Five Guys

Yes I am reviewing an international chain, but it's a really good one so it's ok!

I love cheeseburgers and whenever I find a burger joint, whether it be a local place or a national chain, I have to try one.  I'm fortunate that my wife makes one of the best cheeseburgers that I've ever had.

I first had the opportunity to try Five Guys in May 2011 while on vacation in Williamsburg, Virginia.  At that time we didn't have one in Maine so I was excited at the prospect of having one.  I was not disappointed.  A few months later the first Maine location opened in the Old Port in Portland and I didn't hesitate to go but was met with a disappointment. A few months later my buddy John and I went to that same Old Port locale and we were both unimpressed with out meal.

Fast foward 2.5 years to late fall 2014.  My wife is pregnant and we are traveling to Brunswick every other week for appointments and after we take the opportunity to grab a Whoper Burger at Fat Boy Drive In.  After Fat Boy closed for the season I took a leap of faith and said, "Let's try Five Guys" and I am so happy that we did.

Since then we have eaten at the Five Guys in Brunswick numerous times and have never, ever been disappointed with our food.  After Wesley was born it was the first restaurant that we took him too.

Back in early May my buddy Alex and I went to the Pro Wrestling Society show in Portland and after the show grabbed a burger at Five Guys in South Portland, yet another fantastic burger experience.  I don't know if I will ever try to Old Port one again and risk being let down.

I get my burger the same every time, cheeseburger, mayo, tomato, pickle, & relish.  The wife cheeseburger lettuce, mayo, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, and.  We get a little fry ordered hallow, and we split a Cherry Coke.

I'm definitely all about the Mom and Pop joints, but when you have a place cranking out a fantastic burger each and every time like Five Guys in Brunswick it's hard to resist.

Thanks for reading, please take a moment and leave a comment or check out my blogs other pages!

Later Readers!

Chutters

Chutters

43 Main St

Littleton, NH

603-444-5787

165 Main St

Lincoln, NH

603-728-6144

Website

Located in the White Mountains of Little, New Hampshire on main st you will find the original Chutters candy store.  At 112 feet in length it is the Guinness World Record longest candy counter.  I have visited this location twice in my life and both times I stocked up on Frooties as it is the only place that I have been able to find them.

Chutters has a second location in Lincoln, New Hampshire.  Also on main street this locale has an impressive 64 foot candy counter.  I will visit that one some day.

Beyond candy Chutters has chocolates, fudge, drinks, and country store type gifts.  The majority of the candy counter you pay for by the pound.  However there is a small section of penny candy, this includes the Frooties.

Chutters is no doubt a fun stop for both kids and adults alike.  They feature all kinds of candy from the newest to the classics that you can't find anywhere else.

If your ever in the area of either Littleton or Lincoln be sure to stop.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment and check out my other blog posts.

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Flo's Steamed Hot Dogs

Flo's Steamed Hot Dogs

1359 Route 1

Cape Neddick, ME 

Facebook / Web Page / Ebay

I had heard about Flo's years ago, they've been around since 1959, it just never worked out for me to go.  On April 25th I finally made my way south and stopped at Flo's on Route 1 to try their famous steamed hot dogs, and they lived up to the hype!

Flo's is an unassuming red building located on the right side of the road as you head North on Route 1.  It's actually located quite close to the road with parking on the front of the building.  There are several picnic tables around the building which makes up for the lack of inside seating.

The first thing that came to mind when I entered was how low the ceiling was, close to or maybe even under 6 feet.  Another thing I noticed was the building is quite large on the outside, however on the inside they only use about a quarter of it.

They have a very strict ordering system and a sign at the counter explains it thoroughly, you tell them how many hot dogs you want.  Then later how you want them prepared and finally you pay.  The menu is very simple, hot dogs, chips, beverages, and they sell their own relish.

I'm not sure if it was the time of year or if it's always this way, but she was cooking our hot dogs to order, which didn't take long.  They use Old Neighborhood brand brown natural casing hot dogs and they come in a perfectly steamed New England style top split roll.  Kate and I both started with two, I got one with just mustard, my normal, and the second the "House Special" Flo's relish, mayonnaise, and celery salt.

Honestly that just sounds gross, mayonnaise on a hot dog?  But somehow the combination is absolutely delicious!  Kate agrees! We ended up each getting a third hot dogs topped with the "House Special".

One thing that caught me funny was that the ends of the hot dogs are cut off.  I e-mailed Flo's asking about the peculiarity and this was the response that I got:

"Because years ago they use to have a knot on the end of them and Flo didn't like it so she started to cut them off and we still cut them today." 

Something to keep in mind, Flo's is a cash only business and they do not have an ATM at the location so come prepared with some greenbacks.

I can see why Flo's is so popular and is a destination year after year for many tourists, I know we'll be going back again!

Thanks for reading please leave a comment talking about your Flo's experience or if you have a question.

Later Readers!

Baseball and Hot Dogs: Fenway Frank

Hot Dogs and baseball have a long history together dating back to late 1800 / early 1900's.  I know whenever I go to a baseball game having a hot dog is a must.  How can you go to Fenway Park and not get a Fenway Frank?

Since 2009 Kayem out of Chelsea, Ma has been the supplier of the beef hot dog that is known as the Fenway Frank. My last trip to Fenway was on May 21, 2014 when Kate and I took our Mom's to a Red Sox vs. Blue Jays game.  It was a fantastic day, sadly the Red Sox couldn't pull off a win.

At Fenway you can get a Fenway Frank from almost all of the concession stands in the concourse, that's not for me.  I like getting them from a vendor that walks through the stands.  They carry this large steamer that has the buns on one side and the franks on the other.  It's 50 cents more this way, but it's worth it!  Needless to say, they are awesome!  Like all my Hot Dogs I like my dressed with just yellow mustard.

During April vacation this year my mom and I took the kids to a Sea Dogs game at Hadlock Field in Portland.  As the Sea Dogs are the AA club for the Red Sox they too serve the delicious Kayem Fenway Frank, and I had two during the course of the game.

The Red Sox are not the only team to have their own signature hot dog. The Texas Rangers have the two foot long Boomstick, the Arizona Diamondbacks have an 18 inch corn dog called the D-Bat, The Los Angeles Dodgers have the 10 inch Dodger Dog, and Kayem also makes the Rays Dog the official hot dog of the Tampa Bay Rays.  This is just a small sampling, every ballpark has their own take on it.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite ball park hot dog.

Later Readers!

Grant's Bakery

Grant's Bakery

525 Sabattus St

Lewiston, Maine  04240

(207) 783-2226

Website / Facebook

Grant's Bakery is one of the few real bakeries that I am aware left in Maine.  Back when I was a kid MacDonald's Bakery in Gardiner was the greatest place to get baked goods, breads, cookies, donuts, and more.

Grant's is similar in that you can get cakes, cookies, donuts, baked goods, breads, hot soups, and of course being in the heavily French community they have creton, tourtiere pie, and on Saturdays the traditional baked beans and brown bread.

I have been there many times in the past, but on this visit I picked up a peanut butter whoopie pie, and a couple ginger and molasses cookies.  I've never bought anything from there that I didn't like.

When I was a kid MacDonald's Bakery made these frosted gingerbread men cookies that were similar to these made by Grant's, however MacDonald's frosted theirs completely covered all of the cookie and not just around the edges.  Although these are close, they are not as good as MacDonald's were.

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment and check out my other posts.

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m

S. Fernald's County Store

50 Main St
Damariscotta, ME  04543
(207) 563-8484

Website / Facebook / Instagram

A co-worker of mine had told me about this fun Country Store in Damariscotta that she had gone to over the weekend with her husband called S. Fernald's County Store and that I would like it, and she was correct.

The wife and I decided to check it out on Saturday morning April 2nd. We both had been by it several times in our lives and never stopped in, which I regret because it is such an awesome store.

The inside is decorated with porcelain signs, Moxie memorabilia, old fashion candy all over the store, ice cream station featuring Round Top Ice Cream, and an outstanding delicatessen.

I was hoping to find frooties which I used to buy when I was a kid but alas they do not have them.  In fact the only place I have been able to find them in recent years was at Chutter's in Littleton, New Hampshire.

Frooties!!!

When I was a kid I found this catalog called "Things You Never Knew Existed and Couldn't Possibly Live Without" that I loved.  It was full of unique and awesome stuff.  It looks like S. Fernald's knows about the same catalog as they had some pretty cool toys and jokester stuff all over the store.  Kids have to love it.

They are open for Breakfast and Lunch and for coffee loves they have Rock City Coffee Roasters out of Rockland, my wife was quick to grab a cup.

My wife got a sandwich at the deli, and she loved it.  She built her own with ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a dill mustard mayo spread on wheat bread.

There are a lot of great looking signatures sandwiches available and several options with a build your own, which is what Katie did. Check out the menu.  They also have a fine chip and drink collection to accompany your sandwich.  You can even eat there in there limited table section.

This place clearly loves Moxie! Which is great as I love Moxie.  I really think the owners need to get in touch with Frank from Kennebec Fruit Company in Lisbon Falls and get his Moxie Ice Cream recipe.  It looks like Kennebec's is closing as the building has been put up for sale and someone needs to carry on the tradition of Moxie Ice Cream.

We'll go back again, no doubt about it.  Probably even grab a sandwich on the way to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse for a picnic on the rocks.

If you're in the area be sure to check them out.  You can find them on the internet:

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you have any questions.

Later Readers!

Update:  On April 17th we returned to Fernald's on out way to Pemaquid Lighthouse and grabbed a couple sandwiches.  Kate got the same sandwich that she had gotten before.  I built my own with smoked turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and that dill mustard mayo on wheat bread.  It was fantastic!

Here are some more photos of this great store....