this entry is special for two reasons. the first reason (alluded to in my 'grabber' paragraph) is this will be the first post where sandwiches were consumed outside the great baltimore metro area. and the second reason is that this post focuses on 2 different sandwich shacks in opposite corners of the northeastern hemisphere. hey when you are on a quest you will inevitably cover lots of map.
 |
| maine: the way life should be |
the first out of state stop on quest brought your hero to a familiar sandwich dispensery in the great state of maine. maine is a special state. frontier in character, breathtakingly verdant, boasting a state slogan that states that the state of maine is, 'the way life should be', and its also littered with the bounty of the northern atlantic. the most sought after seafood bounty in maine is the lobster, also affectionately known as bugs. the plump red and white meat can be found just about anywhere. roadside stands, fancy restaurants in portland, and even in mcdonalds. one of the most popular ways to enjoy a bug while on the run is the lobster roll. and one of the best places to enjoy one of these buttered hot dog bun stuffed sensations is on the main street pier in freeport (home of ll bean) at harraseeket lunch & lobster. harraseeket is everything you picture when you think of a maine pier. boats docked and on moorings, lobster pots stacked on the pier, red picnic tables with plastic checkered table cloths, and folks of all ages and sizes ooogling over a menu that has everything from lobster to clams to strawberry ruhbarb pie. tons of people pick the whole lobster supper, and most who dont definitely pick the lobster roll. ive been coming here for years and with these 2 items carrying a $21.95 and $14 price tag respectfully i opt for hands down the best value on the menu; the fresh fish sandwich for a whopping $6.50.
 |
| how 'bout that filet o' fish?!? |
i apologize about the lobster roll tease, but at harraseeket the sandwich to get is 1000% the fresh fish sandwich. its super simple. and its simplicity allows whomever is eating it to revel in the seafood taste sensation that is the 'ffs'. this humble creation consists of 3 evenly cut rectangular chunks (think french toast stick size) of fresh white fish (normally cod) that has been breaded and fried. the breading is simple and these cod crunchies are fried to perfection which results in flaky fish cubes encapsulated in golden brown crunchie goodness. these crispy poisson pillows are placed (maybe thrown) onto a toasted sesame bun, covered with tartar sauce and then topped with a piece of melted american. yes you are correct, its a 'filet o fish'. only this 'filet o fish' is the freaking rolls royce of fish sandwiches. packed with seafood freshly plucked from the ocean, prepared by main-e-aks who have been cooking fish for generations, and served on a picture-esque waterfront pier. dont believe me? then book a flight and go to harraseeket.
after firmly placing a conquering sandwich flag on the shores of maine, one week later it was time to turn my conquesting gaze towards the south. towards the us virgin islands. more specifically st croix. st croix was the sight of what could be declared as the most international/cross cultural gathering since the last failed round of the doha development talks, only this gathering was for a wedding celebration not an argument of domestic agricultural subsides and/or protection of patented technology. with a wedding in cards, golden sands all around, reuniting with friends from all over the globe, and rum that was practially free never in my mind did i think i would find time let alone an opportunity to sandwich quest in the islands. i was totally wrong.
 |
| front porch |
the entire wedding population (people from the west coast, mid west, east coast, and nyc coupled with folks from europe, turkey, and japan .... like i said a cross cultural orgy of fun in the sun!) stayed at a lovely beachside 'resort' called 'cottages by the sea' which is located in the town of frederiksted. frederiksted is tiny. and by tiny i mean microscopic, but its authentic islands. 19th century buildings, bright colors, and cobblestones on the beach front. behind the nice veneer even more authentic islands ... extreme poverty, serious unemployment, chickens running all over the place, and terrible infrastructure.
and just right between these two separate worlds lies a little culinary oasis in the tropics called turtles deli. turtles is everything i could ever ask for in a beach side deli. old ex pat couple running the shop. no shoes required. a dog leashed to the pole that holds the sign which clearly reads 'no dogs allowed'. a menu that includes both hot and cold sandwiches. and it was the closest place to grab a quick (nothing is really quick when you are in the islands) bite.
 |
| half-sies: smoking chix & there is a blt on top of my turkey sammy! |
i was introduced to turtles upon arrival at 'cottages' after my odyssey to the island which include ninja like exit from baltimore, flying out of the wrong airport, running through another airport (i guess i thought i was too cool for the intra-terminal train), being the last one on the plane, and catching a ride from the airport with unknown turkish people. there waiting for me in my older brothers refrigerator was a sight for sore eyes ... the 'turtle sub'. the thing was massive! over a foot of soft white roll that had been sliced at the equator and stuffed with (breath) turkey, salami, capicola, meunster cheese, american cheese, peppers, onions, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, hots, mayo, and mustard. again this thing was massive and i swear it had nuclear half life characteristics. with each bite there was a half bite regenerated. it took 2 people and multiple hours to eat the sub.
with my first turtles experience a success i was determined to go to the source for a late brunch after a night of multiple bottles of rum in the ocean with turkish people. brunch was a blt. straight forward, but the bacon was beautiful and the bread was toasted rosemary bread. the blt performance earned the deli another return trip for lunch the following day. only on this trip i deployed the half-sie technique with the older brother. the half-sie'wich was comprised of the turtles turkey club and the smokin chix. the turkey club was like most things at turtles, large. essentially it was a blt the a turkey sandwich underneath. amazing. and the smokin chix (confession: i went back to turtles for a 4th time to get this bad boy again) was a taste sensation! soft sourdough bread that cradled sliced chicken, crispy bacon, tangy cole slaw, 1000 island dressing, and smoked gouda cheese. yep it was a good as it sounds and 100% warranted the 4th trip.
turtles and harraseeket, two sandwich spots in completely different states/territories/worlds, but both slinging sandwiches that are more than worthy of mention on this sammy conquest!
**up next a fells point, md 'hidden gem'**
