While we're all thinking of food... (Old Town, Belfast: for sale, camping, restaurant)

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

I think food here in comparison to other places I've lived is bland. If you want cold tea you ask for iced tea and have a choice of sweetened or not, plain, raspberry, strawberry and other flavors. We drink soda.

We have marshmallow fluff.

My stomach's growling. I've been craving fried clams. No, I'm not pregnant!

fried battered clams,,one of my favs!!! thiers a place called brownies in pittston (between randolph and dresden)
that has my fav fried clams,,,,,theyve been there for years!!!

[MRVphotog]

You can add to the list those Wicked Whoopie Pies made by that lady in Brunswick.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

Also, I know from watching the Food Network that in New York and Chicago, they do some strange toppings on hot dogs. I don't eat hot dogs since becoming a vegetarian, but the only way I've ever eaten them was with chili and cheese. Saurkraut??? Ewwww!

and being of German extraction, I cannot imagine chili (which is a dish of its own!) or cheese on a sausage... even a lowly hot dog... it's ***** all the way!

[deerislesmile]

Hot dogs are not covered in ANYTHING but a hot dog roll! But they are red here*- that's throws a lot of people for a loop ("Are they lobster flavored?").


I mean the REAL hot dogs, not the water-puffed cheap dogs.

[forest beekeeper]

We have seen folks making a big deal over bright red hotdogs. We boiled some and the water turned a dark red, they put a lot of colouring in those hotdogs.

There are a couple competing brand names of red hotdogs, and I have witnessed heated arguments as to which brand name was the best.

I expected to see more seafood restaurants here, but I guess that we live too far inland in Maine.

No Tex-Mex, very little oriental food, the American-'Italian' foods do not resemble anything served in Italy [here the 'Italian' food has a lot of sugar in it, very little olive oil, and no aged cheeses].

No Greek food.

I know one Vietnamese lady who sales Korean food out of the back of her stationwagon, she sells at markets in Orono, Bar Harbor, Blue Hill, and elsewhere. Her food is pretty good.

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by ogre

If they are used in Maine, though, you'll find that what is known in most of the country as a milkshake will often be called a frappe. If Maine uses the same terminology that's traditional in Boston, a "milkshake" is not thick and ice-creamy, but is just flavored milk that has been shaken up so it's frothy, and might or might not have a touch of ice cream added. Another term you might encounter, if this is not just a local Boston thing, is "tonic," which is the word for soda pop. And, speaking of the generic term "soda pop," in much of the country it's called "pop," but in much of the Northeast it's "soda." (If you don't hear it called "tonic," you'll be more likely to hear "soda" than "pop.")

Now here, a milk-shake is thick creamy ice cream shake, sometimes with Malt if you're lucky! And "Coke" may refer to DP, Pespsi, Coke or Sprite. I'll learn to specify or just ask for "soda" I guess. Thanks!

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by ogre

Elcarim, did I get this right that you're moving from Texas? If you live in the interior of TX, seafood may not be a big deal in your area, but if you live near the coast, you've found that seafood is popular. It's also a favorite in New England, but here you'll find different seafood than that in TX. Being a vegetarian now, you of course won't really be consuming seafood yourself often, if at all, but just to fill you in on differences in regional flavor (literally), I think it's a matter of what seafood items live in the nearby ocean and can be gotten fresh. Besides the lobster everyone associates with Maine, you'll also see more cold-water fish on menus in the real-deal, small local restaurants that serve fresh seafood caught locally. They'll serve cod, haddock, bluefish, salmon, tuna steaks, maybe striped bass in season, rather than snapper and sea trout and jumbo shrimp (writing this is making me hungry). Also, a favorite seafood item is chowder (aka, regionally, as "chowdah"), which includes not only the well-known clam chowder, but fish chowder as well.

As for bread, if TX is like areas of the South along the east coast, then the breads tend to be on the light side. In New England, except for pastry, most breads are heavier (maybe because it feels heartier on a cold winter day). One other particular difference is that corn bread here is often sweet. Personally, I prefer Southern corn bread, which seems more like something to have as part of the main meal, while the sweetened corn bread common in New England almost seems like a piece of cake you should be having for dessert, but it's another regional difference in cuisine to be aware of, whatever your preference.

We are within 2 hours of the Gulf of Mexico. We actually do eat seafood a couple of times a week- it's the only meat we eat. Our vegetarianism is for health reasons, not religious or anything. Only problem is, the only "good" seafood we have here is at Red Lobster - I know, I know! The seafood we had in Maine was the best we've had in our lives. We can't WAIT to get back to it!!

Now the only chowder served here is corn and clam. I was surprised to see all the different fish chowders there. And the common fish here are cod, snapper, tilapia and "white" fish, which I'm not even sure is real fish sometimes! Oh, and also flounder. I've never had most of the ones you mentioned. That will be a nice change!

Don't eat much bread, other than whole wheat, though I love it! It just doesn't do my hips much good!! My son just turned two this month, the LAST child, and I'm trying desperately to regain my girlish figure so I can hop on that lawn mower and get aquainted with the neighbors!

[Elcarim]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

fried battered clams,,one of my favs!!! thiers a place called brownies in pittston (between randolph and dresden)
that has my fav fried clams,,,,,theyve been there for years!!!

LOVE fried clams, and I've never even had fresh. I'll have to check that out!

Also, I will miss my Tex-Mex, but I make some pretty good stuff myself, if I can just buy the ingredients there. I've looked through your sale papers for Shaws and Hannafords, and you guys have different foods and different brands than we have here. I think it will be a lot of fun to learn so many new things. I LOVELOVELOVE to cook, so this will be a really cool experience.

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by LHoss

Oh I got one that puzzled me first time I heard it, walked into a Pats pizza in Gardiner ordered an Italian sandwich girl asks me if I want a ham Italian, I'm like WHAT They don't get it that an italian is a sandwich with different kinds of meat, to this day still cracks me up

Be prepared to be asked what kind of an italian you do want. They are all considered italians, so be specific what you do want.

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by LHoss

Oh I got one that puzzled me first time I heard it, walked into a Pats pizza in Gardiner ordered an Italian sandwich girl asks me if I want a ham Italian, I'm like WHAT They don't get it that an italian is a sandwich with different kinds of meat, to this day still cracks me up

WE don't get it??? no, hon, YOU don't get it!