Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Summer Trip Tik Day #10

The Cabbage Island Clambake was recommended to Gene by a court reporter in Punta Gorda who has been going to these clambakes since she was a little girl. Departing from Boothbay Harbor (about an hour south of our rental cottage), the "Argo" takes the scenic route to Cabbage Island in Linekin Bay. To be honest, some of our group was debating going, as the trip was far, the dogs would be home, and the cost was over $52 each. Let me tell you, it was worth the trouble.

When we arrived at the island, we were greeted by more than a few teens in matching navy t-shirts donning the clambake logo, along with two gentlemen who both teased me about my Yankees hat. Hannah had no problem passing by the fellows in her Red Sox hat. We came upon a lodge-type building with a wrap porch that was scattered with picnic tables and surrounded by beautiful perennials. An older lady greeted us at the porch and told us to find a picnic table anywhere inside or outside around the island. I would later come to find out she was Bennie Alice, the grandmother, the 2 men were her sons, and many of the young workers her grandchildren.



The island was charming with picturesque views every which way. Badminton, horseshoes, and  volleyballs were strewn about for casual play. We noticed a large house and a couple smaller cottages, notedly the owners'. Bennie told us to roam about but to sit at the sound of the first bell for the chowder, then again at the second bell for the dinner. I spoke to her at length in the tiny gift shop, and learned about her son, who bought the island about 20 years ago. The business is family run, and she boasted how her sons started from scratch and created their own success. She lives in one of the cottages, the one with the porch she told me. The large house was her son who owned the land, the other house her other son, who runs the business with him. The original owner of the clambakes was Mrs. Leavitt, who had run it for 20 years before selling it to a man who wasn't as successful. According to Bennie, her son went down to Florida to visit Mrs. Leavitt, who gave him all the original recipes. They still do it just as she did, except for the blueberry cake which they altered a bit to accommodate larger pans. 




After telling me her name and that she was supposed to be a boy named Benjamin, Bennie Alice promised to remember my name - which admittedly she did, addressing me by it more than a couple times throughout the day. The meal itself was unbelievable. A bowl of chowda, two one pound lobsters, a pile of steamers, corn cob, baked potato, hard boiled egg, and an onion - all steamed on seaweed by water's edge, fueled by wood chopped in front of us by a couple hearty fellows. The teens were the servers, bringing chowder and iced tea to the tables. After supper, fifteen minutes of Badminton was all we could muster after consuming what seemed to be a week's worth.






It was a heartwarming day filled with sunshine, friendly people, sweet seafood, moist cake, bright flowers, green lawns, and the rocky coast. On the cruise home, we pondered the additional weight being cargoed by the 120 very full guests. For anyone lucky enough to be on the coast of Maine during the 11 weeks of the clambake, I would highly recommend spending the day with the Moore family.











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