New England clam chowder group ride

[Fred W]

Now there's a freeking great idea. A full on clam bake. Probably not conducive to many miles of FJR travel, but still a worthy gustatory concept...

So I was tallying a few of the better Maine chowdahouses I know of... Here's what I got:

In alphabharbuetical order (some added by prior consensus, 'cause I din't know any better)

Alisson's in K'bunkport

Billy's C'house in Wells

Bob's clam hut in Kittery

Cappy's C'house on Camden

Captain Hutch's in Barrington (NH)

The Maine Diner in Wells

Island Chowderhouse in BahHaBa

Please add more and we can re-arrange them all into geometricalstaticalorientational sequential order.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

A solid start to some of the finer establishments, Fred!

So, let's hear from others on their absolute, most favoritist places to get seafood along the New England coast! And don't forget to mention your interest/preference of a single day ride or spreading it out over a few days.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

From just initially playing around with Google maps to get just a rough idea of distance and time, it seems as though coastal Maine could be an all day ride easily by itself, if not done in two days depending on the ride tempo and amount of geography one wishes to cover :dribble: ! Of course, I did avoid major highways and tolls with it but still....... it all depends on what the concensus is based on wether this turns into a scenic touring pace or having the ability to utilize the slab to cut down on transit times. From Bar Harbor to Cape Neddick via mostly Rt 1 is roughly five and a half hours just for reference. And again, that doesn't include stops for food/fuel/fotos (the 3F's!, maybe a new forum term!) And don't go messin' with trying to add a fourth 'F' anyone!

Add in multiple scenic stops combined with gaining 5 -8 pounds and 100 points on a cholesterol screening in one day and you got yourself one helluva good FJR group ride!

 

[MEM]

Ho-lee doodle!!! This is going to be FUN!

Clam chowder, fried clams, the 3F's ! :yahoo:

(re: the 4th F...... what if we get to Cedar Waters and we ....um.... get in a mood ..... ? ) :lol:

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Legal Seafoods in Boston.

For decades Browns Restaurant, literally on the state line between New Hampshire and Seabrook (on the Hampton side), was a perennial favorite for decades, but I haven't eaten there in years. You can bring your own beer or wine and sit outside on the deck and enjoy steamas and lobstas and great haddock dinners as well as excellent chowda.

 

[Fred W]

Legal Seafoods consistently places highly in the Boston Chowder-fests. It is now a chain of 30 restaurants with many of them located in (ugh!) shopping malls. :glare: Although the ambiance is lacking, they do have pretty consistently good seafood.

And not to be picky, but Brown's Lobster Pound is in Seabrook (not Hampton) which is the first town over the New Hampshire border (it's Salisbury on the MA side). Never been there. Looks good.

As to covering the ME coast in a single day? Yes, it could be done by making a beeline from Ellsworth to York but that would mean not venturing out onto any of the scenic peninsulas out into the Atlantic. The harbors and points to the east of Rt 1 are where the real Maine scenery can be found. And, since this will be a linear route, everyone will get their fair share of slabbing just getting to the start-point and/or back home at the end.

Plus, the coast doesn't really start in Bah Habah, just the population does. If you wanted to do the "full Maine coast", it really starts up near Eastport at Quoddy Head (a very pretty lighthouse marks the spot). Which incidentally is the eastern most point in the USA (not counting the Aleutian islands that are so far westward that they are past the dateline and technically are further east).

I'd think if you allotted 3 full days of riding (not counting getting to the start-point or back home at the end) you could do a passable job of covering the full Maine coast, hitting only the better lighthouses, with most of the prettier harbors and headlands, and stopping for gustatory delights a couple of times each day (lunch and dinner). They would still be long days, but there are lots of hours of daylight in late May and early June.

3 days: Eastport to Bar Harbor, BH to Freeport maybe?, then South to York (or do the reverse?). Then, I suppose that any folks that can only commit to a single day or two could just pick the segments that they wanted to join up for?

 

[cota95]

I told my wife about the ride and that it would be a food run and she said she's (we're) in. :yahoo:

She also said she is stocking up on Pepcid and Tums.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Legal Seafoods consistently places highly in the Boston Chowder-fests. It is now a chain of 30 restaurants with many of them located in (ugh!) shopping malls. :glare: Although the ambiance is lacking, they do have pretty consistently good seafood.
And not to be picky, but Brown's Lobster Pound is in Seabrook (not Hampton) which is the first town over the New Hampshire border (it's Salisbury on the MA side). Never been there. Looks good.

Thanks Fred. I haven't lived there in too many years I guess, and the old memories are getting jumbled. Legal wasn't all over the place 20 years ago.

As for Brown's, that is really disturbing that I got it that wrong. I ate there every year for almost 40 years. Hope I'm not starting an early dementia. :huh: Locals just call it Browns. Interestingly (for this conversation) across the street in what I assume is Salzbry, is a competing seafood restaurant that many compared favorably to Brown's. I have no idea if it is still even in operation. I think someone may have to do a ride-in, and write up a comparo.

Ya gotta remember the last time I was up there regularly, there was no internet.

EDIT II: Nice website Brown's has. The "ambiance" is definitely low-brow but exactly as I remember it after the additions in the 70's and 80's. A very comfy, rough-wood-floor with picnic bench feel to it.

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, that is how I like my lobster and steamers; "in the rough". One of my favorite places like that is the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound . It's just before you cross the bridge onto Mt. Desert Island.

BTW, the place across from Brown's is called Markey's Lobster Pound. I've never eaten there before either, but I do remember buying some to go, for a back yard clam bake one 4th of July. We used a (new) full size galvanized trash can on top of 3 cinder blocks with a small wood fire under. Lobstahs and steamers layered up with lots of seaweed. What a blast.

And don't worry about the recall. I think you're doing pretty good. Besides, they probably changed the name to fancy it up some...

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

(re: the 4th F...... what if we get to Cedar Waters and we ....um.... get in a mood ..... ? )

MEM, really! As I've asked hundreds of times, please just PM me!

I'd think if you allotted 3 full days of riding (not counting getting to the start-point or back home at the end) you could do a passable job of covering the full Maine coast, hitting only the better lighthouses, with most of the prettier harbors and headlands, and stopping for gustatory delights a couple of times each day (lunch and dinner). They would still be long days, but there are lots of hours of daylight in late May and early June.
3 days: Eastport to Bar Harbor, BH to Freeport maybe?, then South to York (or do the reverse?). Then, I suppose that any folks that can only commit to a single day or two could just pick the segments that they wanted to join up for?

Fred, I agree with you. In fact, so much so that I beleive that for those coming from far off parts would probably be much better served by having more built-in scenic stops and a slightly less aggressive schedule. As I eluded to earlier, I'm happy doing whatever the majority of interested attendees want to do. I need to do some more serious homework as to points of interest, eating establishments, and routes.

Shiny, Brown's is still a local favorite. In fact, I recall reading an article this past summer reviewing it versus the competition parked just across the street. My own dementia is kicking in cuz I don't recall all the details, but I believe the vote was a split decision! As for a ride in comparo, looks like they're calling for more of that white crap wednesday. :angry2: Was hoping not to put the beemer away just yet, but I gave in to the forecast and parked it today.

George, Tums don't take up that much space, so pack extra for the lady! Glad she's interested! Your son gonna be able to make it perhaps?

 

[cota95]

Ill check with the boy...

 

[Fred W]

As will I with mine. "The turd" (Freddie the III, get it?) will have just finished up on his 5 year college career, and quite likely not yet landed a place to be from 9-5 just yet. He may enjoy hanging out with a bunch of demented old farts for a few days while wandering the coast of Maine, so long as he gets a steady diet of his favorite food stuff (lobstah and clams).

 

[bluejag]

FYI Browns OK. mostly the hardly group hang there, Markys is better how bout adding Chauncy Creek Lobster Pound

Kittery Point Me. to the maybe list Also right there is Fort Foster(Gerrish Island) (yes mainland acess,no ferrys) and a real

hidden jewel (state park=clean,facilitys,very nice grounds BBQ pits ect. sections can be reserved for functions) Shhhh don't tell anyone!

 

[Geezer]

Wow. This has gone from a ride to get a bowl of white soup to a week long ride-n-feast tour of the coast of Maine. My mouth is watering just reading about it.

 

[TheAxeman]

You may want to check out this website also for some ideas.....

ROADFOOD :assassin:

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Wow, Chris, nice find! I have a growing list of things to do that I want to research. Food finding is definitely one of them! In fact, trying to ask some of my coworkers and friends as to where their favorite eats are for seafood along the northern coast.

I'm really liking the sound of Fred's idea of breaking up the Maine coast and doing three days. Perhaps the first annual run could be the northern leg, then sequentially working our way south, whadya think?

 

[MEM]

I'm really liking the sound of Fred's idea of breaking up the Maine coast and doing three days. Perhaps the first annual run could be the northern leg, then sequentially working our way south, whadya think?

Sounds GOOD to me!

 

[Fred W]

+1 -

To me, the most interesting parts will be the northern 2 legs.

OTOH the southern section may have the best food.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

https://www1.whdh.com/features/articles/ne_best/A4/

Link to one of Boston's news channel survey for best chowder. Can't vouch for any of them, but I'm definitely smelling a field trip!

 

[bluejag]

I guess if we are doin northen legs we may add Cabbage Island clambakes from Boothbay Harbor. We went there for a pre wedding bash and it's a damn good thing someone came to get us :yahoo: or we would STILL be there :yahoo: