HUNGRY GERALD

Wisftul farewell to HG/BSK’s oceanfront paradise on Prince Edward Island’s Gulf of St. Lawrence. As always, it’s been a happy summer enlivened by the presence of Handsome Haru and visits (too short) from other family members. Lots of joyous dining as the winds pick up speed and the leaves begin to turn. Dinner of barbecued lamb and potatoes at Noel and Yossi M.’s Ocean Mist Farm. The delicious lamb was raised by them on an organic diet and received humane treatment. Everything on N. and Y.’s table (tomatoes, peppers, chutney, salsa and the apple crisp dessert) was raised by this remarkable couple. The festive event was echoed two days later by BSK with a meal of buttery mushroom toasts, penne a la amatriciana (from Mario Batali’s Roman recipe). The feast ended with apple pie and a choice of vanilla ice cream (with Sicilian pistachio paste) or maple walnut ice cream. HG/BSK took time off from closing the house chores (admittedly, 98% of the heavy lifting is done by BSK), to dine at two local St. Peters casual landmarks– Rick’s Fish & Chips and Lin’s Takeout. Rick’s steamed local blue mussels (served with a dip of butter,mussel juices and lemon) were sensational–big, plump, juicy, full of sea flavor. Thankfully, last summer’s mussel malaise has ended. Lin’s has the best French fries HG has ever tasted and the generous scallop sandwich is world class. Last PEI meal was at the pretty 21 Breakwater Restaurant in Souris. There are Portuguese touches on the menu (piri piri chicken, Portuguese fish and chips, etc). All tasty. Leave tomorrow for many days of motoring to HG/BSK’s New Mexico home. There will be full reports on HG/BSK’s culinary adventures on the road.

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Toby, The Wonder Dog, doesn’t have much of a chance to dine out. Exists, with plentiful energy, on a wholesome, organic dry dog food mix enhanced with protein (cheese, left over chicken, etc). Unlike civilized Paris, well behaved dogs are not welcome in most American restaurants (with the exception of New York City). Today, Toby had a happy time on the outdoor deck of , the busy, casual seafood restaurant overlooking St. Peter’s Bay in northeast Prince Edward Island. The food at this emporium is on the upswing. HG enjoyed a lunch of crisply fried fresh haddock on a mountain of French fries alongside tangy cole slaw. Rick’s French fries are exceptional. Fresh cut from excellent, mineral rich PEI potatoes. HG fed some to Toby and the little guy was ecstatic. A cute young lady at an adjoining table saw Toby’s delight and asked permission (granted) to feed Toby some spuds. Rick’s, for good reason, is a happy place for Toby. Henceforth, Toby will do some loud barking, urging HG/BSK to stop whenever Rick’s is in view. Can’t blame the canine gourmand.

All good things (and, thankfully, bad things) must come to an end. And, so HG/BSK and Toby, The Wonder Dog, are wistful as they say farewell to Prince Edward Island. A saving grace as HG/BSK and Toby motor to Riverside, R.I., is that Toby will have a chance to romp with Pip, the Riva family’s talented dog. And, HG/BSK will join in a birthday party for Brilliant Granddaughter Arianna. The site will be Los Andes, a great Peruvian restaurant (HG has praised it in a recent post). Looking forward to New Mexico and the colorful turning leaves of autumn; swims in HG/BSK’s heated indoor pool; seeing the fish gambol in the Koi pond; watching light flicker and change across the Barrancas (colorful cliffs and mesas). Much of New Mexico’s air will be scented by roasting chilies and BSK will make good use of them in flavorful dinners as piñon logs blaze in the fireplace. These last days on PEI have been busy with a variety of household chores, packing, etc. HG said goodbye to Gladys and Sheryll, the gracious ladies of By the Bay Fish Mart, who keep HG/BSK supplied with good things from the sea throughout the PEI summer. HG/BSK ate a big platter of By the Bay’s Malpeque oysters. (These will be much missed. Both for their taste and modest price.) Had a very good (and very big) piece of fried haddock and crisp fried onions at Rick’s Fish and Chips in St. Peters. HG had been concerned that Rick’s might be going downhill but it seems to have recovered its mojo. HG will miss PEI seafood but will be consoled by menudo and a host of other Northern New Mexico treats. Tonight, HG/BSK will dine at the delightful 21 Breakwater Restaurant in Souris. In the meantime, off to the Land of the Brave, Free and Trump (plus many other Republican dimwits and lunatics).

When you are on Prince Edward Island you are rarely far from excellent fried fish, French fried potatoes or crisp, deep fried onion rings. Rick’s Fish & Chips in St, Peters is (HG kids) the three star Michelin choice for these goodies. But, fear not, one can find worthy competitors all over the Island. There’s Wicked Fries, a food truck that appeared this year in Morrell, which has “awesome” fries (according to grandson Handsome Haru) and a fairly remarkable burger sourced from local PEI beef (according to SJ). There’s another truck in Montague Harbor where HG/BSK have had exemplary fried fish sandwiches with French fries and house made tartar sauce. There’s another French fry food truck in Charlottetown that lurks near a complex of big box retailers. Always busy so they must be doing something right. HG/BSK live nine months of the year in New Mexico where tacos and burritos are rarely out of reach. You can grab them from food trucks, garner them from drive ins or eat them in restaurants. They are good, better or sublime. If they are inferior the purveyor is rapidly out of business. In Paris, there seems to be a crepe stand outside of every Metro station. These are not favored by HG who prefers the superb galettes or crepes at creperies like Breizh Cafe in the Marais neighborhood. In Vancouver, B.C., where HG/BSK lived (part time) for ten years, there were score of sushi joints. Every bench in the numerous parks or on busy avenues seemed to be occupied by beautiful young women eating sushi and chatting gaily with their friends. Philadelphia, which has always seemed to HG to be a highly eccentric city, is dominated by the soft pretzel. This doughy, heavily salted baked good (or bad) is heavily dosed in mustard and enjoyed by the multitudes. Go figure.

HG is very fond of fried fish. Fish and chips is a meal. For a snack (or a very light lunch) a fish sandwich is just right. Like many great edibles, a fish sandwich must be simple; and the key to elevating that simplicity is that every element of a fish sandwich must be correct. The buttered bun must be soft with a crisp, toasted surface. There must be high grade tartar sauce and a sprinkle of Tabasco. The fish should be cod or haddock, fried to a greaseless crisp. During HG’s summer sojourn on Prince Edward Island, HG often lunches on a fish sandwich at Rick’s Fish and Chips on St. Peters Bay. An exemplary nosh. Fish sandwiches do not abound in landlocked Santa Fe where HG lives for much of the year. HG’s craving sometimes forces HG into Burger King for a sad fried fish sandwich — for shame, for shame. Today, HG/BSK stopped at Blount Clam Shack in Riverside, R.I., for a quick lunch. Ordered a specialty: “The Fish Reuben.” This is a generous piece of fried cod topped with Swiss cheese, cole slaw and tartar sauce served on a buttered, grilled bun. This is the gold standard of fried fish sandwiches. Sea heaven on a bun. The Shack also offers a “Fish BLT.” In this version the fried cod is topped with lettuce, tomato, smoked bacon and mayo. Must try.

Last day in PEI before setting out on the long and tedious air journey to New Mexico. Lots of last minute chores to insure our home on the sea sails through the winters without mishap. So, no cooking. Instead, dining at two Prince Edward island standbys, both overlooking scenic St. Peter’s Bay — the breeding ground of the very best mussels. We had planned to visit Lin’s Takeout for a luncheon scallop sandwich. Unfortunately, Lin was out of scallops so she suggested a halibut sandwich. Glad she did. The sandwich consisted of a half-pound slab of fresh, juicy just grilled halibut on a big bun. Slices of sweet onion, ripe tomato and plenty of mayonnaise. One of the great 9 buck sandwiches. Dinner was at Rick’s Fish & Chips. Started with shucked, briny Malpeque oysters and went on to perfectly crisp, falvorfully battered and fried haddock withe plentiful hand cut French fried potatoes and onion rings. The surprise was our beverages–a big, cold bottle of Gahan House Brewery Brown Ale and its companion, a bottle of the brewery’s 1172 India Pale Ale. Splendid drinking. The Brown Ale had lots of roasted malt exuberance and the India Pale had lots of alcohol and a refreshingly bitter finish. Both ales are brewed at the Gahan House Brewery in Charlottetown, PEI’s major city. Nice way to say au revoir to the gentle green island.

HG doesn’t fancy big time restaurant dining on Prince Edward Island (though there are a few places that deserve the much abused descriptive “gourmet”). HG prefers raffish, casual places like Rick’s Fish N’ Chips and Seafood Restaurant a hundred yards from the shores of beautiful St. Peter’s Bay. And that’s where the HG famille gathered for an Exquisite Maiko birthday dinner. Daughter LR is off to Italy with family; SJ is tending to biz in New York. HG daughter Victoria F. is running her trio of Manhattan eateries. Thankfully, Irene didn’t bite any of them. So, the birthday party was only a foursome, HG, BSK, EM and adorable grandson Haru.

The group toasted the birthday girl with the surprisingly good house white wine. Haru clicked his milk glass happily and shouted “Kampai!! (a hearty Japanese “cheers”). Then some joyous feasting: well chilled, delicious Colville Bay oysters; Cajun mussels (rolled in a cayenne and garlic spiced batter and deep fried); juicy fried haddock, local french fries and onion rings plus plenty of home style cole slaw. Haru opted for a non seafood menu: hot dogs (with lots of ketchup) and french fries (with lots of ketchup). Dessert was vanilla almond-caramel ice cream at home with a blazing sunset over the ocean.

Much fun indeed.