Maine Travel Maven

Nibbles & Bites: Sunfire Mexican Grill, in Rockland, Maine

Hilary Nangle

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December 4, 2012

I’ve always enjoyed Sunfire Mexican Grill, but with so many restaurants in the area, I don’t get to go often. After a few years absence, I finally returned with my friend G the other night, and the experience lived up to my memories.

Sunfire occupies a double store front on Rockland’s lower Main Street. It’s bright and cheery inside, with wood floors, gold-hued walls, Mexican artwork that rises above kitschy, and a mix of wood and mosaic-tiled tables spaced well apart.

The Cal-Mex menu reflects the owners’ roots: They met in California, and his grandmother was Mexican. This isn’t the place to go for overflowing platters of Mexicanesque food glopped with cheese. Sunfire dishes out fresh Mexican with a Maine accent: think crabmeat enchiladas. Nor is it the place to go for a cheap meal: House specialties run $14-16. Of note, chips and salsa are not complementary here; a trio plate of chips, salsa, and guac is about $8.

Sunfire’s wine list is meager at best, and neither of the two whites I tasted had much going for it. Serving them in a regular glass didn’t help. G ordered a Margarita, smart girl. That’s the way to go here, and that’s what I’ll do next time I return.

Unlike many Mexican restaurants, Sunfire’s menu isn’t overwhelming, but it covers all bases. It offers quesadillas, salads, tostadas, burritos, and combo plates in addition to a handful of specialties. We opted for latter. I ordered the fish tacos, G opted for the mole chicken enchiladas, and we shared plates. Both were delicious, but we both think the fish tacos, made with fresh, blackened haddock and a smokey chipotle lime crema, won the taste war. The fish was moist, the flavor sharp.

Both entrees came with refried beans, rice, and small salad comprising lettuce and pickled red onions. We found the portions right-sized for one person; we didn’t have any leftovers and both of us cleaned our plates. Then again, neither of us our big eaters. I suspect some might leave hungry, although an order of salsa, guac, and chips would likely cure that.

Those who’ve traveled extensively in Mexico or savored authentic Cal-Mex in southern California won’t find the heat or punch of those locales, but Sunfire is a bright spot for Mexican in the state furthest from the inspiration.

Chef Jonathan Cartwright answers 5 questions

People
Q & A

Hilary Nangle

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November 25, 2012

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Chef Jonathan Cartwright answers 5 questions

grand-chef-jonathan-cartwright, courtesy White Barn Inn — Chef Jonathan Cartwright

Chef Jonathan Cartwright was at the White Barn Inn, then a Relais & Châteaux-member property, when I interviewed him in 2012. Now he’s at Caring Community Cuisine in Cape Porpoise.

Before joining the White Barn, Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef Jonathan Carter, a native of northern England, apprenticed at London’s Savoy Hotel and held positions at the Blantyre, Horned Dorset Primavera, and Hotel Bareiss. He was also the executive chef of Muse by Jonathan Cartwright at the White Barn’s sister property, the Vanderbilt Grace in Newport, R.I.

How do you describe your cuisine and the White Barn Inn dining experience?

We try to do regional American cuisine with European flair. We stay as local and regional as possible. We’re not making the dishes too wacky, we’re not fusing flavors. Flavors need to be there, complimenting each other, not complicating each other.

This is a great area to be in, with farming, foraging, and fishing. We have a wonderful product to work with. Chefs get all this credit for being superstars; truth is, you have to have great product to work with. If you cook it with love and care, you can’t go wrong. It really is that simple. You can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear.

I think America is one of world leaders in the culinary field right now. American food is truly international now. My kids are Americans, born to German and English parents, and we’re not an unusual family, not even in this area.

Our audience is much better than it used to be, so much more educated. I say to waiters: You’re being paid good money; you’re there to explain the dish, give them your knowledge. When someone goes away and knows a bit more about the wine, grape varietal, the food, it’s above the dollar amount paid for food and wine. It’s free for them, and they can share the info at another dinner or party, and it makes them feel good about the knowledge.

America has moved on in dining habits and they understand what goes into the dining experience; it really does cost that much, we don’t facetiously make up a price. If you go to the supermarket, you see that good products are expensive. It takes hands-on hours of labor to make, grow, and raise animals humanely and organically. We start with a great product, so it’s a huge price tag to get in the door. For one dish at the White Barn, it’s not unusual for four or five people to have worked on its preparation and plating. We always say what’s value? We don’t want to sell you a Ferrari, and give you the keys for Ford Focus. If dining a la carte, you’d pay double for the quality level we do. We have a great service team, lovely restaurant ambiance, and valets. Most people say it was expensive but worth it.

We garner so much respect from Relais & Châteaux in North America, an organization founded on food and the premise that one can stop off, have a great meal, rest, relax, and then go back on their journey.

You’re an avid cyclist, are there comparisons with being a chef?

Cycling is a very good sport that complements cooking: It takes strength, stamina, endurance, mental willpower, and fighting spirit to want to win and get to the top. My dream as a little boy was to be first English person to win the Tour de France. To win, you need a team or you can’t take a day off, can’t take your eyes off the prize. You can have a great day and win the world championships, but the Tour de France takes three weeks; you can’t set off and win the prologue and think you’ve won the race. Accidents, sickness, crowd interference, and strikes have all played parts in the Tour de France’s history. Even on an off night has to be a brilliant night. We’re defending the yellow jersey in the mountains, maybe not feeling well, have to figure out how to drag up hill. People have to pull together in the kitchen even on bad days.

You change the menu weekly. How do you find inspiration for new dishes?

Everybody on my culinary team has the opportunity to create a dish to bring to me to taste and say: Chef, I’d like you consider putting this on the menu. It gets them to invest in what we’re doing. Even if we move people around in the kitchen, if they have it in mind as their dish—spearheaded it, came up with it—even though we tweaked it, they own it. Even when they move off that station, they come in to check that it’s done right. We take pictures of every dish so that the consistency is always there.

You recently participated in a cook-off with the lunch ladies at your children’s school. What was your takeaway?

I said to the lunch ladies: You’re struggling to make ends meet on budget; make eating part of the curriculum. Dining/eating, socializing over the dinner table is something a young child needs to know. How much business is done over a table in a restaurant? Everyone needs to know how to eat, how to order, and it’s best to start at a young age to learn to appreciate food and have an understanding of it. My daughter doesn’t want to go fishing, she doesn’t want to kill a fish, but she loves fish and chips. How far do you take it with a 9-year-old? If we need and catch the right-sized fish for the four of us, say a prayer, and do it responsibly, is it right?

If eating were truly made part of the curriculum, like phys. ed., more money would be budgeted, it would be better received, and kids would be better prepared out in the dog-eat-dog world of business lunches. It’s very confusing trying to look relaxed, trying to be natural at a cocktail party or over lunch, when you’ve been given the opportunity to help grow a company. I think if dining education started with school, life would be much easier for everyone and would create better success for the country.

What are some of your most memorable experiences as a chef?

I took my first job to buy new bike parts. I was miserable in my apprenticeship at a fine dining restaurant; I thought I hate this guy (he’s now a second father). One day, the sous chef and the junior sous chef were off, and the chef was left to do the evening service with just two apprentices. It could have been a night of Hell, but the chef didn’t take that attitude. He set up the whole kitchen singlehandedly, gave clear instructions, and set us up for success, not failure. He could have done it the other way and screamed at us all night long. He was amazing. It was at that point I realized that this is not the crazy world I thought it was. Everything clicked. Seeing how he led that day, just like a Tour de France leader. When the chips are down, he showed how to fix it and defend the jersey.

My first New Year’s Eve here, I was horrified. I left in tears. I would have lost my staff had I stayed. We charged a lot of money, and people came, ate, and left to go to a party. That’s unheard of in Europe, where people stay, dance, and have breakfast at 3 a.m. Here, the whole place was empty but for staff by midnight. I wasn’t going to go through another New Year’s Eve like that, so I decided to change what we do. Now, New Year’s Eve is amazing. There’s only one seating, and we charge a lot of money, but everyone ends up in the kitchen at 3 a.m.

5 Questions & a recipe: Chef Timothy Labonte, Eve’s at the Garden, Portland Harbor Hotel

People
Q & A

Hilary Nangle

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October 19, 2012

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5 Questions & a recipe: Chef Timothy Labonte, Eve’s at the Garden, Portland Harbor Hotel

In May 2012, Executive Chef Timothy Labonte joined Eve’s at the Garden in the Portland Harbor Hotel. The Maine native is thrilled to be back in his home state and savor the goodness of the seasons. After chatting with him earlier this week, I dined at Eve’s. Chef had me at the pork belly, caviar, and lobster risotto amuse, then won me over with his version of a lobster roll: lobster mixed with crème fraîche and herbs and served in a popover shell along with a warm green curry sauce (recipe below). I was skeptical about this at first, but it was lovely, the sauce complemented the lobster beautifully. After that rich and delicious combo, I wasn’t able to finish the Atlantic catch seafood paella, but I sure tried.

What excites you about being back in Maine?

I’ve had chef positions in Maine, so there are things I’ve used in past. There’s a Maine chef repertoire part of me just waiting to come back. I’m eager to work with Maine ingredients: Rhubarb, fiddleheads, mushrooms, sea urchins, Damariscotta oysters, fresh blueberries, garden-fresh tomatoes, strawberries, apples.

I’m working with a few farmers who deliver twice weekly, and I started making those connections as soon as I knew I had the position, before I actually started here. I couldn’t wait to work with this and that. I had a shopping list in my mind. You can get anything in Florida, but heirloom tomatoes just don’t taste the same.

And strawberries, I love them. All the chefs are just waiting, ready to pounce to be the first one to get them. I’m always pushing on a daily basis, even though they say it’ll be two more weeks. I keep pushing, so when they come in, they say give them to him, so he doesn’t bother us anymore.

Being fresh and local requires staying current with purveyors. I started picking my fish purveyor’s mind a month ago. I need to know what’s seasonal, how long I have to work with it.

Portland is very supportive community. I got a great contact for a lobsterman from another chef. Whenever I call the lobsterman, he’s on his boat, and because he’s on boat, it’s kind of exciting to call. Wouldn’t have had that connection if the other chef hadn’t provided it. There are a lot of restaurants in Portland, and that pushes every chef, every restaurateur, to do better.

How do you define your cuisine?

I can’t put a label on my personal cuisine. As a chef you have to stay open to all flavor elements and profiles throughout the world and have the ability to take those flavors in your mind’s palette and taste them with local ingredients, such as blueberries, fiddleheads, and lobster; that’s the key to staying current with trends.

Here at Eve’s we’re more Mediterranean in flavors. People hear the word Mediterranean and think Italy and Greece, but it’s so much broader than that. When I looked at the list of Mediterranean countries, I was dumbfounded. It’s so much fun, never ending; there are no limitations.

Being a chef in a hotel means you have to have broad appeal, what are the challenges and what are you trying to achieve at Eve’s

I’ve been in hotels and restaurants for better side of five years. Every position I’ve had, people had a tendency to stay away because of the mindset that hotels only cater to their guests. That’s not the case. I want to achieve a certain level that other chefs have achieved in a short period of time. Portland has a lot of phenomenal restaurants. There’s a lot of good food going on, so diners are able to be opinionated. I want Eve’s to be on the top tier of restaurants in Portland.

For those guests who just want steak and potatoes, I run a kitchen where we believe in yes; there’s no such thing as no. If it’s not on the menu, we’ll try to make what they want. I don’t like to bring out the A-1 sauce, but if it makes them happy, we’ll serve it in a nice little ramekin.

What are your specialties, any signature dish?

We going to be looking at changing the menu in the next couple of weeks, and we’ve decided to go with seasonal approach, changing it four times a year, which is again a rarity for hotels. There are probably a few items that have earned a spot on the menu. I think the Atlantic catch paella is a great dish, and we’re using local seafood. It’s served in cast iron skillet, which creates rustic with elegant dynamic with the dining room. Our filet mignon, served with truffle tahini, garbanzo fries, and garlic honey aioli dipping sauce is another one of those dishes people love. Those two would be the most likely to stay on the menu. They’re fitting and can stand the test of time and change of seasons.

What’s the process for creating new menus and special ones, such as the upcoming Harvest Caviar Dinner?

It’s the same for any menu development here. When we’re ready to roll with a new dinner menu, we conceive it on paper, and then Gerard (hotel manager Gerard Kiladjian) invites a few diners and I present the dishes, make notes, tweak, and then it goes to print.

I prepared the caviar dinner menu just thinking of ideas I felt would got well with caviar, even before I met with Rod Mitchell (of Browne Trading Co.). Then he made notes on caviars, we paired the foods with caviars, and then paired it with wine. Originally, we had pork belly panini, but they felt it was too overpowering for caviar, so we changed it up to a lobster panini, but that was the only major change. That’s why we do tastings.

On the caviar menu, I’m really partial to the scrambled egg roll. I scramble the eggs until they’re light and fluffy, add herbs, then chop them, roll in egg roll wrappers, and fry them. They’re served with sea urchin hollandaise, served in the urchin shell, as a dipping sauce.

The Caviar Dinner, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, includes a champagne and caviar reception and four-course tapas- style with wine pairings, including tax and gratuity, is schedule; $120 pp. Both caviar guru Rod Mitchell and sommelier Erica Archer of Wine Wise will be on hand to help educate dinners.

NOTE: Eve’s at the Garden is open to the public for breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner daily and also serves a lounge menu.

Chef Timothy Labonte’s Lobster Popover /Thyme Dressing / Lobster Curry

4 servings

For the Popovers:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs
Pinch salt and pepper

1. In a mixer whip eggs until double in volume.

2. To the eggs, mix in the warm milk followed by the flour. Strain mix of any lumps that may have accumulated, add a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Pour batter into 4 wells of popover pan; a bit more than ¾ full.

4. Bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes or until fully risen to double in size and golden brown.

Note: Poke a small hole in the popover top as it comes from the oven to allow steam to vent out, this will help it retain its structure.

For the Lobster Salad:

1 # Fresh Maine Lobster meat cut into generous size pieces

2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
2 oz. crème fraiche
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix together all ingredients, refrigerate until serving

For the Curry:

1 cup rich lobster or shellfish stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp traditional roux
1 oz. pickled ginger
1tsp. green curry paste

1. In a saucepan add cream, stock, ginger and curry paste, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add roux to mix and continue to simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. Add curry sauce to a blender and blend until smooth and velvety.

Note: Be extremely careful when mixing hot ingredients in a blender; start at very low speed and work your way up to avoid splatter. Feel free to use a food processor in lieu of a blender.

Assemble:

1. Split popover in half lengthwise leaving a bit still attached to work as a hinge rather than having two halves.

2. Place bib lettuce and lobster inside of popover, serve with a lemon wedge and a side of curry sauce to enhance you popover as you wish.

May your life and stomach always be full.

—Timothy Labonte

Three books share Maine’s great outdoors with enthuisasts and armchair dreamers

Hilary Nangle

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October 6, 2012

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Three books share Maine’s great outdoors with enthuisasts and armchair dreamers

Ahhhh, October, summer’s last stand. I treasure October: the light is soft, the air is gentle, the breezes are clear, and the bugs are gone, as are many of the summahfolk. It’s the perfect time to get outdoors in Maine. Here are three new books that will help you do just that: the new edition of the comprehensive AMC’s Maine Mountain Guide, compiled and edited by Carey Kish; Mr. Rockefeller’s Roads, by Ann Rockefeller Roberts; and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: A People’s Garden, by William Culina, Dorothy E. Freeman, and Barbara Hill Freeman.

• Maine Mountain Guide

Intrepid Maine-based hiker Carey Kish took on one heckuva assignment in updating the 10th anniversary edition of this Appalachian Mountain Club’s tome, a bible for hikers in Maine. Readers of his hiking column in the Portland Papers followed in his footsteps as he climbed peaks throughout the state. This nearly 400-page book shares his wisdom, and guides hikers of all abilities to trails best suited for them, from an easy 25-minute jaunt up Jockey Cap (where the views far exceed the effort) to the Big Kahoona, Katahdin. Accompanying the book are two maps. Once covers Baxter State Park—Katahdin and the 100-Mile Wilderness; the other Bigelow Range, Camden Hills, Eastern Mount Desert Island, Mahoosuc Range, and Evans Notch. Carey’s promised a guest post about hiking in Maine, so stay tuned.

• Mr. Rockefeller’s Roads

Ann Rockefeller Roberts penned this ode to the Acadia National Park carriage roads created by her grandfather John D. Rockefeller Jr. In this second edition (updated from the original 1990 one), she shares the story behind the roads, detailing their history, along with anecdotes. New in this edition is a chapter, written by Ed Winterberg, prior director of Wildwood Stables, with former park superintendent Jack Hauptman, covering the restoration of the roads from 1987 to 2006. While the first edition was amply illustrated with historical photos and artwork, this one adds color photographs taken by Robert’s daughter Mary Louise Pierson. This isn’t a guidebook but a fascinating and indepth study of the carriage roads, full of tidbits to engage those who have lingered by one of the stone bridges and pondered its heritage or savored the views while walking or riding. Until reading this, I didn’t know that renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrand had a hand in the plantings that edge the roads. These roads are a gift that keeps giving.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: A People’s Garden

In the five years since its June 2007 opening, the magical Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay have earned must-visit status and national recognition. This hardcover, full-color book by executive director William Cullina, director of philanthropy Dorothy E. Freeman, PhD, and communications director Barbara Hill Freeman, makes it possible to visit the garden’s splendor without leaving your armchair. Chapters cover the 20-year history, as well as each of the unique gardens. It’s a delightful book that could have been stellar. Such a color-rich book, with images by some of Maine’s most talented photographers (including Lynn Karlin and Robert Mitchell) deserved a higher quality printing. Still, it’s an inspiration for aspiring gardeners everywhere and a promise worth settling down with during winter.

Musical notes from around Maine: Strand concert series and PSO’s new season

Hilary Nangle

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September 30, 2012

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Here are some upcoming concerts and musical events in Maine worth your attention.

Suzanne Vega and Arlo Guthrie Headline the Strand Fall Concert Series

Check out the lineup for the Strand Theatre’s fall concert series in Rockland, and purchase tix before they disappear.

Ben Taylor: Sat. Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., $15 in advance, $18 day of show
Suzanne Vega: Fri. Oct. 12, 8 p.m., $34
Peter Wolf: Fri. Oct. 26, 8 p.m., $3
Mary Black: Friday, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., $45
• Arlo Guthrie: Wed. Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m., $50

Portland Symphony Orchestra 2012-13 seasons ranges from classical to contemporary, with new community events

The Portland Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 84^th season on Sun., Oct. 7, at Merrill Auditorium in Portland City Hall.

The Tuesday and Sunday Classical concerts will showcase some of the best in classical works with cornerstones of orchestral literature including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Mozart’s Symphony No. 39. The season will conclude with a tribute to Mahler and a performance of his intense Symphony No. 5.

The PSO Pops! season includes a new show from Music Director Robert Moody inspired by Puccini’s opera La Bohème, a program highlighting American music of the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s, a concert featuring great film music, and a salute to the pop music of the 1980’s.

“From the opening concert featuring the stirring chords of the Fanfare for the Common Man, and my good friend Mason Bates’ piece Mothership, to the closing concert featuring one of the most moving and powerful symphonies in the repertory, Mahler’s 5th, this season in particular reaches a really interesting range of works that I’m excited to share with our audience,” says PSO Music Director Robert Moody.

New this year are two community events, a Music Lovers’ Luncheon Series and the Cello-bration Cello Choir. The luncheon series at the Cumberland club begins Thurs., Oct. 4, at noon, with PSO Music Director Robert Moody and a guest artist discussing the programming of Mason Bates, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Aaron Copland. The PSO will perform selections by the three composers at its opening concerts. Fee is $25 and reservations are required.

Other luncheons are planned on Jan. 25, when PSO Concertmaster Charles Dimmick and Flautist Rachel Braude will discuss the Jan. 27 “Happy Birthday Mozart!” concert, and on April 12, when Moody and guest saxophonist Ben Robinette will discuss the April 14 “Mathis der Maler” concert.

The Cello-bration Cello Choir is open to cellists of all ages and levels. Participating is free, but registration is required by Fri., Oct. 5. The choir will perform with PSO cellists at Merrill Auditorium on Sun., Oct. 21, after a morning rehearsal. The free, afternoon concert begins at 1 p.m. The program is a lead-in to the PSO’s Cello-bration on Tues., Oct. 30, when the Classical Concert’s program will showcase the cello.

September in Maine: Maine Open Lighthouse Day

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Hilary Nangle

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September 5, 2012

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September in Maine: Maine Open Lighthouse Day

I love September in Maine. The weather is gentle, the light is soft, the air is clear, and autumn is staging its annual fiery flash dance. Even better, it’s the height of fair season (my favorite is the Common Ground Fair). Equally fun:

Light up your life at Maine Open Lighthouse Day: Sept. 15, 2012, statewide

Lighthouses along the Maine coast will be open for guided or self-guided tours of the towers and/or keeper’s houses on Saturday, Sept. 15. Most will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m; some l will have limited accessibility or special restrictions. Here’s more information, including how to access the offshore lights.

The event website, www.lighthouseday.com,Here’s a list of participating beacons.

Brown’s Head Lighthouse, Vinalhaven Island: Light tower only.

Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse, Swan’s Island: Light tower and keeper’s house.

Burnt Island Lighthouse, off Boothbay Harbor: Light tower and keeper’s house (Living-history museum inside).

Curtis Island Lighthouse, entrance to Camden Harbor: Light tower only.

Doubling Point Lighthouse, Arrowsic: Light tower only.

Dyce Head Lighthouse, Castine: Light tower only.

Fort Point Lighthouse, Cape Jellison near Stockton Springs: Light tower and bell tower (exhibits inside).

Grindle Point Lighthouse, Islesboro: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside).

Kennebec River Range Lights (two towers), Arrowsic: Front and Rear Range light towers only.

Little River Lighthouse, entrance to Cutler Harbor, 9 a.m. to noon. Live music at the site. Light tower, boathouse and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight stays).

Marshall Point Lighthouse: Port Clyde: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)

Monhegan Island Lighthouse, Monhegan Island, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside).

Owls Head Lighthouse, Owls Head: Light tower only.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside).

Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light), South Portland: Light tower only.

Portland Head Lighthouse, Cape Elizabeth: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside). Note: On Open Lighthouse Day, approximately 300 tickets will be made available to visitors on a first-come-first-served basis. A ticket will be required to climb the tower. You must be at least 48 inches tall to climb the tower. Visitors must be able to climb 85+ steps unassisted.

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, Rockland: Light tower and keeper’s house.

Seguin Island Lighthouse, off Popham Beach (offshore): Light tower and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight member stays).

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, South Portland: Light tower.

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (museum inside).

Whitehead Lighthouse, entrance to Penobscot Bay, Whitehead Island: Light tower only.

Wood Island Lighthouse, Biddeford Pool: Light tower and keeper’s house.

And of course, don’t miss the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland.

The annual event, coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard, in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism and the American Lighthouse Foundation, is the largest event of its kind in the country.

Tool geeks, fixer-uppers, and artisans, meet your happy place: Liberty Tool

Hilary Nangle

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August 31, 2012

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Tool geeks, fixer-uppers, and artisans, meet your happy place: Liberty Tool

If it weren’t for Skip Brack, it’s likely the rural town of Liberty, Maine, a dip off Route 3 just inland from coastal Belfast, would be bypassed by all but the handful of folks who call it home. Between 1976 and 1986, Brack purchased and restored Liberty’s downtown buildings (all three of them), and created a must-stop shop for trades-people, collectors, renovators and home hobbyists.

Liberty Tool occupies the three-story building that once housed the Liberty Village General Store, which had a rooming house on the second floor and a dance floor on the third floor. These days, tools fill every nook and cranny of the first floor and mingle with antiques, junktiques, book, and what-have-you on the upper floors. Across the street, the former Banks’ Garage, next to the museum building, has been reborn as the power-tool annex, a Craftsman extravaganza. Upstairs, in the adjacent former Masonic Hall, Brack established the Davistown Museum.

For more than 40 years, Brack’s scoured New England attics and cellars for early Native American and Colonial-era tools to buy, restore, resell or display. “My only forte is sniffing out what’s been left behind by others,” he says. The rarest and the best finds he saves for private sale or to display in his labor of love, the Davistown Museum; the rest are destined for his tool emporium.

Liberty Tool’s stock includes everyday tools as well as the hard-to-find, specialized ones desired by shipbuilders, housewrights, chairmakers and coopers as well as tools used by blacksmiths, tinsmiths, watchmakers, jewelers, weavers, tool-and-die makers and engravers. Beyond specialists, Liberty Tool lures weekend renovators and hobbyists who know they can find brand-name tools in good condition for reasonable prices.

No other shop has the quantity, quality, low prices or such persnickety organization. Every tool has been cleaned, restored and grouped by type on shelves and into drawers, bins and barrels, most labeled with the specific contents: flat files, flat bastards, round files with handles, triangular files with handles, large smoothing files without handles, small smoothing files with handles, large rasps and so on. Not only is every tool sorted, but it’s also labeled with a rock-bottom price. “No dickering,” Brack declares.

Throughout the store are grab-bag jars filled with a miscellaneous assortment of the smallest items, perhaps bolts and bits or brass fittings. You might see one item in the jar you want — a link for a chain, a wood screw, sockets for socket wrenches — but the whole shebang is yours for $1 or so.

Despite its name, Liberty Tool isn’t just about tools. When cleaning out a house, Brack finds “perhaps three to 10 tools of significance and 200 other objects that help pay the bills.” He fills the upper floors with the surplus and salvage: antique and used furniture, old books and magazines, glassware and pottery, toys and collectibles.

The “tools of significance” often end up in the Davistown Museum, where he’s soldiered together his passions for old tools, historical memorabilia, environmental activism and contemporary art. Native American, Colonial and industrial-era antique tools and artifacts share space with contemporary sculptures and paintings by members of the Maine Artists Guild, and historical artifacts and documents from Liberty and adjacent Montville, once collectively known as Davistown.

“All museums love to do exhibits on who sailed which ships where, but they don’t ask about the cargo, how it was made and the tools used to make it,” Brack says. Explaining those connections and the stories behind the artifacts and interpreting New England’s history through them is the museum’s niche. It’s a place where the subtle links between history, tools and art–the historical, the practical and the aesthetic—are, well, hammered out.

Schooner Mary Day celebrates 50 years at 2012 Camden Windjammer Festival

Hilary Nangle

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August 30, 2012

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Schooner Mary Day celebrates 50 years at 2012 Camden Windjammer Festival

More than 20 schooners and other sailing vessels are expected to arrive in Camden this weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2012) for the Camden Windjammer Festival, the annual maritime celebration. The jam-packed weekend includes a maritime heritage fair, talent show, fireworks, crate race, pancake breakfast, chowder challenge, demonstrations and contests, controlled boat races, art auction, boat parade, and a party honoring the schooner Mary Day, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season.

My friend Sheila Grant, author of Fifty Great New England Family Fishing Vacations, recently cruises aboard the Mary Day. Here she shares here experience.

Getting my sea legs aboard the Schooner Mary Day

by Sheila D. Grant

I have a confession to make. I am a landlubber. It’s not that I lack an adventurous spirit so much as that my unfortunate tendency toward motion sickness quashes that spirit at times. The idea of dining, much less sleeping, below deck was enough to make me queasy sitting at home in my computer chair – but when the opportunity to spend three days aboard the Mary Day came along, I couldn’t pass it up. Now that I’ve been, I would encourage anyone to give this Camden-based cruise a try. I didn’t even need the medication or ginger gum that I packed, just in case!

The Mary Day, which celebrates her 50^th Anniversary this year, launched in 1962 as the first coasting schooner built specifically for the windjammer trade, and as such, offers roomier accommodations than most tall ships. A window and skylight in each provide daylight and fresh air, making the cabins feel anything but “below deck.” On each bunk is a plastic bucket that may be used to bring hot water back to the cabin. The bucket contains other necessities, including: a plastic tumbler for drinking water from the sink found in each cabin; soap dish and soap; aloe gel (in case of sunburn); and lip balm.

There are several fun items in the welcome kit, including The Schooner Mary Day Log of Discovery, a booklet providing a history of the ship, space to enter the names of all crew members, a diagram naming parts of the ship, space for notes and photos from the voyage, a quiz on nautical knowledge, how-to information on knot tying, two of the most requested recipes from the ship’s galley along with space to write down additional recipes, and space to record contact information from fellow passengers.

On that first night, and throughout the voyage, I discover that Captain Barry King is adept at finding harbors so calm that I cannot tell I’m aboard a ship as I drift off to sleep.

The ship’s cook is a magician of some sort. With no electricity, and only a woodstove to cook with, she whips up delicious breakfasts served family-style in the beautiful wood-trimmed galley, and buffet-style lunches that we take back up on deck to enjoy. Dinner the first evening is an old-fashioned lobster bake ashore at our anchorage for the night, complete with plenty of snack foods, hotdogs and burgers for those who don’t do crustaceans, and, dare I say it – all the lobster you can eat!

Dinner the final evening is also served family-style, but because it’s a special occasion, there’s candlelight and sparking juice to go with the baked ham, stuffing, mashed white and sweet potato medley, and more. For dessert, an ice cream sundae buffet up on deck with vanilla and chocolate ice cream that we’ve helped crank out ourselves on an old-fashioned ice cream maker. There’s nothing quite like watching a sunset at sea while dining on ice cream. And happily for me, because breakfast and dinner are served at anchor, and lunch is on deck, motion sickness does not dampen my appetite even a little bit.

The cruises are promoted as being “unplugged,” because Captains Barry King and Jennifer Martin believe that only by leaving cell phones, laptops, and workaday cares behind will passengers truly relax. To fill the void, passengers do what people used to do before the advent of television. We talk. We learn about the ship, about knot tying, or steering, or the history of the region. We learn about each other. We read. We rock in the big old rocking chair next to the ship’s wheel. We nap. We relax.

I had wondered how I might fill my time, since reading aboard any moving thing is out of the question. I did envy my fellow passengers who were able to devour a good novel during the trip, but I found wonderful ways to occupy myself, as well. Watching captain and crew work is pretty fascinating stuff, as is taking a turn hoisting or furling sails, or steering the ship so that her mighty sails can work with the wind. Keeping a sharp eye out for wildlife yielded many seal and porpoise sightings, as well as a few osprey. Being a bit of a shutterbug, and enamored of the ship’s sails in every sort of wind and light, I took more than 350 photographs. And best of all was the time to just…be.

NOTE: Captains King and Martin are hosting a 50^th Anniversary Party for the Mary Day on Sunday, Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the ship’s dock in Camden. Local music and complimentary refreshments will be available, and the captains plan to unveil a surprise gift for the vessel. The event is happening in conjunction with the Camden Windjammer Festival and is open to the public.

Tour Portland’s Kotzschmar organ

Hilary Nangle

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August 13, 2012

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The Kotzaschmar Organ, the first municipal organ in the country to be designated a municipal organ and one of only two still in existence (the other is in San Diego), is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.

Named after German musician Hermann Kotzschmar, who resided in Portland from 1849 to 1908, the organ was a gift to the city from publishing magnate Cyrus H. K. Curtis. When installed in Portland City Hall in 1912, the 50-ton organ, built by the Austin Organ Company in Hartford, Conn., was the second largest in the world. Over the last 100 years, it’s survived moves, repairs, enlargements, and building renovations.

Kotzschmar Organ trivia

225,000 people attended a Kotzschmar Organ concert during its first year. The organ’s narrowest pipe is 1/8 inch, the biggest is 32 feet. The city has employed 10 municipal organists since 1912, Ray Cornils has had the title since 1990. Kotzschmar has 102 ranks, 6,862 pipes in eight divisions: Swell, Great, Solo, Orchestral, Antiphonal, Echo, Pedal, and Percussion. The Echo and Antiphonal divisions can be heard emanating from the large grid in the ceiling near the rear of Merrill Auditorium

Tour the Kotzschmar Organ

Yes, you read that right. You can walk through the Kotzschmar Organ’s windchest on a docent-led tour offered by the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ.

The Maine Lobster Book answers all lobster-related questions

Hilary Nangle

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August 10, 2012

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The Maine Lobster Book answers all lobster-related questions

With Maine lobster in the headlines, it seems an appropriate time to share The Maine Lobster Book, by Virginia M. Wright, with you. If you’re looking for the definitive quick study on all-things lobster, this is it. Wright covers everything you want, need, and don’t want to know about Maine’s famous crustacean, and does so in a witty style presented an easy-to-understand format spiked with engaging graphics, images, and interviews.

Want to know why Maine lobster catches (a.k.a. landings) have increased so dramatically—“in 2011, the catch exceeded 100 million pounds, which is five times the historical average”—Wright explains, with the help of Maine’s chief lobster biologist (Uber cool job title!). Curious about lobster sex? Yup, she explains that, too, as well as the long watery road from birth to maturity. Wondering about what to do with lobster waste? Wright offers up golf balls, dog biscuits, and flower pots. Eager to understand the whys behind a blue, purple, pink, or two-toned bug, (a.k.a. lobster)? Wright consults with the Maine State Aquarium, in Boothbay, for the answers. And that’s all in the first section of the book.

In the second chapter, Wright covers the lobster life from the human perspective, highlighting a few of Maine’s best-known lobstering villages and festivals, and explaining the daily lives of those who make their living from them. Maine food historian Sandy Oliver shares a historical view, and in Snopes-like fashion, separates truth from legend.

Wright wraps it up with eating, debating hard shell or soft and what constitutes the perfect Maine lobster roll, and providing award-winning recipes garnered from the best amateurs to seasoned professional chefs.

In short, this is an excellent resource, great souvenir, and a cookbook all rolled into one little package.

For more on all-things Maine lobster, go here.