family lore, after all — there were still bits that were unexpected.

“My grandmother saved everything over the years. That includes the letters and diary entries,” Sosa said.

And by “everything” she’s not kidding — Sosa and Chase even discovered the wishbone from the couple’s first Thanksgiving. The decades old bone was found in an envelope while researching at the George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum.

“We told [Barbara Bush] about that too, and she thought it was absolutely hilarious,” Chase said.

The library was a boon for information and personal history from materials that hadn’t been public before. They had access to things usually reserved from the public’s access.

Sosa wasn’t surprised by what she learned while reading through the documents though. “I was a witness to their love story. ... My grandfather stayed by her side every day until she passed away.”

For Chase, the openness of the Bushes was a surprise, as was “how affectionate they were later in life, too.”

“They were so open to talking about their marriage. She was happy to share so many stories from us,” Chase said.

And that love story is the undercurrent of their life together.

“The story of how they were courting each other in the beginning, we just absolutely loved. There is just so much romance in the beginning of any relationship, but for them it was special.

President Bush was writing to his mother [that] she was the one,” Chase said.

Meanwhile, Barbara Bush was “head over heels in love” with him as well, Sosa said.

The book isn’t just for the public, though. It’s also a family keepsake that preserves the history in one place.

“When you read from Ellie’s grandfather’s letters, he was basically a poet. [He had] so many ways of telling her grandmother he loved her,” Chase said.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15

ARTS & CULTURE

OBSESSIONS

OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.

SHOP THE BRIAR PATCH 27 CENTRAL STREET • 207-941-0255

WALK PENOBSCOT RIVER WALKWAY

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Big or small, a really great independent bookstore needs to have two things. It needs books. Lots and lots of books of all sorts of genres. And those books should line the shelves in a setting that’s as comfortable, relaxed and inviting as your best friend’s living room.

That’s exactly what I found when my tiny dog Chiclet and I walked into The Briar Patch in downtown Bangor for the first time.

There were books everywhere — on freestanding shelves that create the store’s aisles and lining every wall, nook and cranny. Mystery books, historical fiction books, romance books, how-to books, cookbooks and so many more.

Catering mostly to young readers, The Briar Patch carries an extensive collection of children’s and young-adult books by popular and up-and-coming authors.

I was most excited to see, front and center, directly across from the checkout counter, a shelf chock full of books for adult readers by Maine authors — several of which were new to me. And really, what’s better than discovering a new author?

—JULIA BAYLY

WHY DO WE LOVE IT? There comes a time when what you really need to get through a day is a nice, quiet stroll. That can be hard to do when work, school or any of the myriad daily adult responsibilities are clamoring for your attention.

Luckily, there’s a perfect and easily accessible option right in Bangor.

The Penobscot River Walkway is an easy third of a mile paved walking path tucked between the river and Bangor Waterfront Park.

With views up and down the river, it’s a path that discourages haste and encourages meandering.

And, given it’s short length, you don’t need to carve out a huge part of your day to take it in. All you need is your lunch hour or mid-day break to stroll, power walk, bike or rollerblade from one end to the other and back again.

An added bonus, food trucks are parked nearby during the summer months and there are plenty of benches along the walkway to enjoy a snack or meal alfresco.

—JULIA BAYLY

16 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

READ So many books cross my desk at Bangor Metro, and I purchase even more. Every month, I select a few that catch my attention.

PHOTOS: (TOP) ALESSANDRO MATTIACCI /ADOBESTOCK; (WATERFRONT) BDN FILE; (BOOKS) ©2015 TIINA VÕSUMÄGI /ADOBESTOCK

“THE WIDOW’S BROOM,” BY CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG, 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION — The new edition of this two-time Caldecott Medal winning book is beautiful. Van Allsburg was a favorite of mine as a child, though I’d never read this book until recently. And I adored the story of Minna Shaw, the widow, and how a magical broom comes to live with her, springing to life to sweep, feed the chickens and more.

When neighbors give her — and the broom — trouble, though, the clever widow cooks up a plan to scare them away.

“ANDRE DUBUS,” VOLUMES 1, 2 AND 3 — Andre Dubus was a prolific short story writer and essayist. Now, much of his work has been collected into three volumes. The first, “We Don’t Live Here Anymore,” features an introduction by Ann Beattie and tales of ordinary men and women in extraordinary moments from “Separate Flights” and “Adultery & Other Choices.” The second volume, “The Winter Father,” gathers together his works from “Finding a Girl in America” and “The Times are Never So Bad,” It has an introduction

by Richard Russo. And the third volume, “The Cross Country Runner,” which comes out on Oct. 18, has an introduction by Tobias Wolff and includes gathers works from “The Worthless Evening,” and “Voices from the Moon,” as well as nine previously uncollected stories. These three books are wonderful for curling up with as the season changes and through the winter. Dubus’ work has been compared to literary greats including Flannery O’Connor and Anton Chekhov.

“BELONG” BY RADHA AGRAWAL — Some people call it finding your tribe. Others just refer to others as their people. However you say it, belonging is important to a happy, fulfilled life. This new book explores finding community, increasing your self-awareness and finding the people who comprise your own community. It’s about embracing your feelings and living with intention. With fill-ins and a thoughtful process, I really liked the flow of this book.

“NOW & AGAIN,” BY JULIA TURSHEN — If you saw my cookbook collection, you would wonder why I am always looking at new cookbooks. But I find cookbooks to be a beautiful, inspiring genre that is as lovely to read as it is to cook from. In this new cookbook from Julia Turshen, author of “Feed the Resistance” and other cookbooks is filled with inspiring menus, creative recipes and wonderful ideas for transforming leftovers into something extraordinary. The autumn recipes for Garlic + Anchovy Butter Toasts and Italian Flag Baked Pasta called to me immediately, making me excited for chilly days ahead and the good food we’ll eat on them.

—SARAH WALKER CARON www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17

FOOD & DRINK

OBSESSIONS

OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.

SWEET TREAT

THE EVERYTHING COOKIE AT THE STORE AMPERSAND 22 MILL STREET, ORONO WHY DO WE LOVE IT? I’ll admit it, cookies are my kryptonite. I mean, sure, I like all sweet treats, but I can usually count on my willpower to help me avoid overindulging on too many goodies.

That is, until someone puts a plate of cookies in front of me.

And while I give no particular allegiance to one flavor over another, a recent discovery of The Everything Cookie baked and served at The Store Ampersand in Orono has won my heart, taste buds and obsession.

Even among the array of cookies in The Store Ampersand baked goods display case, the Everything Cookie stands out as well, as everything a great cookie should be. About 4 or 5 inches in diameter, the cookie is soft but not to the point of gooey inside with the outside firm but not dry.

As for what’s contained in this delight? It’s got oats, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and hints of brown sugar, cinnamon and other spices all in perfect balance and with that just-out-of-the-oven taste. So, while I do enjoy a chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, molasses or peanut butter cookie, thanks to The Store Ampersand, I don’t have to choose among them. With The Everything Cookie, I can have it all.

—JULIA BAYLY

OATLY WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Over the past year, I’ve traded milk or cream in my coffee for alternatives. There’s a coconut milk-based creamer I use at home that I adore.

But when out, I’ve struggled to find an alternative that I really liked. But then I tried Oatly, an oat milk that has been growing in popularity over the past several months. West Market Square Coffee House introduced me to this oat-based milk-like liquid, and I adore it. It’s creamy without a strong flavor and perfect in a latte.

Check out Oatly.com to see the handy finder to see who’s selling it near you.

—SARAH WALKER CARON

18 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

PHOTO: (COFFEE) EUGENE SERGEEV/ADOBE STOCK; (TOP) ©PHILS PHOTOGRAPHY/ADOBE STOCK

DRINK

in season now

FOOD & DRINK

BEETS

STORY & PHOTOS BY SARAH WALKER CARON

WHEN MY KIDS AND I were deciding what to plant last spring, a package of beet seeds ended up coming home with us. As I write this, we’re deep in the throws of beet season and enjoying the sweet, brilliantly red beets.

Beets are root vegetables with both an edible root and edible greens.

I love sauteing the greens with garlic as a topping for toast or as a side dish. They are also tasty chopped and cooked into fried rice, risotto and more. Raw beet greens (and beets too) make lovely salads.

Often we roast cubed beets and eat them warm with just salt and pepper. Leftovers are tossed in salads cold or eaten straight from the storage container.

But we’re also partial to using beets to create hearty salads like this one. Filled also with sweet potato, carrots, onions and seasoned with balsamic vinegar, it’s delightful.

If you aren’t eating beets, maybe it’s time to give them another try?

Plus, beets are good for you. According to the USDA, beets have about 119 calories per cup (raw). Women’s Health Magazine says they are a good source of folate, manganese, potassium and vitamin C.

BALSAMIC ROASTED BEET QUINOA SALAD Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS 2 large beets, small diced (about 3 cups) 1 small sweet potato, small diced (about ½ cup) 3-5 carrots, small diced (about 1 cup) 2-3 small onions, small diced (about 1 cup 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar ½ cup dried quinoa, thoroughly rinsed 1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add the beets, sweet potato, carrots and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stir well. Roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring a few times, until tender.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the roasted vegetables and quinoa.

Taste, and season as desired with salt and pepper.

Serve hot or cold, with an additional drizzle of balsamic vinegar, if desired.

20 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

SARAH WALKER CARON is the editor of Bangor Metro magazine. Her newest cookbook, “The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook,” was released in September by Rockridge Press.

She’s also author of the popular food blog, Sarah’s Cucina Bella (www.sarahscucinabella.com).

FOOD & DRINK

CANNING

CAN PHOTO: TKTK

DO 22 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

STONINGTON FOOD PRESERVATION EXPERT HAS TIPS FOR HOME COOKS

BY ABIGAIL CURTIS

CHERYL WIXSON OF STONINGTON is a chef, a homesteader, an entrepreneur and a longtime cheerleader for Maine farms and Maine food.

And, as is the case with lots of folks who grow, forage for and preserve their own food, she marks the passing of days, weeks and months almost more by what’s in season than by the calendar. On an early August day (better known as “cucumber season” at her house), she and her husband, Flip McFarland, are elbow deep in pickle making. But Wixson took a few minutes away from dill brine to cast her mind ahead several weeks to early fall, when plump, juicy tomatoes will rule her kitchen at their Rabbit Hill Farm in Stonington. That’s when she and McFarland will transform themselves into a small-scale assembly line for tomato sauces, ketchups and other preserved foods they will eat over the course of the year.

“These are all skills we really all should be learning how to do. And, not only that, it’s a pleasurable

thing. It’s fun. It’s joy,” Wixson, a former restaurateur and consultant for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, said of canning and preserving.

“When we came down here to homestead, I started growing all this food, and I started preserving all this food. We haven’t eaten off what we call the industrial food system for 10 years now. We eat our own food.

That’s what we do. We farm, we fish, we forage. It’s a wonderful thing to do.”

For years now, she and McFarland have been canning her recipes on a commercial scale and marketing them under the brand name Cheryl Wixson’s Kitchen.

Recently, they have been downsizing the business, but they still make many jars every year, which they sell through the company’s website and at Burnt Cove Market in Stonington.

“I basically just make product, and what we don’t eat, we sell,” she said. “Every little jar is made with love.”

TIPS FOR CANNING TOMATOES & RECIPE FOR CLASSIC MARINARA PASTA AND PIZZA SAUCE

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23

FOOD & DRINK

CLASSIC MARINARA PASTA AND PIZZA SAUCE Yields 6 pints • 6½ pounds tomato puree, purchased or made from about 8 to 10 pounds fresh tomatoes.

Good puree varieties include Amish paste, Goldman’s ItalianAmerican, Rutgers, San Marzano, Brandywine or Plum Regal.

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh garlic • 2 tablespoons olive oil • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 teaspoon Maine sea salt

1. HOW MANY TOMATOES CAN YOU EAT? Perhaps the first thing she encourages home cooks to do is to figure out how much of any particular thing they would like to have on hand, then figure out quantities from there. For every 1-pound jar of tomato sauce she makes, she figures it will take 2¼ pounds of tomatoes. “Then you work backward. How many jars of tomato sauce does your family eat every year?” she asked. Once you’ve established some basic amounts desired, it’s time to start simmering tomatoes.

2. GET RID OF THE SKINS AND SEEDS. Wixson is a proponent of removing the skins and seeds from tomatoes, and she has found that the easiest way to do that is by using a hand-operated food mill. She used to cook the tomatoes slightly and then run them through the mill to remove the skins and seeds. Her brand of choice was a Foley food mill, which once was a staple piece of equipment in many early 20th century Maine kitchens. Now, she has found that an even easier strategy is to harvest tomatoes when they are “perfect” and throw them in the freezer. When she is ready to make tomato sauce, she defrosts them and then runs them through the food mill without 24 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

needing to cook them first. “A food mill is a pretty worthwhile investment,” Wixson said.

“Once you have a means of taking the skin and seeds off stuff, it opens up your food processing world tremendously. It’s a lot easier than that laborious process of peeling.”

3. DON’T NEGLECT CANNING SAFETY. Once the skin and seeds have been removed from her tomatoes, she simmers what’s left into a basic tomato puree. Then she turns that into one of her favorite four types of tomato sauces: classic marinara, garlic-based tomato sauce with oregano or marjoram, a Genovese basil tomato sauce or a puttanesca sauce, which is very spicy and made with capers, onions and garlic. But no matter what she’s making, she always adds bottled lemon juice to her clean, boiled glass jars before filling them and processing them in a water bath canner. That’s an important step because the added lemon ensures the tomatoes are sufficiently acidified to safely preserve in jars. It shouldn’t be skipped, Wixson said.

Then presto! You have jars of delicious, homemade tomato sauces to open and enjoy on pasta, pizza or other recipes throughout the year.

1. Make tomato puree by removing the skins and seeds from fresh tomatoes, either by cooking them slightly or freezing them, defrosting, and then running them through a food mill. Cook the remaining tomato mixture slowly over low heat in a large, non-reactive pot until thick.

2. Saute the chopped garlic in the olive oil.

3. Add garlic to the tomato puree and bring the mixture to a simmer.

4. Stir in salt, pepper, oregano and chopped fresh parsley. Simmer until fragrant. Taste and correct seasonings.

5. Pour the sauce into sterile pint jars, adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice per jar, leaving half-inch headspace.

6. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and process for 35 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Wixson

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CHERYL WIXSON

CHERYL WIXSON’S TIPS FOR CANNING TOMATOES

• 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice for each pint jar

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HIKE ME

HIKING

with

GHOSTS TRAILS WITH SPOOKY STORIES

BURNT ORANGE and crimson, leaves fall, covering the forest floor in a vibrant carpet. He watches the colorful show from his seat on the bench, and he tries to imagine the property as it was nearly 200 years ago, back when the Black family estate had just been built.

The trails, carving three great loops through the woods, were once used as exercise tracks for the family’s horses.

If he listens closely, he can almost hear the thud of hooves and the rattle of carriage wheels turning.

As his imagination runs wild, ghostly images fill the forest, phantoms of days long gone. Is that an ethereal figure there, beyond rock wall? Or is it just a shadow cast by a gnarled tree? Is that an eerie whisper? Or just the bushes rustling in the wind? Curious, he stands and continues on the trail, walking deeper into the forest and further into the past.

26 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

PHOTOS: ©ANDREIUC88/ADOBE STOCK

STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

WOODLAWN IN ELLSWORTH EASY THE HISTORIC BLACK HOUSE in Ellsworth was constructed in the 1820s for Colonel John Black, who built his fortune in lumber, and it served as the home of the Black family for three generations. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, the house is now open to the public as Woodlawn Museum, and the 180-acre estate is home to a network of about 2.5 miles of intersecting trails.

Visiting the property is like stepping back in time, which may explain why many visitors claim to see inexplicable shadows of the past wandering the grounds and rooms of the grand house. Most commonly, visitors have described feeling a friendly male presence in the house, one that doesn’t seem disturbed at having company, according to the book “Ghosts of Maine” by T. M. Gray. But this spirit is not so kind to the staff. If they’re not out of the house by 6 p.m., the ghost has been known to knock chairs over and slam doors. Some people have also seen candlelight through the windows when the house is empty for the night.

For more information, visit www.woodlawnmuseum.org or call 207-667-8671.

DIRECTIONS: Woodlawn is located at 19 Black House Drive in Ellsworth. To get there, start at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 172-Surry Road in Ellsworth. Drive approximately 0.25 mile on Route 172, then turn right onto Black House Drive, which is marked with a big white sign that reads “Woodlawn Museum, Garden & Park.” Follow signs to the large parking area at the end of the drive. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27

HEALTH & FITNESS

HIKE ME

SWAN ISLAND NEAR RICHMOND MODERATE LOCATED IN THE KENNEBEC River, between the towns of Richmond and Dresden, Swan Island was once home to a small community. Today, the 2,019-acre island is a state-owned wildlife management area with a campground and 7 miles of hiking trails.

Many of the houses on the island, uninhabited since the 1940s, still stand, as does a large, old graveyard. And artifacts unearthed on the property confirm that North American indians lived on the island hundreds of years ago, before colonists moved in. So it’s no surprise this beautiful place with its abandoned town has inspired a few ghost stories. Open from May through October, it’s a great spot for a spooky walk or even an overnight ghost-hunting experience.

28 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

For more information, visit maine.gov/swanisland or call 207-547-5322.

DIRECTIONS: Getting to Swan Island requires a 5-minute ferry ride across the Kennebec River from Richmond. The ferry is only available if you reserve it ahead of time from May through October and it does not accept vehicles (it’s too small). People also paddle to the island in canoe or kayak. To get to the ferry dock from the intersection of Route 197 and Route 24 in Richmond, turn left and the Swan Island Ferry Parking Lot will immediately be on your right.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 29

HEALTH & FITNESS

HIKE ME

OCEAN PATH IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK EASY VISITING SOME OF ACADIA National Park’s most iconic landmarks, Ocean Path is tied to ghost stories that span centuries, according to the book “Haunted Islands in the Gulf of Maine”

by Marcus LiBrizzi.

The path offers stunning views of the ocean, where ghost ships are seen on foggy nights and unearthly voices are heard echoing in caves along the shoreline. And on Otter Cliff, one of the many highlights of the trail, visitors have reported ghostly encounters. Most commonly people report the feeling of someone sneaking up from behind them to push them over the edge of the cliff, which rears more than 100 feet above the ocean. Others have reported unaccountable darkness at the location.

“There are reasons to think that coldblooded murder is the origin of the uneasy feeling experienced on Otter Cliff,” LiBrizzi wrote.

In 1987, a young woman fell from the cliff to

her death. She was on her honeymoon, and her husband confessed to pushing her from the cliff while in an argument. He went to prison, where he died in 2001 from a fall from a third-story window.

For information, visit https://www.nps.gov/ acad or call 207-288-3338.

DIRECTIONS: Enter Acadia National Park at the Sieur de Monts Entrance, which is south of downtown Bar Harbor off Route 3. Drive south on Park Loop Road about 3 miles (passing through a fee collection station) and follow the signs to the large Sand Beach parking lot. The Ocean Path starts at the south end of the parking lot. Another option is to continue south on Park Loop Road and parking at nearby trailhead parking areas, such as Gorham Mountain Trailhead. Ocean Path runs close to the Park Loop Road, along the edge of the shore.

AISLINN SARNACKI is a staff writer for Bangor Metro and the Outdoors and Homestead sections of the Bangor Daily News. An expert on the Maine outdoors, she is author of the just-released guidebook, “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path,” and also “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.”

Follow her adventures on her blog, actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.

30 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

HOW-TO

CRAFTING WITH KIDS

MAGIC

WANDS THE PERFECT ADDITION TO THE ULTIMATE WITCH OR WIZARD COSTUME THIS HALLOWEEN

STORY & PHOTOS BY AMY ALLEN

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Dowels — we found packages of various sizes in the craft aisle of several stores • Hot glue guns and LOTS of hot glue sticks • Marbles, gemstones, glitter, feathers and any other fun and magical decoration

HALLOWEEN IS A MAGICAL holiday — and if you have any plans to go as a wizard, witch, warlock or other magical creature, • Twine for wrapping around the you'll need a wand. Not just any wand. A hand-crafted wand made to handle if you prefer your exact size and specifications. And if Ollivander isn't available, here are some tips on how to make your very own at home.

• Acrylic paint Wand-making is an art — and one that is fun for all ages. We gathered some magical friends and made an afternoon of it. All it really takes is a dowel (a single chopstick or a small stick would work just fine too), a whole lot of hot glue and some paint. We added marbles and a little glitter for extra sparkle. There's no wrong way to put your wand together — some kids dripped hot glue to make a pattern, some wound a string of glue along the length of the wand, others used a second dowel or a skewer to shape the glue hot for a tree bark effect. Covered in paint (and a little glitter), they all look magical!

32 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

DIRECTIONS & TIPS 1. Choose a dowel and decide how to create your handle. Building a base of hot glue for a handle works well, or try wrapping the handle with twine and secure with hot glue. A marble (or three) or a gemstone at the base of your wand adds extra dimension and sparkle if you choose to leave them unpainted.

2. Try different hot glue techniques (drips, dots, winding string of glue, or use a skewer or second dowel to create a pattern in the glue or tree bark effect) to decorate the length of your wand.

3. Decide what kind of magical tip (sparkles, marble, etc.) to add to your wand or leave it plain.

4. Paint with acrylics to make the color permanent. Spray paint also works. If you decide to cover the wand in glitter, a clear coat of shellac will help seal the glitter. An egg carton makes a great drying rack for your wands when you're done decorating.

with KIDS

HOW-TO

CREATE IT AT HOME

POM-POM

GARLAND NO POM-POM MAKER NEEDED

STORY & PHOTOS BY KATIE SMITH

I LOVE OVERSIZED POM-POMS and recently saw a long garland draped over a staircase in one of my favorite magazines.

When I spotted a giant ball of yarn in my local craft store, I decided to take it home and try to make some large pom-poms myself. The project was incredibly easy and only required a pair of scissors and ball of yarn. I love my garland, which I've had on my staircase and my fireplace mantle. My daughter also made one and draped it over her headboard. If you love pom-pom garlands like I do, then this is the craft for you.

34 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Balls of yarn in various sizes — the bigger the ball, the bigger the pom-pom. I like Bernat Baby Blanket yarn, which is available in most craft stores.

• Scissors Yes, that’s really it.

DIRECTIONS & TIPS MAKING THE POM-POMS

PUT TOGETHER A GARLAND

1. First, take your ball of yarn and cut off about a 24inch piece — the bigger the pom-pom, the longer the piece of yarn you'll need. It's better to go too long than too short.

Next, simply take a piece of yarn, a branch, rope or whatever you'd like your pom-poms to hang from and tie the long piece you used to tie around the middle of your ball of yarn to secure it.

2. Tie your long piece of yarn in the center of the ball of yarn. Get this as tight as you can, tie two knots.

These garlands are fun, easy and a good craft project to do with your kids. And, they look great on a fireplace, stairway or hanging over a headboard all year-round.

3. Wrap yarn around to back and tie again.

4. Cut all the loops; your ball will look like a bit messy.

Don't worry, there's still lots of cutting to do.

5. Keep trimming down yarn until all strands are the same length and you are left with a nice, tight pom-pom.

at

HOME

HOME & FAMILY

THE HISTORY & LORE BEHIND

PHOTO: ©JOEY333/ADOBE STOCK

J A C K O'LANTERNS

36 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN

BY CRYSTAL SANDS EVERY YEAR, DURING THE MONTH of October, we turn our attention to all things pumpkin — pumpkin-spice coffee, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread and, of course, Jack O’Lanterns. But how many of us ever stop to think about how pumpkins came to be associated with all things October and Halloween?

The pumpkin actually has a fascinating history, one connected to the traditional harvest and folklore.

It makes sense that pumpkins would be associated with fall, as it’s a fall harvest food.

Originally from Central America, pumpkins date back over 7,500 years. The first pumpkins didn’t look a lot like the pumpkins of today. Those were small, harder and not nearly as sweet.

But pumpkins had nutritious flesh, stored well and could last all winter, so people began to cultivate them. Native American tribes relied on pumpkins for food and introduced them to early Colonial settlers. According to PBS Food, the first pumpkin recipes began to appear in New England in the 17th century. By the 1800s, sweet pumpkin dishes were a standard part of holiday meals in New England.

Pumpkins as Jack O’Lanterns have an equally interesting history. People have been carving pumpkins for centuries, but most of us don’t know where the tradition comes from. According to the History.com, the tradition begins with an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack.

Apparently, Jack convinced the Devil to have a drink with him one night, but because Jack was stingy he didn’t want to pay for the drink. So he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin, but when the Devil did this, Jack put a silver cross next to the coin, which kept the Devil from being able to turn back into himself.

Finally, Jack set him free but tricked the Devil again the next year and made the Devil promise

he would never claim Jack’s soul. When Jack died, the story goes that God would not allow such a character into Heaven, but since the Devil couldn’t claim Jack either, he was doomed to wander the earth. The Devil sent Jack into the darkness to wander with only a burning piece of coal for light, which Jack placed into a turnip he had carved. So Jack carried the carved turnip to light his way for eternity.

According to Morgiana Haley, adjunct professor at Husson University, the Jack O’Lantern tradition we practice today does begin in Ireland.

Haley has postgraduate degrees in ethnography and folklore and has studied folklore at Memorial University in Newfoundland and at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire England.

“Jack O’Lanterns started as portable lights to be carried on house visits after dark, just like we today use flashlights. They were originally carved from turnips, which held a lighted candle stub fairly easily and protected it from being extinguished by drafts,” Haley said. “House visits at various times of year are common in the traditions of the British Isles. Most were undertaken by adults, usually men, in some sort of disguise, and the purpose was to extort favors from the household visits.

These ranged from food and alcoholic beverages to money.”

In Europe, the tradition continued to develop to the point where people also carved turnips and potatoes with scary faces and put them in their windows to scare away Stingy Jack. When the tradition came to America, because pumpkins were readily available here and perfect for carving, the pumpkin Jack O’Lantern was born.

So this October, as you enjoy that pumpkin spice latte, know that the pumpkin has a long and interesting history and has been important to human cultures for centuries.

HOME & FAMILY

HEY, PUMPKIN!

AROOSTOOK COUNTY

EVENTS TO GET YOUR PUMPKIN ON WITH YOUR FAMILY THIS FALL

BY BANGOR METRO STAFF

REALTORS DAMARISCOTTA PUMPKINFEST & REGATTA Volunteer growers spend all summer tending to pumpkins that grow to impressive sizes.

Although the weigh-in and some other events begin in September, it’s from October 4-8 that Damariscotta comes alive with intricate carved pumpkins, pumpkin boat building, a pumpkin parade, the Giant Pumpkin Sling Shot and more.

It’s truly a pumpkin sight to behold. For more information: www.mainepumpkinfest.com

CAMP SUNSHINE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere! On October 20, Downtown Freeport and the L.L. Bean campus is transformed with pumpkins everywhere.

From 12-5 p.m. that day, there’s pumpkin carving, a pumpkin playland, a costume parade and more. Then at 5 p.m., nearly 10,000 jack-o-lanterns are lit around Freeport. For more information: www.campsunshine.org/subdomains/ pumpkinfest/freeport.html.

TREWORGY FAMILY ORCHARD A tradition for many families, Treworgy Family Orchard features a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, hay rides, goats for petting and sometimes music. This year’s corn maze is dubbed Corn Ships Ahoy and features an ornate ship spread across 4 acres and comprised about about 60,000 corn plants. Admission to the maze is $9 for adults, $8 for kids ages 3-12 and free for kids 2 and younger. Discounts are available for large families and groups. For more information: treworgyorchards.com

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39

40 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

96 Winners 5 Regions

3Ties

Best Restaurants

10Close

Calls

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 41

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

CLOSE

CALL BEST BAKERY FRANK’S BAKE SHOP 165 VOTES BAGEL CENTRAL 162 VOTES 42 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

11 CENTRAL

BEST DAT E NIGHT

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

BY SARAH COTTRELL

DOWNTOWN BANGOR has been going through a renaissance in the past few years, as more diverse eateries and artists have slowly taken up space in the small historic metropolitan area. One restaurant aims to blend food with art to create a truly unique and inspired dining experience to show Bangor exactly how talented its most creative residents are.

“From the beginning we have had the good fortune to work with the extraordinary local artists, many whom have studios in and around downtown Bangor,” Ann Marie Orr, owner of 11 Central, tells Bangor Metro. “A restaurant setting really gives these talented group of people some great exposure -- plus we have gorgeous art to view and inspire us, as well as sell these pieces for an affordable price. It is a win-win-win for all.”

With beautiful locally created artwork dotting the walls of 11 Central, giant showcase windows with natural light, exposed brick walls and wooden floors, the space itself feels relaxing to be present in. And when you add the inspiring artwork and the crave-worthy food, the experience becomes one where memories are made.

“The community inspired us to open this restaurant,” Orr said. “The town was beginning a revitalization, and live music was really starting to be a regular happening on our waterfront.

Once you have live music on a regular basis, you have a thriving heartbeat in a town.”

Orr said she started with a small menu. Over time she has added new items, but her customers have requested she keep the older dishes on the menu. With a variety of choices on the menu, there truly is something for everyone.

11 CENTRAL 11 CENTRAL ST., BANGOR 207-922-5115 11CENTRALBANGOR.COM

CRA BCA KES AT 11 CEN TRA L www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 43

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

CLOSE

CALL BEST COCKTAIL TIMBER — 46 VOTES SEA DOG — 45 VOTES 11 CENTRAL — 41 VOTES

BANGOR

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

BEST BAKERY

BEST BAR

FRANK’S BAKE SHOP 199 STATE ST., BANGOR

GEAGHAN’S PUB & CRAFT BREWERY

FRANKSBAKERY.COM

570 MAIN ST., BANGOR

11 CENTRAL ST., BANGOR

GEAGHANS.COM

11CENTRALBANGOR.COM

CONTINUES ON PAGE 46...

44 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT 11 CENTRAL

TRI-CITY

PIZZA 422 CENTER ST., BANGOR 207-942-2933 WWW.TRICITYPIZZA BANGOR.COM

TRI-CITY BEST

PIZZA

PIZZA

BY SARAH COTTRELL

EVERYONE, IT SEEMS, has a specific idea about what makes a great pizza.

It’s in the crust and the ingredients that top it. And it all needs to be fresh. That’s exactly what Tri-City Pizza has been offering Bangor for more than 50 years.

The corner take-out only pizza shop located on Center Street has been in business since 1964 when George Chapman opened its doors. A year later, he sold it to the Winkler family who have faithfully led it ever since.

If you’ve never had a Tri-City Pizza before, it’s a little different than other pizzas — and regulars have loved that about it for more than 50 years.

Co-owner Paul Winkler tells Bangor Metro that customers love two things about his shop: “The pepperonis, because they are so small, and the paper-plate boxes. People love those.”

The pizzas, which come in two sizes — small and large, naturally — feature homemade dough and sauce. They also make subs.

Small pizzas come in de facto paper-plate boxes, which also serve a function.

When you open them up, you have two plates, making eating much easier. But at least once, the paper plate has caused some mayhem.

“One time we got a call from a regular customer who picked up a small pizza,” Winkler said. “When he opened it up he said there was nothing but crust, no pizza! So, I said, ‘Flip the box over.’”

Luckily, that customer has a great sense of humor, and everyone had a fun laugh.

ORIENTAL JADE WINNER OF BEST

CHINESE

SINCE 1979, Oriental Jade has been a staple in the Bangor area, serving up crab rangoons, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and more to Chinese food lovers. In recent years, the menu has been expanded to include modern Asian cuisine and sushi, including bao bao buns and a lovely sushi burrito. Located at 320 Bangor Mall Blvd., this remains a great stop for lunch while shopping in the area -- and also a great option for dinner too. But although it was awarded Best Chinese, we encourage you to enjoy the whole breadth of the Oriental Jade menu.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING

BEST BREAKFAST

SEA DOG BREWING COMPANY

BAGEL CENTRAL

TIMBER

33 CENTRAL ST., BANGOR

22 BASS PARK BLVD, BANGOR

BAGELCENTRALBANGOR.COM

TIMBERKITCHENANDBAR.COM

BEST BURGER

BEST COFFEE SHOP

FIVE GUYS BURGER & FRIES

33 CENTRAL ST., BANGOR

878 STILLWATER AVE., BANGOR

BAGELCENTRALBANGOR.COM

26 FRONT ST., BANGOR SEADOGBREWING.COM

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS GEAGHAN’S PUB & CRAFT BREWERY 570 MAIN ST., BANGOR GEAGHANS.COM

BEST TAKE-OUT MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE 650 BROADWAY, BANGOR MOESORIGINALBBQ.COM 46 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

GOFIVEGUYS.COM

BEST CHINESE

BEST COCKTAIL

BAGEL CENTRAL

BEST CRAFT BREWERY

ORIENTAL JADE

GEAGHAN’S PUB & CRAFT BREWERY

320 BANGOR MALL BLVD.,

570 MAIN ST., BANGOR

BANGOR

GEAGHANS.COM

ORIENTALJADE.COM

CLOSE

CALL TAKE-OUT MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B QUE 66 VOTES HARVEST MOON 64 VOTES ANGELO’S PIZZERIA 53 VOTES

BEST FAMILYFRIENDLY EATERY

BEST MEXICAN

BEST SANDWICH

HERO’S SPORTS GRILL

LAS PALAPAS

HARVEST MOON DELI

8 BANGOR MALL BLVD, BANGOR

72 COLUMBIA ST., BANGOR

41 WASHINGTON ST, BANGOR

LASPALAPASBANGORME.COM

HEROSSPORTSGRILL.COM

BEST FOOD TRUCK

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

POMPEII PIZZA

THE GRIND HOUSE

BANGOR WATERFRONT

1 CENTRAL ST., BANGOR

ICHIBAN

POMPEIIPIZZA.BIZ

BEST FRENCH FRIES PHOTO: (BBQ) TERRY DAVIS/ADOBE STOCK

366 GRIFFIN ROAD, BANGOR 1018 STILLWATER AVE BANGOR

FIVE GUYS BURGER & FRIES

BEST SUSHI

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/

226 UNION ST., BANGOR

THEGRINDHOUSEBANGOR

BANGORICHIBAN.COM

BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE

BEST VEGETARIAN

878 STILLWATER AVE., BANGOR

KOBE NINJA HOUSE

GOFIVEGUYS.COM

829 HOGAN ROAD, BANGOR

BEST ICE CREAM

HARVESTMOONDELI.COM

UMAMI NOODLE BAR 1 MAIN ST, BANGOR

KOBENINJAHOUSE.COM

BEST WINGS

BEST PIZZA

GEAGHAN’S PUB & CRAFT BREWERY

GIFFORD’S FAMOUS ICE CREAM

TRI-CITY PIZZA

1109 BROADWAY, BANGOR

422 CENTER ST., BANGOR

GIFFORDSICECREAM.COM

TRICITYPIZZABANGOR.COM

570 MAIN ST., BANGOR GEAGHANS.COM

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 47

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

BANGOR

WINNER OF BEST

TAKE OUT & ICE CREAM 48 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

JIMMIE’S ICE CREAM & GRILL 409 N MAIN ST #1, BREWER FACEBOOK.COM/ JIMMIESICECREAMANDGRILL

BARBECUE CHICKEN NACHOS MADE WITH HOUSE MADE POTATO CHIPS

BEST O V E R A L L EXPERIENCE & C O C K TA I L & D AT E N I G H T

HUMBLE COMFORT FOOD AND SPIRITS

BY ROSEMARY LAUSIER

HUMBLE COMFORT OWNER MEGHAN BLACK

WITH ITS FRIENDLY STAFF, comforting food and relaxing atmosphere, Humble Comfort Food and Spirits on South Main Street in Brewer makes you feel like you’re right at home.

Humble serves the popular comfort food staples everyone loves but with a little bit of a twist. We’re talking grilled cheese on sourdough bread with sharp cheddar, tomato and bacon and a cup of soup on the side.

“We wanted to take traditional food that people love but step it up a touch, so that it’s not something you could just make at home,” owner Meghan Black said.

Black wanted to create a restaurant where families could gather together, have a good time and have fresh, never frozen, food at an affordable price. Humble offers a kids menu as well as mixed drinks, wine and beer options for the adults. Black

created one herself, the Sharon Swanson, naming it after a loyal customer and close friend.

Although cozy, the restaurant itself is very bright and eclectic, filled with local art, much of which Black has collected over the years. The restaurant feels like you’re eating at Black’s own dinner table, and that’s how she wants it.

But it’s not just the food and the decor that makes customers feel like they’re at home, rather the relationships that are made at the restaurant.

“I can’t say enough kind words about the people who have made this their second home and really feel like family,” Black said.

Humble celebrated four years of business Aug. 14, and Black feels confident in the space she was able to create over the years.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported me these four years and made my dreams come true.”

HUMBLE COMFORT

FOOD AND SPIRITS 518 SOUTH MAIN ST., BREWER 207-307-7370

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 49

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

BANGOR GEAGHAN BROTHERS BREWING CO. 34 ABBOTT ST., BREWER 207-945-3730 WWW.GEAGHANS.COM

G R E AT E R B A N G O R

BEST B E S T C R A F T B R E W E R Y

AND THE

BEST BAKERY

BEST BAR

GOVERNOR’S RESTAURANT & BAKERY

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY

963 STILLWATER AVENUE,

15 HARDY STREET, BREWER

HUMBLE COMFORT FOOD & SPIRITS

OLD TOWN

MASONSBREWINGCOMPANY.COM

518 S MAIN ST, BREWER

GOVERNORSRESTAURANT.COM

50 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ HUMBLEFOODANDSPIRITS

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

HEAD BREWER ANDREW GEAGHAN

GEAGHAN BROTHERS

B R E W I N G CO. TA S T I N G R O O M

BY ROSEMARY LAUSIER

AT THE TASTING ROOM at Geaghan Brothers Brewing Co., it’s all about the beer. From the Smiling Irish Bastard to the Oatmeal Stout, there’s a beer for everyone — 16 on tap, to be exact.

Geaghan Brothers started brewing its beer in Bangor in 2011 after running a successful pub and restaurant on Main Street in Bangor since 1975. Although they still have a small facility at the Bangor location, the brewery moved over to Abbott St. in Brewer in 2015 and opened the tasting room last July.

“Five years ago, you go to one spot. We are seeing more and more people going out to different spots, and that’s where we see the tasting room model shine,” owner and head brewer Andrew Geaghan said. “You come in, get the beer and experience the beer on a different level.”

Geaghan’s Tasting Room was previously inside the actual brewery with a simple metal bar, tap lines and chairs. The new and improved tasting room moved to an adjacent space next door in what was once a bakery.

The tasting room now provides a comfortable, natural wood space with tables, comfy chairs and a fully functioning bar, offering a warmer inviting space compared to the industrial brewery next door.

Besides beer, a variety of local wine and cider are available onsite, as well as appetizers from the pub across the river, including the perennial favorite pub cheese. Customers also can purchase Geaghan’s merchandise, including T-shirts, hats, glasses and cans to take home.

The tasting room also provides Geaghan’s with an outlet for different events, such as local band performances and beer can yoga.

While Geaghan’s restaurant is well known for being an Irish and community pub, the tasting room offers a different take on that experience.

“What we’ve tried to develop over in the tasting room is that similar feel and that similar vibe of family friendly and community center but with more of a focus on just coming in and it being about the beer,” Geaghan said.

WINNERS ARE...

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY

15 HARDY STREET, BREWER

15 HARDY STREET, BREWER

MASONSBREWINGCOMPANY.COM

MASONSBREWINGCOMPANY.COM

CONTINUES ON PAGE 52...

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FAMILY FRIENDLY PAT’S PIZZA - ORONO 71 VOTES DYSART’S RESTAURANT AND TRUCK STOP 70 VOTES

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

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BANGOR

HUMBLE COMFORT 61 VOTES MARGARITA’S 57 VOTES

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

BEST TAKE-OUT

BEST CHINESE

JIMMIE’S ICE CREAM & GRILL

FRESH GINGER FUSION

409 N MAIN ST #1, BREWER

FRESHGINGERFUSION.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/ JIMMIESICECREAMANDGRILL

BEST BREAKFAST DYSART'S RESTAURANT & TRUCK STOP 530 COLDBROOK RD, HERMON

64 MAIN RD N, HAMPDEN

BEST COCKTAIL HUMBLE COMFORT FOOD & SPIRITS 518 S MAIN ST, BREWER WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ HUMBLEFOODANDSPIRITS

DYSARTS.COM

BEST BURGER MASON’S BREWING COMPANY 15 HARDY STREET, BREWER MASONSBREWINGCOMPANY.COM

52 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

BEST FAMILYFRIENDLY EATERY PAT’S PIZZA - ORONO 11 MILL ST, ORONO PATSPIZZAORONO.COM

BEST ICE CREAM JIMMIE’S ICE CREAM & GRILL 409 N MAIN ST #1, BREWER FACEBOOK.COM/ JIMMIESICECREAMANDGRILL

BEST CRAFT BREWERY GEAGHAN’S TASTING ROOM 34 ABBOTT ST., BREWER WWW.GEAGHANS.COM

BEST MEXICAN MARGARITA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 15 MILL ST, ORONO MARGS.COM

BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE HUMBLE COMFORT FOOD & SPIRITS 518 S MAIN ST, BREWER WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ HUMBLEFOODANDSPIRITS

BEST NEW RESTAURANT FRESH GINGER FUSION 64 MAIN RD N, HAMPDEN FRESHGINGERFUSION.COM

BEST PIZZA PAT’S PIZZA - ORONO 11 MILL ST, ORONO PATSPIZZAORONO.COM

BEST SANDWICH HARVEST MOON DELI LOCATIONS IN ORONO, BREWER AND NEWPORT HARVESTMOONDELI.COM

BEST SEAFOOD EAGLE’S NEST RESTAURANT 1016 N MAIN ST, BREWER

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 53

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

FINELLI NY

WINNER OF BEST

PIZZA PIZZERIA THERE IS NO MR. FINELLI. No, this pizza shop owned by Paul Schneider was opened in 2001. The name is an ode to Schneider’s former pizza shop in Providence, RI, Fellinis. What you will find in this pizza joint is thin crust, bonafide New York style pizza. Order it by the slice or by the pie.

54 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

CHEF AND CO-OWNER OF PROVENDER KITCHEN + BAR DARON GOLDSTEIN PREPARES TWO DISHES, THE SUMMER DUCK AND BLACK FETTUCCINE, ON AN EVENING IN AUGUST AT HIS RESTAURANT.

PROVENDER

KITCHEN + BAR STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

A NEW ADDITION to the Ellsworth dining scene, Provender Kitchen + Bar is an upscale restaurant serving “elevated American cuisine” with an emphasis on hospitality. And so far, the establishment has received glowing reviews that mention their exceptional food, drinks, service and atmosphere.

“We treat everybody like a champ, whether its a two-top [table for two] or five-top,” Daron Goldstein, who opened the restaurant with his wife, Joy Kempf, last November, said.

“You get that two-top who comes in the door, and this might be their only night out for the month,” Goldstein said.

“They may have kids at home or whatever, and this is it. So we treat them like guests in our house. We want to make them feel as comfortable as possible, and hopefully they’ll come back.”

Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, the restaurant is located in a Main Street building that dates back to the 1930s and has housed several other restaurants. With intricate wooden booths, antique bar stools and a high, curved ceiling, the space is classy and romantic, yet cozy. And it was only improved by the couple’s recent upgrades, which included reupholstering the stools, painting the walls, replacing light fixtures and adding artwork to the walls.

“We try to keep the historic aspect of the place but with a modern feel,” Goldstein said. “We also have a modern approach to our plating, the cooking techniques we use and our incredible cocktail menu.”

The menu is constantly changing, depending on in-season ingredients and the whim of Goldstein, who is the head chef. In August, the main dinner dishes included prime New York strip, pistachio-crusted duck, butter poached lobster, a burger and more. Their lunch menu included short-rib

grilled cheese, lobster rolls and pan-seared scallops. And for those who just wanted to grab a drink at the long, wooden bar, there were plenty of smaller plates on both menus for snacking or sharing.

“We think anyone can come eat here, from lawyers to lobstermen,” Goldstein, who previously worked in restaurants in Boston and California, said. “There’s something for everybody.”

While Goldstein runs the kitchen, Kempf runs the dining experience. You can find her tending the bar, waiting tables and printing menus.

The couple and their two children have lived in Ellsworth the past three years. When the opportunity arose for them to purchase the space and start their own restaurant, they took the leap.

“I’ve been cooking my whole life,” he said. “Obviously it was kind of a dream to own my own place. That’s the end game for any chef. So we flipped the place in a couple months, worked our asses off to get it ready.”

The word “provender” is Middle English for “provisions,” Goldstein explained. And the chicken silhouette included in their logo is meant to represent the age-old concept that good livestock and produce is the foundation of any great meal.

“Word is still getting out,” he said.

“We’re still bumping into people saying, ‘Where are you guys?’”

PROVENDER KITCHEN + BAR 112 MAIN ST., ELLSWORTH 207-610-1480 FACEBOOK.COM/ PROVENDERKITCHEN www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 55

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

THE 1932 JERRY O'MAHONY DINING CAR THAT HOUSES THE BAR OF FINN'S IRISH PUB

AND THE DOWN EAST WINNERS ARE...

BEST BAKERY

BEST BREAKFAST

HELEN’S RESTAURANT

SYLVIA’S CAFE

55 DOWNEAST HIGHWAY,

248 STATE ST, ELLSWORTH

ELLSWORTH

SYLVIASCAFE.NET

HELENSELLSWORTH.COM

BEST BAR FINN’S IRISH PUB

BEST BURGER JORDAN’S SNACK BAR 200 DOWNEAST HIGHWAY,

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156 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH

ELLSWORTH

FACEBOOK.COM/FINNSIRISHPUB

JORDANSSNACKBAR.COM

BEST MEXICAN FOOD

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT

BEST COCKTAIL

86 THIS! 49 VOTES

FINN’S IRISH PUB

THE SALT BOX

156 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH

10 NEWMAN ST, WINTER HARBOR

FACEBOOK.COM/FINNSIRISHPUB

SALTBOXMAINE.COM

CONTINUES ON PAGE 58...

56 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

THE MEX 46 VOTES

FINN’S IRISH PUB STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

FINN’S

IRISH PUB 156 MAIN ST., ELLSWORTH 207-667-2808 FACEBOOK.COM/ FINNSIRISHPUB

BEST

WITH A CHEERFUL ATMOSPHERE, delicious food and an impressive drink menu, Finn’s Irish Pub is almost always packed, regardless of the day of the week. Since opening over a decade ago, the establishment has built a reputation that attracts both local residents and tourists.

“An Irish pub is a place where people go to meet and community happens,” Beth Fendl, who works as a general manager at Finn’s, said. “It’s never about get them in, get them out. We’re trying to build community while we work.”

Flags of Ireland flank the pub’s front doors, and theme continues inside, with three-leaf clovers, Guinness advertisements and photographs of Ireland. But what catches many first-time visitors by surprise is the 1932 Jerry O’Mahony dining car that houses the pub’s bar. A relic that sat for many years as a diner in Northport, the woodpaneled dining car was brought to Ellsworth in 1982, and a restaurant was built around it. This restaurant changed hands a couple of times before it became Finn’s Irish Public House in 2009.

“I’d say our greatest asset is that we source great products to use in preparing our menu,” Fendl said. “Everything is made with care.

There’s love in our food.”

Online, Finn’s describes its food as “traditional Irish fare with gastro-pub flair,” meaning that while they serve simple dishes, including shepards pie, meatloaf and banger sausages, they create these meals with quality ingredients and tried-and-true recipes.

“We’re really famous for our mac ‘n’ cheese,” Fendl said.

“Because of the technique and recipe and quality and time put into it, it tastes really good.”

They also sneak in some Maine flavor with plenty of local seafood, including pan-seared crab cakes and haddock fried in Smithwick’s beer batter.

Finn’s is also a place to go for an after-work beverage or night on the town. General manager Dani Chatto creates seasonal cocktail menus, and she rotates a wide variety of beer and cider through the bar’s 21 draft lines, often showcasing local microbrews.

From the end of September through June, the pub has live music three times a week. And throughout the year, Finn’s collaborates with local breweries and other Ellsworth businesses to plan events and special promotions.

“We appeal to a lot of different types of people,” Fendl said. “And I think our staff are able to garner relationships so that people feel at home. That’s what makes our staff love coming to work, too. It’s more than just a job and a business. It’s this place we have in our community.”

B A R & C O C K TA I L

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 56

BEST COFFEE SHOP

BEST INTERNATIONAL

BEST PIZZA

FLEXIT CAFE & BAKERY

SHINBASHI

FINELLI NY PIZZERIA

192 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH

139 HIGH ST, ELLSWORTH

12 DOWNEAST HIGHWAY,

FLEXITCAFE.COM

MYSHINBASHI.COM

ELLSWORTH FINELLIPIZZERIA.COM

BEST CRAFT BREWERY

BEST MEXICAN

AIRLINE BREWING COMPANY

86 THIS! 125 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH

86 THIS!

22 MILL LANE, AMHERST

WWW.86THISMAINE.COM

125 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH

173 MAIN STREET, ELLSWORTH ABCMAINE.BEER

BEST FAMILYFRIENDLY EATERY PAT'S PIZZA 396 HIGH ST, ELLSWORTH ELLSWORTHPATSPIZZA.COM

BEST ICE CREAM MORTON’S MOO 9 SCHOOL ST, ELLSWORTH MORTONSMOO.COM 58 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

BEST SANDWICH

WWW.86THISMAINE.COM

BEST SEAFOOD

PROVENDER KITCHEN + BAR

JORDAN’S SNACK BAR

112 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH

ELLSWORTH

WWW.EATPROVENDER.COM

JORDANSSNACKBAR.COM

BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE BLAZE BAR HARBOR 198 MAIN ST, BAR HARBOR

200 DOWNEAST HIGHWAY,

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Advertise your business in BANGOR METRO! CALL 990-8134 for details

bangormetro.com www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 59

BEST 2018

PHOTO: BDN FILE

RESTAURANTS

60 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

RALPH’S CAFE 12 PURPLE HEART HWY, BROOKS FACEBOOK.COM/ EATATRALPHS

BEST

B A K E R Y & B R E A K FA S T & M O S T FA M I L Y F R I E N D L Y

RALPH’S CAFE

BY ABIGAIL CURTIS

THERE’S AN ARGUMENT to be made — a good one — that the heart of Brooks is located in a small restaurant that’s known for its hearty homemade breakfasts, fresh donuts, creative dinners, eclectic decor and the friendly folks you’ll meet there on both sides of the counter.

Ralph’s Cafe is so important to the community, in fact, that a few years ago, when the owners learned they would have to pay for a $40,000 infrastructure repair on their building or close it, neighbors stepped up. Fundraising suppers were held at the Brooks Congregational Church, and folks opened up their wallets to help the restaurant stay open.

“Nobody wanted to see that place close,” Brooks resident Linda Lord said at the time.

And it didn’t. Ralph’s has remained a cozy spot that functions as a kind of community center as well as a dining destination. And that’s just how the owners, Mike Switzer, his husband, Frank Champa and Frank’s mother, Susan Champa, like it.

“We try to create a warm and inviting space for you to come in and sit for a while,” Switzer said.

“I tell people all the time, if you just want a cup of coffee, I’ve got coffee. We try never to make people feel uncomfortable.”

The trio moved to Maine from the New York City metropolitan area in 2004. Originally, they just came for a week to check out the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland but wound up liking it so much they didn’t want to leave. They opened the restaurant and named it in honor of Ralph Champa, Frank Champa’s dad and Susan Champa’s husband, who had wanted to open a cafe after he retired from the U.S. Postal Service but died before it could happen.

In the cafe, the Champas and Switzer wanted to do things right. They bake most of their bread from scratch and offer homemade jams, jellies and ketchup. They open for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings and try to add a few weekly specials from different international cuisines — recent weeks have put Cuba and Italy in the food spotlight.

“We have a style of food from all over,” Switzer said, adding that they love being part of the town.

“I love what we’ve done here with the restaurant and how we are with the community and how the community is with us.”

INSIDE RALPH'S CAFE IN BROOKS www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 61

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

CLOSE CALL BEST COCKTAIL THREE TIDES 34 VOTES

DAVID CARLSON, OWNER OF THREE TIDES & MARSHALL WHARF IN BELFAST, POURS AN ILLEGAL ALE-IEN, A SEA LEVEL STOUT AND A GLASS OF T2-R9 BARLEYWINE.

DELVINO’S 30 VOTES

MIDCOAST BEST BAKERY

BEST BAR

AND THE BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT

RALPH’S CAFE

ROLLIE’S

12 PURPLE HEART HWY, BROOKS

37 MAIN ST., BELFAST

DELVINO’S

FACEBOOK.COM/EATATRALPHS

ROLLIESMAINE.COM

52 MAIN ST., BELFAST DELVINOS.COM

62 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

MARSHALL WHARF

BEST

BREWING CO.

TWO PINCHY LANE, BELFAST 207-338-1707 WWW.MARSHALLWHARF.COM

C R A F T B R E W E R Y

MARSHALL WHARF BREWING CO.

PHOTO: BDN FILE

BY ABIGAIL CURTIS TO UNDERSTAND MARSHALL WHARF Brewing Co. of Belfast, you first have to know something about Three Tides, the popular bar and eatery located right next door on the Belfast waterfront.

That’s because both are the owned by David and Sarah Carlson, who opened Three Tides 15 years ago.

Back then, they had a great location, complete with a bocce court and a deck overlooking Belfast harbor.

They had a devoted clientele who flocked to the bar in all seasons to socialize over a pint or a craft cocktail.

What they didn’t have was their own brewery.

“We were serving other people’s beer,” David Carlson said. “Then we had a discussion with Danny McGovern [a Maine home and craft brewing legend] that led us to believe that we could do it. We said, ‘OK, let’s have a brewery.’”

That was in 2007, a time before Maine was awash with breweries and a new brewery could easily blaze its own path. Marshall Wharf developed a reputation for creative and unusual beers, such as Sea Belt, a Scotch ale brewed with dried Maine sugar kelp; Pemaquid Oyster

Stout, made with live oysters; or Scott’s Scoville Chili Ale-Ien, a kolsch-wheat style beer that happens to be made with jalapeno and habanero peppers.

In other words, it’s not a place to find ordinary beer, and that’s what the Carlsons and their customers are going for.

“We love what we do, and we pay attention to our local customers,” David Carlson said. “That’s who we want to take care of.”

The brewery is very small, brewing just 500 barrels of beer in 2017, but does make 28 different styles of beer over the course of a year. You can sample the beer brewed there on the premises, at Three Tides or on draft at Maine bars from Kittery to Bangor. It’s also available by the can at 22 stores around the state. If the more unusual flavors don’t appeal, you might like to try David Carlson’s own favorite, Cant Dog, an imperial pale ale named after a traditional logging tool that would have been familiar to Maine woodsmen a century ago.

“It’s the one beer that if you’re on that deserted island, you want to have,” he said.

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WINNERS ARE...

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING YOUNG’S LOBSTER POUND 4 MITCHELL ST., BELFAST YOUNGSLOBSTERPOUND.WEBS.COM

CONTINUES ON PAGE 64...

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BEST SEAFOOD YOUNG’S LOBSTER POUND 54 VOTES ANGLER’S 51 VOTES

RESTAURANTS

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 63

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS YOUNG’S LOBSTER POUND 4 MITCHELL ST., BELFAST YOUNGSLOBSTERPOUND.WEBS.COM

BEST CRAFT BREWERY

BEST PIZZA

MARSHALL WHARF BREWING CO.

MEANWHILE IN BELFAST

2 PINCHY LANE, BELFAST

MEANWHILE-IN-BELFAST.COM

MARSHALLWHARF.COM

2 CROSS ST, BELFAST

BEST SANDWICH

BEST BREAKFAST

BEST FAMILYFRIENDLY EATERY

15 BELMONT AVE, BELFAST

RALPH’S CAFE

RALPH’S CAFE

BELLTHECATINC.COM

12 PURPLE HEART HWY, BROOKS

12 PURPLE HEART HWY, BROOKS

FACEBOOK.COM/EATATRALPHS

FACEBOOK.COM/EATATRALPHS

BEST SEAFOOD

BEST BURGER

BEST FOOD TRUCK

ROLLIE’S

WASSES HOT DOGS

YOUNG’S LOBSTER POUND

37 MAIN ST., BELFAST

RENY’S PLAZA, BELFAST

ROLLIESMAINE.COM

BEST COCKTAIL THREE TIDES 2 PINCHY LANE, BELFAST 3TIDES.COM

BEST COFFEE SHOP BELL THE CAT 15 BELMONT AVE, BELFAST BELLTHECATINC.COM

BEST ICE CREAM STONE FOX FARM CREAMERY MONROE; AVAILABLE AT STORES AND SPECIAL EVENTS. CHECK WEBSITE FOR FULL LIST. STONEFOXFARMCREAMERY.COM

BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE

4 MITCHELL ST., BELFAST YOUNGSLOBSTERPOUND.WEBS.COM

TIE! BEST NEW RESTAURANT DEER FOOT FARM 1221 UNION RD, APPLETON DEERFOOTFARMMARKET.COM

THE HOOT

DELVINO’S

144 BAYSIDE RD, NORTHPORT

52 MAIN ST., BELFAST

THEHOOTNORTHPORT.COM

DELVINOS.COM 64 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

BELL THE CAT

PHOTO: SARAH WALKER CARON

BEST 2018

AREA DINING

WINNER OF BEST

COFFEE SHOP & SANDWICH

BELL

THE CAT

HAVE YOU BEEN to Bell the Cat lately? If not, it’s time to drop by and see their new digs. Earlier this year, Bell the Cat moved from its strip mall location on G Starrett Drive in Belfast to a standalone location at 15 Belmont Avenue.

The new location features some lovely outdoor seating along with the extensive menu that’s made this eatery a midcoast favorite.

146 Commerce Center, Limestone

One can’t buy a better pizza.

328-7211 • 328-7812 Open Tues.-Sun. 11am - 9pm www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

MASCOTO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN CARIBOU OFFERS DISHES LIKE THIS PLATE OF PENNE WITH HOT SAUSAGE, GARLIC AND WHITE WINE SAUCE.

66 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

MASCOTO’S

ITALIAN RESTAURANT 6 CENTER ST., CARIBOU 207-492-2422

M A S C OTO ’ S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

PHOTO: BDN FILE

BY JULIA BAYLY SINCE OPENING THEIR doors in April, Michelle Hanson and Scott Doody haven’t found time to host a grand opening for Mascoto’s Italian Restaurant in Caribou.

“Yes, you could say we are still having a ‘soft’ opening,” Hanson said with a laugh in early August.

“We haven't even really advertised, [but] people just seem to know we are here.”

Hanson and Doody, partners in life and in business, have been relying primarily on word of mouth to bring people into the restaurant. That word of mouth must be tasty, because people are coming and coming back, Hanson said.

The downtown building once housed Napoli’s Restaurant, which closed in 2015.

“People really missed it,” Hanson said. “My children were older, and I thought it was a good time to open another restaurant.”

Hanson has owned and operated Caribou eatery Fredericks Southside for 25 years and has plenty of experience in the restaurant business. Doody, on the other hand, brings into the mix his skills as a refrigeration technician — he owns Scott’s HVAC. “We really have the best of both worlds,” Hanson said. “I work with the food and service part, and Scott is behind the scenes, fixing things and making sure things run smoothly.”

The couple purchased the building a year ago and went to work renovating the inside to fit their vision of a comfortable, welcoming and authentic Italian restaurant.

“We jumped in with both feet,” Hanson said.

“Almost up to our necks.”

Hanson and Doody wanted to offer the flavors of Italy because they said it is a cuisine lacking in northern Maine. The menu is a result of creative cooperation between Hanson, Doody and the cooks.

“Michelle and I developed the menu,” Doody said.

“Our daily features are designed by our cooks who create their own dishes, and we all sample them and decide which one we like best.”

The cheese-stuffed ravioli smothered in creamy alfredo sauce is a favorite special with customers, he said. Another favorite is the Penne al Sugo Bianco, al-dente penne pasta served in an alfredo sauce with bacon, chicken and fresh tomatoes. An appetizer of mussels in a garlic white-wine broth is flavorful and plenty for two people to share.

“The lasagna is probably our signature dish,” Hanson said. “But anything with our alfredo sauce on it is also very popular.”

The sauces are all made from scratch in-house, she said, and the menu offers the option of building your own pasta by combining a variety of pastas and sauces.

They also serve brick oven baked thin crust pizza and have a full-service lounge area.

“We wanted to be different from everybody else,” Hanson said. “We focus on the perfect combination of food and atmosphere because that is what brings people back.”

BEST N E W

R ES TAUR A N T

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 67

BEST 2018 RESTAURANTS

NORTHERN MAINE

B R E W I N G C O.

BY JULIA BAYLY THE FOLKS AT Northern Maine Brewing Co. in Caribou knew they faced a challenge when they opened two years ago.

“We had to win over the Bud Lite crowd,” Joseph Gervais, executive chef at the brew pub, said. “When we were planning the brewery, we were told by a beverage company that they sold less craft beer in Aroostook County than any other place in Maine.”

That was then.

In June the brewery celebrated its second anniversary as an established and popular northern Maine watering hole, where patrons enjoy pints of craft beer brewed on site, such as River Driver Red, an amber strong malted beer; Northern Maine Light, a pale lager; Maine Logger, a pilsner-style lager; and Windrower Wheat, a crisp, wheated ale.

“It really has been great,” Gervais said. “We really have become a destination for craft brew lovers.”

From the start, the brewers at Northern Maine Brewing Co. knew they wanted to combine the best in locally sourced ingredient with the finest brewing technology available.

For that technology they ended up with a specially designed system made by Flecks Brauhaus Technik of Austria, a country known for producing high-quality beer.

Everything else that goes into the beer, according to Gervais, comes from within an hour of Caribou.

The water is pulled from their own 300-foot well, which draws water from the table deep in the limestone below the brewery. For the malt, brewers turned to Bucks Farm in Mapleton, where they are malting their own two-row barley. Aroostook Hops in Westfield supplies the needed varieties of hops that the brewmeister uses to create unique recipes.

“Our beers are super drinkable,” Gervais said.

“We have gained a real local following and have a lot of regulars who come in every week.”

Gervais is also putting the beer to work on the brewery’s food menu with creations such as beerbattered halibut, beer-battered chicken wings and even beer-battered deviled eggs.

Basically, there is nothing Gervais will not attempt to batter or incorporate beer into.

“I use our beer to brine chicken, to create a stout gravy or as a red ale demi glace,” he said. “I really want to use [the beer] in distinct ways so you can taste the beer profile in what you are eating.”

With October coming, Gervais said he is working on special Oktoberfest creations in the tap room and the kitchen, in addition to experimenting with infusing beers with fruit, such as blueberries.

And for the diehard Bud Lite fans?

“We do have it in bottles,” he said with a laugh.

“But if people order it, I offer to buy them a glass of our lightest beer to try first.”

GRAMMY’S

COUNTRY INN

PHOTO: JOSEPH CYR

1687 BANGOR ROAD, LINNEUS

STEVE GRAHAM IS OWNER OF GRAMMY’S COUNTRY INN.

NORTHERN

MAINE

BREWING CO. 22 MAIN ST. CARIBOU, MAINE 207-492-2185

WINNER OF BEST...

BAKERY, PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS, BREAKFAST, BURGER, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EATERY, OVERALL EXPERIENCE, SANDWICH

NORTHERN

M A I N E

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

BEST BAKERY GRAMMY’S COUNTRY INN 1687 BANGOR RD, LINNEUS

BEST BAR IRISH SETTER PUB

BEST C R A F T BREWERY

710 MAIN ST, PRESQUE ISLE IRISHSETTERPUB.COM

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING

TIE! BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT LAKEVIEW RESTAURANT 9 LAKEVIEW DR, ST AGATHA LAKEVIEWRESTAURANT.BIZ

LAKEVIEW RESTAURANT

RIVER DRIVER’S RESTAURANT AND PUB

9 LAKEVIEW DR, ST AGATHA

30 TWIN PINES RD,

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STAYCATION SHOP, HIKE, EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY IN FREEPORT

BY JULIA BAYLY

72 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

THE FIRST TIME I VISITED FREEPORT was in 1980. I had just moved to northern Maine from the west coast and was in need of a good quality winter parka. At the time, all I knew about the town was it was the home of L.L. Bean, the epicenter of all things outdoors related in Maine. Heck, even before moving to the state I had heard of “Beans” and the iconic Bean Boots found therein.

I remember going in and finding exactly the parka I needed at a price I could afford on my rather limited firstyear university student budget. I also remember being struck not only by Bean’s retail selections, but by the store’s obvious commitment to outdoor stewardship.

Fast forward almost four decades, and the same can be said about Freeport as a whole.

About 100 miles south of Bangor, Freeport is where serious shoppers and outdoor enthusiasts collide.

And for everyone, there are enough restaurants, galleries, pubs and sights — inside and out — to easily fill a day trip or weekend itinerary.

Thirty-eight years ago when I made that first visit to Freeport, there was just a smattering of outlet stores. Today, the one mile of Main Street is lined with stores that sell name brand clothing, shoes, hats, camping gear, furniture, kitchenware, material, books, cutlery, local art, crafts and so much more. All of which grew up around the town’s flagship store L.L. Bean — and are affectionately known as “Beansprout.”

While I am not a hardcore shopper, even I enjoy wandering up and down Main Street, looking in all the windows and popping in some of the more than 100 stores when something catches my fancy. Often, it’s the looking that is the most fun.

That’s why one of my first stops in Freeport every time I go is at Thos. Moser showroom (149 Main Street, www.thosmoser. com) to ogle at, and rub my hands over, the pieces of handcrafted wood furniture made at the company’s Auburn workshop.

There is just something very tactile about the pieces created

by Moser’s craftspeople. Gorgeous to look at and — in the case of chairs and benches — super comfy to sit on. Every piece is that perfect combination of form and function and I dream of the day when maybe a few will grace my own home.

Thos. Moser is at the north end of Freeport’s Main Street.

It’s a good starting point given that Freeport is best explored on foot. There are several large public parking areas around town in addition to streetside parking. Depending on the time of year, parking can be at a premium, so if you find a good spot, I recommend snagging it and heading out on foot.

After admiring the furniture at Thos. Moser, my next stop is often Sherman Books & Stationery (128 Main Street, www. shermans.com) where I can spend hours wandering the aisles of books, calendars and greeting cards in the store.

Sherman’s has an excellent collection of books by Maine authors and I can’t begin to count the new (to me) authors and books I have discovered there. Every visit is like a literary treasure hunt and the staff is more than willing to guide me along the way.

They don’t even mind how long I spend leaning against a bookshelf lost in a new book, or laughing out loud at the greeting cards.

If there is one thing I can look at as long as books, it’s fine pottery and that’s what I see when I go into Georgetown Pottery (148 Main Street, www.georgetownpottery.com) Everything there is handcrafted by Maine potters using Maine themes reflecting the sea, the forest or wildlife. I love the looks of the glazed pieces and dream of the day I may have an entire dinner set of Georgetown pottery for entertaining guests.

There is pottery and more at Abacus Gallery (36 Main Street, www.abacusgallery.com) where you’ll find two floors of handcrafted jewelry, art and home accessories in an early 1800s Federal-style house rumored to also house some

PHOTO: AP PHOTO/ ROBERT F. BUKATY

A great blue heron, from left, snowy egret and an eddies duck share a rock at dawn on the Harraseeket River in Freeport.

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FREEPORT friendly ghosts. I have to say I have found some if the funkiest and eclectic pieces of art I have ever seen there and have some spots in my home in which they would fit perfectly, once I narrow down my choices.

It should come as no surprise to those that know what a foodie I am that my two other must-stops in Freeport have food.

Walking into When Pigs Fly (21 Main Street, www.sendbread.com) must be what it’s like walking into a bakery in heaven.

The first thing that hits you is the heavenly smell of fresh bread.

More than 25 different kinds of artisan breads fill baskets everywhere you look and samples are available to help narrow down — or expand — your selections.

I can never decide among the orange, toasted walnut and cranberry, the whole wheat honey nut with apricots and dates, the apple cinnamon, the red pepper hummus with sesame seeds and garlic, the multigrain anadama or the sourdough.

So, I often load up with one of each with a couple homemade cookies thrown in for good measure. The loaves travel well and when I get home I put them in my freezer to enjoy over a couple of months.

Finally, there is Bow Street Market (79 Bow Street, www.bowstreetmarket.com) one of the few places I feel I need a stricter limit on my credit card.

More than a simple “grocery store,” Bow Street Market is a reminder of a corner neighborhood store where the staff knows the regulars by name and treats newcomers as welcome guests.

I’ll confess to a bit of sensory overload when I go in, thanks to a dizzying array of gourmet and locally made baked goods, deli items, meats, cheese, seafood craft beers, wines and specialty goodies like duck eggs, jams, coffee and popcorn, to name just a few.

It’s a perfect place to pick up everything needed for an alfresco picnic in one of the area’s nearby parks or to take back to your room for an afternoon snack.

Aaron Moser, son of furniture maker Thomas Moser, in Freeport with a Catena chair.

74 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

Georgetown Pottery stocks its shelves with glazed porcelain pieces created by local artists who work out of an island studio not far from Freeport.

GET OUTSIDE If shopping is not your thing, or if you just want a change of scenery Freeport has you covered with several parks and miles of hiking trails just outside of the downtown area.

About 15 minutes from town is Bradbury Mountain State Park (528 Hallowell Rd, Pownal, www.bradburymountain.com) with 800 acres of forested land and 21 miles of shared use (horseback, hikers, mountain bikes and snowmobiles) trails.

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The classic L.L. Bean boot greets visitors at an entrance to its flagship store. The company was founded in Freeport more than a century ago.

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GET OUT

FREEPORT Googins Island Osprey Sanctuary is seen from a rocky beach of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, led to from a side trail off Casco Bay Trail.

76 / BANGOR METRO October 2018

between Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River, the park covers 244 acres with 4.5 miles of hiking trails through pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary and along the rocky coastline of the bay.

I love walking the trails at Wolfe’s Neck.

I’ve never been there and not seen at least one of the Ospreys that nest there.

On the way to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park is the the Pettengill Farm (31 Pettengill Road, www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org) a 19th Century saltwater farm on the Harraseeket River. Owned and operated by the Freeport Historical Society, the farm is now a living museum with an 1800s saltbox house and 140 acres of fields, woods, apple orchards and a salt marsh.

The grounds are a delight to wander and check out the gardens created by the farm’s last occupant Mildred Pettengill who lived there until 1970.

Inside the farmhouse be sure to check out the centuries-old etchings on the plaster walls of ships, sea monsters and animals.

Just a mile from downtown Freeport

is Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary with 3-miles of trails through fields, apple orchards and more white pine and hemlock forests.

The sanctuary takes its name from its location as a source of white pines used as ship masts in the early 1700s by the British navy.

The Mill Stream in the sanctuary once powered a saw mill, a textile mill and two gristmills. All were destroyed by fire in 1860, but visitors can still see the buildings’ foundations where the stream flows into the estuary.

WHERE TO EAT When I’m in Freeport I have my go-to favorite places when it comes to dining out.

There are dozens of excellent options in the town but I tend to gravitate back to these tried-and-true places.

The Broad Arrow Tavern (162 Main Street, www.harraseeketinn.com) is part of the award-winning Harraseeket Inn and offers an amazing menu of appetizers and entrees prepared using a wood-fired oven and grill. The chefs specialize in steaks, pizza and fresh seafood and take great

PHOTO: AISLINN SARNACKI

The highlight of a visit to the park is the hike to the summit of Bradbury Mountain.

Sure, as mountains go, it’s on the petite side at 485-feet, but no one is going to dispute the views of Casco Bay, Portland and the surrounding area from the top. In the fall, it’s a leaf-peeper’s paradis.

There are two trails to the summit. The mile-long Northern Loop Trail is a gradual climb and along the way hikers can check out an abandoned quarry and the “cattle pound.” In the 1800s the pound was used to house stray livestock.

The Terrace Trail is somewhat steeper and gets you to the top in one-third of a mile. Both trails are lined with seasonal wildflowers from spring to fall, including rare wild orchids.

A 10-minute drive south of Freeport is Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park (426 Wolfe’s Neck Road).

It may just be a few miles from downtown, but Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park feels like a different world after you leave town. Tucked in on a peninsula

pride in using locally sourced food. To get a sampling of what they prepare, check out the daily lunch buffet (not available Sundays) and I recommend the brick oven macaroni and cheese (available with lobster) or the tavern’s famous lobster roll.

Speaking of lobster, Maine Kitchen and Topside Tavern (88 Main Street, www. lindabeansperfectmaine.com) is one of several restaurants owned by Linda Bean of L.L. Bean fame. It’s right across the street from her family’s iconic Maine shopping destination L.L. Bean’s. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner the restaurant offers a full menu. I recommend anything lobster —and there are so many options! Lobster rolls, lobster stew, lobster bisque, lobster salad, lobster stuffed mushrooms, grilled cheese and lobster or a steamed whole lobster.

For a slight change of pace away from lobster, head to Azure (123 Main Street, www.azurecafe.com) where it’s all about locally sourced Maine ingredients in dishes like clam chowder, fish and chips, wild Maine blueberry or spring ravioli. When I’m there, it’s hard to resist the Maine seafood risotto prepared with sustainably harvested gulf of Maine pollack and calamari combined with chopped local tomatoes and fresh basil in a creamy, buttery risotto.

WHERE TO STAY If you want to spoil yourself — and be spoiled — there is the above mentioned Harraseeket Inn. The luxury rooms are perfect for a romantic weekend, a gals’ getaway or family vacation. It’s also pet-friendly. A gourmet buffet breakfast is served every morning and their famous Sunday lobster brunch has been named the Best Sunday Brunch in Maine.

There’s even afternoon high tea every day.

The staff is ready and able to recommend and arrange day trips or activities and don’t forget to say hi to the giant plush pianoplaying polar bear in the lounge. There is plenty of parking and the inn is right in town, making it a perfect base of operations for any Freeport trip.

The Hilton Garden Inn (5 Park Street, www.hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com) is not only located in town, but it has a bonus of being near the Amtrak Train Station in case you want to hop a train for a day trip into Boston. The Amtrak Downeaster (www. amtrakdowneaster.com) offers three round trips daily between Freeport and Boston. The Hilton Garden Inn has an onsite grill and bar, evening cookies and a heated pool.

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WOODS & WATERS

The tradition of

THE HISTORY BEHIND MAINE’S LONGEST RUNNING CORN MAZE... AND HOW THEY DO IT.

BY BOB DUCHESNE

THERE’S SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT PAGAN about autumn. Mother Earth has our attention. It’s the time to reap the benefits of a summer’s hard work in the field. The Hunter’s Moon follows the Harvest Moon, a reminder of humanity’s hunter-gatherer past, before there were fast-food restaurants. Or restaurants. Autumn’s holiday is Halloween, which fits the pagan theme nicely.

Corn mazes fit the theme. We humans like to play with our food. No other species on the planet turns food into fun quite the way we do. Mother Earth provides, and then we mess with it.

A corn maze is a series of intricate paths carved through a cornfield. The maze will have an entrance and an exit, and it may lead adventurers to a prize in the middle. All paths look alike. All turns look alike. There are wrong turns down every path but one. It’s a simple matter of trying to find your way through.

Mazes have fascinated humans for thousands of years. Ancient cultures made labyrinths out of hedges or rock piles. Manicured garden mazes became quite popular among European royalty 600 years ago. But leave it to Americans to invent the corn maze. The

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY TREWORGY FAMILY ORCHARD

THE CORN MAZE

first is said to have been created in 1993 at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.

Treworgy Family Orchard in Levant lays claim to being the longest continuously running corn maze in Maine, since 2001.

Curiosity got the better of me, and on my last visit I unleashed the questions that had been building up in my mind.

Who designs these things? From inside the maze, all you see is corn. But seen from above, each maze forms an intricate picture.

There are companies that design themes for mazes across the country, but Treworgy creates its own. They are corn maze wizards.

How is the maze laid out? Surely you can’t grow the entire corn crop to maturity, and then carve the pattern. How would you see over the stalks to cut the proper rows?

Actually, the pattern is laid out in the spring, during planting, when you can see the soil.

For accuracy, Treworgy uses surveying equipment. The whole plot is planted, but when the corn gets to about 6 inches high, the patterns and paths are mowed, allowing only the walls to continue growing.

What corn variety is best? It must be tall enough so that no one can see over it.

Treworgy uses a cow corn that reaches a height of 12 feet. It takes about 60,000 corn stalks to create the Treworgy maze. Inside the maze, not even LeBron James could cheat.

If you’re lost, will someone come rescue you? Yes. It happens more with kids getting separated or fearful, so there are always “rescuers” nearby. But, for the most part, the kids love it. Do these “rescuers” know all the twists and turns by heart when the maze first opens? No, they can get lost, too.

But it doesn’t take long to learn the route.

Do people cheat, forcing their way through walls to cut corners? Yes, though not as often as you might expect. Inevitably, some corn stalks are damaged by the wear and tear of so many visitors, so the crew has to do daily repair to keep the maze in shape for the whole season. When the season is done, the corn is too dried out for cows, so the entire maze is plowed back into the ground to nourish the soil. However, some of the ears are suitable for pigs, and these

are salvaged. Nothing goes to waste.

Do people cheat by leaving breadcrumbs where they’ve been or bending down stalks to show their paths? No, almost never.

Don’t people get sick of all those dead ends? Yes, so there aren’t any. Treworgy discovered early that dead ends frustrate people. So most wrong turns merely loop back to where you were.

There are up to a dozen corn mazes in Maine. The basics are the same everywhere, but each corn maze has its own special features. At Treworgy, there are six stations along the labyrinth that provide stories and clues, plus a Hall of Fame in the middle where successful navigators can sign their names. It takes the average person about 30 to 45 minutes to finish, and there is an ice cream reward waiting at the end.

And what about those who can’t find their way out? At Treworgy, no worries. A map is printed on the back of the ticket.

Try not to use it!

BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.

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j p Feeling B z THE VIEW FROM HERE

GOOD

EVER OBSESS OVER your looks? Find yourself losing hours online wondering how everyone else is pulling off perfect except you? You’re not alone, dear reader, nor are you a narcissist for chasing the illusion of perfection. Plenty of people, myself included, find themselves in constant search of self-improvement.

The truth is, I have an endless fixation with my appearance.

I obsess over my hair, nose, clothes and body. You name an appendage and I’ve got a conundrum about it. I’m in my late 30s, a size two and often mistaken for one of the high school students I teach, but I still feel like I’m less than what I should be somehow.

To camouflage aging I color what few grey hairs I have brown and spend serious time contemplating the subtle difference between mocha and chestnut. After wrestling with my truth (whichever one I choose, I’m about to spend an hour dying my hair the same color) I start the next round of arduous decision making: ombre versus sombre, lob versus bob, beach-y waves versus straight-hair-don’t-care?

When I’m really torn I ask myself, “What would Beyonce do?” but here’s one of life’s simple truths: It’s hard to channel Beyonce in aisle two of Walgreens.

By anyone’s standards, I’m neurotic. Being a thin, young woman who emanates a Sasha Fierce vibe, who really wants to know about my struggle to achieve celebrity bedhead? Who gives a rat’s rear-end whether I lose those last two pounds on mine? What you’re really wondering is: why is this crazy focusing on her looks so much?

I wish I knew. Perhaps in the absence of real struggle I’ve created one. What could be more challenging than looking perfect?

So, to maintain my girlish figure, I run four miles every morning and spend a half an hour sitting-up, pushing-up, and lifting-up on a yoga mat every night. Despite all the exercise, I stare at myself in the mirror and sigh. In these moments, when changing everything about myself seems crucial to my existence, I wonder if this is how the King of Pop felt.

Who exercises obsessively, then focuses solely on the things they cannot change about themselves (skin color, nose shape, jawline) morning, noon, and night?

People who hate themselves, that’s who.

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In an effort to avoid self-loathing, I decide to move past scrutinizing my features and commit to accessorizing better.

I buy gold earrings to go with my new Illuminati necklace.

Though I don’t know anything about the Illuminati, I’m pretty sure wearing this weird pyramid eye means I’m enlightened.

Recently, I’ve experimented with red lipstick, but every time I try it out my husband tells me, “It’s just not in your color wheel.” Are Gwen Stefani and Taylor Swift the only people who can pull off a red lip? Maybe if I hadn’t sucked my thumb until age 12 or brushed my teeth more as a child, red wouldn’t look so horrendous on me.

I guess I just don’t get it. If dying my hair, exercising nonstop, bejeweling myself and rocking red lips doesn’t make me feel beautiful, what will?

Maybe my self-hatred stems from the airbrushed images of perfection I can’t stop seeing everywhere I look. Living in a culture that has a fear of aging where people post pics on social media like it’s their day job doesn’t help much either. But really, who else is to blame for my obsession with perfection but me? What void am I trying to fill with the endless exercise and the flashy crap I can’t resist plunking down my kids college money for?

I married my soulmate, and I cherish the amazing people we created together. It so easy for me to see their beauty, so why can’t I see it in myself?

BECAUSE THEY ARE PERFECT TO ME. My whole blessed life is perfect. I teach what I love; I write what I love; I see my family often. I’ve got it made in the shade, babe.

How silly I’ve been to confuse looking good with feeling good. I can’t believe it’s taken me 39 years to realize that beauty doesn’t come from focusing on myself, spending money on baubles or vacillating between the lob versus the bob. And it isn’t something we have or we don’t — it’s something we feel.

Running in the rain without makeup, hair blowing in the wind, drenched from head to toe, I feel beautiful.

Spending time with my husband, cuddling with my children, playing with my puppy, I feel beautiful. Cleaning my house with reckless abandon, I’m so Martha Stewart beautiful it’s amazing.

AND HAPPINESS IS BEAUTIFUL.

EMILY MORRISON is a high school English teacher, freelance writer and editor from coastal Maine. She is living happily-ever-after with her handsome husband, three beautiful children and two beloved dogs. And a cat.

PHOTO: TKTK

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