Spurwink Country Kitchen a delicious throwback

Spurwink Country Kitchen a delicious throwback
By N.L. ENGLISH
Portland Press Herald

SCARBOROUGH — For years I have searched Maine for the restaurants that would make sense of the past. Surely Maine's inexpensive restaurants once served good food, or no customers would have flocked inside.

Since I couldn't figure out how to travel back in time to taste pie in diners before the delivery trucks took over, I have wandered into inexpensive places up and down the state in hopes that some isolated spot still remained that kept to the old ways.

I think I've found one at Uncle Don's Spurwink Country Kitchen, owned by Don Drew since April 2007.

Lightly coated fresh fried clams and oysters were excellent, and if the pie and raspberry crisp were a little starchy for my taste, both were enjoyable.

"We make everything here," said Stanis Moody-Roberts, my excellent server on a first visit, exuberant from his recent graduation at Cape Elizabeth High School. About 35 local people are on this business' payroll, working part-time.

The staff was attentive and helpful, filling water glasses they spotted empty for other server's tables and making sure everything was right -- including "Uncle Don" himself, who said hello to customers during both my visits.

Although he calls himself retired, this 67-year-old entrepreneur cooks the food seven days a week with the help of other line chefs. Drew also owns the Cricket Corner Shop in Raymond. He graduated from Maine Vocational Technical Institute (now Southern Maine Community College) in 1962, and owned the West Custogo Inn in Yarmouth until 1985.

Dinner always starts with cellophane-wrapped crackers and a creamy cheese spread made with butter, dill, garlic, chives and parsley, perfect with a drink of wine or beer from a short list. Geary's Pale Ale ($4.50) is a reliably good choice. A glass of Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir ($6) -- all the other wine options are called "Sycamore Lane" -- held mediocre wine.

Small, tender baking-powder biscuits are served with dinner, tempting with a smear of the Cabot butter.

Big pieces of romaine in a light, lemony dressing and lots of grated hard cheese make the Caesar ($7.95) good. Specials include appetizers and soups and give variety to the comfortable list of standards like chowder, lobster stew and clam cakes.

But my real focus was fried clams ($19.95) because it's another touchstone of a Maine summer, and I craved good ones. The lightly coated, fat little soft-shell clams were the best I've had this year juicy and tender except for the chewy-in-a-good way siphon.

Fried oysters from one night's special menu were lightly coated and quickly cooked, tender and wonderful. The homemade tartar sauce is made with mayonnaise, coarse green relish, dill and fresh cracked pepper.

"We use the best non-trans-fat oil that you can buy -- I pay $48 for a 5-gallon container. The fat doesn't take on any other flavors. You can actually eat our fried food and not feel guilty," Drew said.

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