Swordfish Anyone?
07/06/15 07:29
Bueno días, laddies. It's a lovely day here along the coast. The sun is out, the air is cool, and the morning full of promise. God knows there is a lot to do but all of that will have to wait. We'll be shooting up to Portland today to take in the town. Nancy and Deb will take in the stores and I will do my best to find a place to hunker down and maybe read a book while they shop. It's a pleasant destination for sure. A small town but the port area is dense with shops and restaurants that are worthy of taking in. Speaking of little surprises, Roberts restaurant in Kittery was a pleasant surprise last night. We were on a mission when we picked Deb and Mrs G up around 4. Deb had swordfish on the mind so we set out looking for a place to have some swordfish. That was not an easy task. More difficult certainly than I would have thought at this time of the year with tourists swarming the seacoast and every species of fish imaginable to be found at the local fish stores. Maybe it's all in my head. Just last weekend they were explaining to us that the harbor in Rye was quiet due to the fishing restrictions place on commercial and non-commercial fisherman alike. Stocks are just not where they should be and the federal government is stepping in to limit the take. So, the boats don't go out; the boats that take the occasional angler out to see what they can catch never leave the pier; and certain species of fish never make it to market.
We stopped by Warrens in Kittery and I was reminded why we stopped going there so many years ago. It was dreadful and I'm not sure the decor has been updated since the 50's. One might think that would add to the character of the joint but it was an unpleasant distraction. From every appearance, they had replaced wooden chairs that were beyond repair with plastic tables and chairs giving the place a disjointed and cheesy feel. They had clearly fallen out of step with the competition and either didn't care or thought that their salad bar, the only restaurant featuring a full salad bar on the seacoast, would keep their customers coming back. Every restaurant has its regulars and Warrens is probably no different. If you go often enough you don't notice the absence of change. Your favorite place by the window looks and feels the same and the surroundings are like a familiar blanket. You don't notice that each and every time you go there that it is a little more decrepit, a little more insidious, and ultimately out of step with the times. You're hooked, so to speak. But we stayed. Long enough to find out that they did not have swordfish on the menu and then we were gone. Can't imagine why we would ever return. Makes you wonder how long Warren has been dead. I wonder if anyone still asks for him.
But Roberts, that place was a gem. Right smack dab in the middle of the malls in Kittery. Who would have thought that such a place existed? Anyone in their right mind would be well served to avoid restaurants on the beaten path and clearly the Kittery malls are on the beaten path. I wouldn't blame the restaurant for serving up swinish dishes for the masses just to turn a profit. Who cares? The customers are here today and gone tomorrow. You are competing with all of the other restaurants on the strip who have the same game plan but slightly different menus. After all, your customers are in town to spend money and have worked up an appetite going in and out of the local stores. What little money they have left will be spent in your establishment so make the best of it and turn over the tables as quickly as possible. That is what the wait staff who barely make minimum wage get paid for. They are ushers in a turnstile operation taking tickets and showing people the door once they've finished. "If there is nothing else, sir." That is what I expected as we walked into Roberts but was not ultimately the sum and substance of our experience. Just the contrary, actually.
The first indication was the cadence with which our waitress recited the specials. Her recitation did not spill out breathlessly like she had ten orders waiting under the heat lamps back in the kitchen. Granted, her station or what might have passed for her station was not yet full so she had no need to be hurried. We had a nice table by the a window where if you looked out at just the right angle you were privileged to take in the waterways that winded snakelike behind the restaurant through protected wetlands surrounded by golden grasses and bordered by grand pines standing guard on the horizon. The hostess maintained her lovely smile as we turned down one table after another until we were satisfied with our final choice. If she were a day over fifteen I would have been surprised. Every party has one or more people who, no doubt, reminded her of her own extended family be it a grandmother, a mother, a brother or a sister. They are still children and every party is another family reunion to celebrate, cherish, and embrace. Gone are the battle hardened hostesses who view their customers with suspicion and subliminal disgust. But I digress.
The menu choices, while not featuring swordfish, offered many other items worthy of our consideration. Everything else seemed so pleasant that we were not moved to leave after finding out that they didn't have swordfish on the menu. While Deb thought that the third time might be the charm as Robert's was the third restaurant we stepped into last evening, she was right about the charm but wrong about the swordfish. The place was bright and cheerful but not overly busy and we were happy to be settling in. Nancy and I shared a blueberry vodka drink while Deb had a frothy and fruity something that she found very much to her liking. Sometimes, you can tell a book by its cover and, similarly, you can tell a restaurant by its menu. The choices were sparse but balanced. Verbiage was added to the menu communicating the sources and rationale behind the choices which made everything seem that much more delectable. Price points became meaningless and we ordered without any consideration for price or value. We were in capable hands and more than happy to leave the sculpting of our experience to the inestimable talents of Robert's and their staff. We were not disappointed. And conversation about trips to Alaska, significant others who don't care for flying, the absence of swordfish even, came and went throughout the evening. We didn't stay longer than it took to have a bite to eat but we did enjoy ourselves and we will return to Robert's. Unquestionably, we will return.
We stopped by Warrens in Kittery and I was reminded why we stopped going there so many years ago. It was dreadful and I'm not sure the decor has been updated since the 50's. One might think that would add to the character of the joint but it was an unpleasant distraction. From every appearance, they had replaced wooden chairs that were beyond repair with plastic tables and chairs giving the place a disjointed and cheesy feel. They had clearly fallen out of step with the competition and either didn't care or thought that their salad bar, the only restaurant featuring a full salad bar on the seacoast, would keep their customers coming back. Every restaurant has its regulars and Warrens is probably no different. If you go often enough you don't notice the absence of change. Your favorite place by the window looks and feels the same and the surroundings are like a familiar blanket. You don't notice that each and every time you go there that it is a little more decrepit, a little more insidious, and ultimately out of step with the times. You're hooked, so to speak. But we stayed. Long enough to find out that they did not have swordfish on the menu and then we were gone. Can't imagine why we would ever return. Makes you wonder how long Warren has been dead. I wonder if anyone still asks for him.
But Roberts, that place was a gem. Right smack dab in the middle of the malls in Kittery. Who would have thought that such a place existed? Anyone in their right mind would be well served to avoid restaurants on the beaten path and clearly the Kittery malls are on the beaten path. I wouldn't blame the restaurant for serving up swinish dishes for the masses just to turn a profit. Who cares? The customers are here today and gone tomorrow. You are competing with all of the other restaurants on the strip who have the same game plan but slightly different menus. After all, your customers are in town to spend money and have worked up an appetite going in and out of the local stores. What little money they have left will be spent in your establishment so make the best of it and turn over the tables as quickly as possible. That is what the wait staff who barely make minimum wage get paid for. They are ushers in a turnstile operation taking tickets and showing people the door once they've finished. "If there is nothing else, sir." That is what I expected as we walked into Roberts but was not ultimately the sum and substance of our experience. Just the contrary, actually.
The first indication was the cadence with which our waitress recited the specials. Her recitation did not spill out breathlessly like she had ten orders waiting under the heat lamps back in the kitchen. Granted, her station or what might have passed for her station was not yet full so she had no need to be hurried. We had a nice table by the a window where if you looked out at just the right angle you were privileged to take in the waterways that winded snakelike behind the restaurant through protected wetlands surrounded by golden grasses and bordered by grand pines standing guard on the horizon. The hostess maintained her lovely smile as we turned down one table after another until we were satisfied with our final choice. If she were a day over fifteen I would have been surprised. Every party has one or more people who, no doubt, reminded her of her own extended family be it a grandmother, a mother, a brother or a sister. They are still children and every party is another family reunion to celebrate, cherish, and embrace. Gone are the battle hardened hostesses who view their customers with suspicion and subliminal disgust. But I digress.
The menu choices, while not featuring swordfish, offered many other items worthy of our consideration. Everything else seemed so pleasant that we were not moved to leave after finding out that they didn't have swordfish on the menu. While Deb thought that the third time might be the charm as Robert's was the third restaurant we stepped into last evening, she was right about the charm but wrong about the swordfish. The place was bright and cheerful but not overly busy and we were happy to be settling in. Nancy and I shared a blueberry vodka drink while Deb had a frothy and fruity something that she found very much to her liking. Sometimes, you can tell a book by its cover and, similarly, you can tell a restaurant by its menu. The choices were sparse but balanced. Verbiage was added to the menu communicating the sources and rationale behind the choices which made everything seem that much more delectable. Price points became meaningless and we ordered without any consideration for price or value. We were in capable hands and more than happy to leave the sculpting of our experience to the inestimable talents of Robert's and their staff. We were not disappointed. And conversation about trips to Alaska, significant others who don't care for flying, the absence of swordfish even, came and went throughout the evening. We didn't stay longer than it took to have a bite to eat but we did enjoy ourselves and we will return to Robert's. Unquestionably, we will return.