Hello out there in Blog Land!

Yes, I know it’s been a while since my last post. Summer time is always busiest at WXPR Public Radio. I was just wrapping up some final reports following our summer pledge drive last week when Jan, the “Polka Queen," approached me. She waved a stiletto-like finger at me, “write a new blog, or else." I felt gelded.

So, today’s blog is being written under duress. But the timing couldn’t be better since I’m about to leave on vacation. Most of you know I’m a foodie. A trip away to me becomes an adventure in tracking down the perfect gastronomical experience.

By the time most of you read this, I’ll be somewhere in New England. My wife and I plan on wandering up the coast until we arrive on the beaches of Southern Maine. This is where we spent the first seven years of our married lives back in the 80s. Foodies; this is the place to satisfy your seafood addiction.

Lobster is to Maine what cheese is to Wisconsin. And the restaurants along the beaches of Southern Maine are the home of the “live and kickin'” lobster shore lunch. Yes, my friends. I plan on sitting down at one of the “el fresco” picnic tables overlooking the coast at low tide, contemplating a spread of steamed lobster, steamers (wonderfully succulent clams), corn on the cob, a chunk of corn bread and bowls of drawn butter. Now that’s good eatin!

Last night, I called my old friend, Tom, who still lives in Maine. Tom’s a foodie too. When I explained my quest for the ultimate foodie experience he immediately suggested we take in lunch at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle, New Hampshire.

At the Wentworth, Tom explained, I will find the ultimate lobster roll. For the uninitiated, a lobster roll is basically a lobster meat sandwich. But at the Wentworth, the oven broiled bun is stuffed with something like two pounds of lobster glistening with, you got it, hot drawn butter.

For us, no trip to the New England coast is complete without a leisurely drive up Route 1 to the sleepy little coastal town of Wells. In fact, we lived on the beach for a winter back in the 80s, but that’s another story. When in Wells, you must drive down to the harbor and visit Lords Harborside Restaurant. Home of the Haddagus.

At Lords Harborside, they take two haddock fillets and stuff them with a delicious concoction of asparagus, bread crumbs and a secret recipe white sauce. Baked to a golden crunchy brown goodness, Haddagus has been pleasing seafood lovers at Lords since 1969. And if you didn’t get enough lobster at the shore lunch, you can always upgrade your Haddagus to Lobagus. And no, I’m not making this up. Wait until you see the pictures of me covered in splattered hot drawn butter.

After a stop at Lords Harborside, our adventure will take us westward through the White Mountains of New Hampshire into our final destination: The Green Mountains of Vermont, where we’ve made arrangements to visit the home base of Green Mountain Coffee Roaster. I’ve been inspired to sample and savor a cup of their famous “fair trade wild mountain blueberry coffee.” I’m not usually one to fruit the beer or coffee, but insiders “in the know” promise me it tastes like a stack of blueberry pancakes without all the calories.

With all that driving and sightseeing and cups of coffee, a guy could work up an appetite. Good thing our final destination is just up the road. A little place nestled into the Green Mountains in Waterbury, Vermont. Our final destination: Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory.

The Travel Channel recently had a special on the nation’s best foodie factory tours. Ben and Jerry’s ran a close second to Hershey’s Chocolate. Since 1978, Ben and Jerry’s have been serving truly good ice cream. And if you’re serious about your ice cream consumption, like I am, you have to consider tackling an ice cream foodies' Waterloo: The Vermonster.

The Vermonster is not for the casual ice cream licker. It’s a hefty challenge for the healthy appetite. Consisting of 20 scoops of premium B&J ice cream slathered with four ladles of hot fudge, three cookies and four toppings, I’ve been told a Vermonster is enough ice cream to feed six people. If a group of four finishes one it’s considered a feat, and the mere efforts of one lone eater to even attempt a Vermonster is worthy of notation in the Waterbury Times.

Hold the press. I’m on my way! Until next time, as Satch always said, I’ll remain “Red beans and ricely yours,"

Jeff