Forrest Gump Archives - There Goes Connie

A memorable scene from Forrest Gump occurs when his friend Bubba drones on endlessly about the many ways that shrimp can been prepared and eaten. As a refresher, watch it here.

When we got off the plane in Portland, Maine recently, one of my goals was to experience lobster, Maine lobster, in as many ways as I could find. After all, hadn’t we just come to the Lobster Capital of the United States, maybe even the world?? According to a March 4, 2016 article in Portland Press Herald, lobstermen in Maine hauled a record $616.5 million worth of lobsters in 2015, derived from 276.5 million pounds. Stacks of lobster traps and displays of colorful lobster buoys are common there but very uncommon for our native Alabamian eyes.

Lobster buoys and traps in Boothbay Harbor.

I had not eaten lobster since a very nice date during college insisted I order it in a restaurant and try it for the first time. I remembered liking it, but there again, over 45 years had passed in the meantime.

Fresh from the lobster boat ready for the boiling pot.

Since I wasn’t positive I’d really like it, I ordered a combination lobster/crab roll for one of our first lunches in Kennebunkport. I liked the crab, but I LOVED the lobster, so it was full on after that.

A lobster roll in Boothbay Harbor. It tastes even better eaten outdoors overlooking the harbor.

For dinner that night, we had lobster bisque served in a coffee mug, then lobster mac and cheese. Both were delicious. The lobster mac and cheese was fancier than the name implied with huge chunks of lobster and both fontina and Gruyere cheeses.

Lobster mac and cheese in Kennebunkport.

During our first night in Rockland, we decided to go for broke and order “the whole deal” and try our best to crack that beast and coax out the meat. It was an ordeal and a lot of work. Dishes where the lobster has been picked out for you are much better deals. Trust me.

My lobster bib getting ready to tackle the whole monster.

All except the white albino lobsters turn red when they’re cooked. I think they look better when they are this nice color.

While watching the Auburn game at a sports bar in Bar Harbor (see what I did there?), we enjoyed hot crab and lobster dip on flatbread wedges. Oh my goodness. YUMMMMM!!

After about 3 days of lobster, we decided to move on to some of the other delectable seafood choices and found the haddock and scallops to be amazing. If you are a seafood lover, I strongly recommend a trip to Maine. Try some dishes that aren’t fried and don’t expect hushpuppies, and you’ll be very satisfied. I promise.

Just as a quick side note, we had breakfast one day with a couple from Cape Cod. They had no plans to eat lobster in Maine declaring that the lobster on their part of the coast was much “sweeter and softer.” Maybe that calls for another exploration trip. 🙂

When you’re planning your trip, check the websites for these restaurants:

Pier 77 at Cape Porpoise near Kennebunkport

Mabel’s Lobster Claw, Kennebunkport

Alisson’s, Kennebunkport

Archer’s on the Pier, Rockland

Mariner’s Grill, Camden

The Pearl on the Pier, Rockland

Paddy’s Irish Pub, Bar Harbor

The Chart Room, Bar Harbor

Be aware that some of these may only be open for “the season” which basically runs from Memorial Day till Columbus Day, so do your research.

Day 2 of “Savannah with my Silver Fox” was filled with history lessons. We took a trolley tour and heard about many of the famous people and events that happened in this important city. We learned about James Oglethorpe and his prohibitions against allowing lawyers, strong alcohol, or Catholics into the colony. Those big plans didn’t last very long, did they? We saw monuments to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who only stayed for a few months but then went back to England because he couldn’t endure the Savannah heat. We saw several tributes to Johnny Mercer who wrote the lyrics for about 1500 songs and was nominated for 19 Academy Awards. My favorite song of his would have to be “Moon River” because I won a talent contest playing it when I was in the 10th grade. 🙂 We saw the house where the founder of the Girl Scouts was born, and I’m sure you’re not surprised that I made this picture of the First Baptist Church which was the only church still standing that carried on with services throughout the duration of the Civil War.

I’m not sure who this statue commemorates, but seeing Steve standing there made me think that he could probably be known as “The World’s Greatest Granddaddy” one of these days, but I can testify with certainty that he would NOT want a statue made of that honor. Can you see the Carolina live oaks in the background with all that moss hanging down? I understand that they stay green all year long, but you don’t want to take any moss home for a souvenir because it’s full of chiggers!!! Makes me itch just thinking about it. 🙁

We ate lunch today at a lovely place called Gryphon (pronounced “griffin”) Tea Room. It is operated by students at the Savannah College of Art and Design — known as SCAAD. The picture shows what we could see by looking directly over our table. Isn’t that amazing? The room had so many beautiful architectural details and a very special ambience.

Steve had smoked salmon on crostini, spread with goat cheese and a side of cucumber salad.

I had chicken salad with orange souffle and cheese straws. And, by the way, the tea was awesome. I’d love to go back some time with daughters or lady friends and enjoy their afternoon tea with scones, sandwiches and sweets. Doesn’t that sound prissy?

Many movies have been filmed either entirely or partially in Savannah. The Six Pence Pub, shown below, was featured in a Julia Roberts movie called “Something to Talk About.”

In the opening scene of “Forrest Gump,” a feather floats from the top of this church steeple pictured below. We saw the square where he sat on the bench and shared his story with bus passengers throughout an afternoon in the movie, but the bench is no longer there. At one of our trolley stops, a Forrest Gump impersonator got on for a couple of minutes saying he needed to go and find Lieutenant Dan. His dress and mannerisms were really good copies of Tom Hanks’ character.

We did more walking on our own this afternoon and especially enjoyed a nearby cemetery. One large marker showed the burial spot of a man who had been born on July 8, 1776 — only 4 days too late to be a bonafide “Yankee Doodle Dandy!” 🙂

Dinner that evening was our big splurge of the trip. We had reservations at The Olde Pink House overlooking Reynolds Square. It was built in 1771 and is the oldest mansion in the State of Georgia. It was originally a white house, but the soft native bricks began to bleed through the plastered walls and slowly changed the color to a Jamaican pink. Our table was in the original dining room. With the carefully-chosen classical music playing in the background, it was easy to imagine the family of James Habersham, Jr. eating here by candlelight 241 years ago.

For an appetizer, we had “blackened oysters on the half shell, watermelon relish, pear and apricot chutney and green tomato chow chow.” It was so delectable that we were half-way finished before I remembered to get out my camera.

Steve’s entree was “crispy-scored flounder with apricot shallot sauce, sweet potato fries and fried green tomatoes.” This was a LARGE flounder, but he managed to eat every bite. 🙂

I had “pecan crusted chicken breast, blackberry bourbon glaze, sweet potato with pecan vanilla butter and fried green tomatoes.” Scrumptious and amazing. The same chef has been at the restaurant since 1991. He’s worth whatever he’s getting paid. That’s for sure.

Our server arranged a very special dessert. Notice the message written by the chef in chocolate beside the key lime pie that we shared. The crust of that pie had a secret ingredient which I plan to KEEP as a secret because I hope to serve it to guests of my own very soon. It was the best key lime pie either of us had ever tasted — and we’ve had it in many places.

Again, I want to commend the staff at our B & B, the Presidents’ Quarters Inn. They were so attentive and helpful. They made suggestions and reservations for us and answered dozens of questions. On Night #2 there were homemade cookies on our pillow when we got in.

We rested well, eagerly anticipating Day 3.

Maine Impressions — LOBSTERS!!

Savannah with my Silver Fox, Day 2

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