Text 2299, 81 rader
Skriven 2006-06-18 23:15:18 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: Things Change...
========================
It was 95 in Enfield today, so we escaped to Mystic Seaport, where we
could sit around in a cavernous drydock building in the cool breeze 
and peer between the ribs of a half-restored eastern-rigged trawler.
By the time they started closing the place, we were ready for some eats,
so we headed to The Cove Fish Market on Route 1 in Stonington; I've
written about it here before, I'm sure, because we've been going there
a few times a summer for about 20 years.

It was a little different today.  Like a lot of southeastern Connecticut,
it's been gentrified...or at least "touristified."  

The Cove is on a scalene triangle of land between Cove Road and US1.
At the acute point of the triangle, they used to have a dumpster and
a couple of porta-potties.  The Cove building itself was part fish
market, part takeout clam shack, and kind of comfortably run-down.
There were picnic tables set on a pea-gravel field, some of them under
big canopies, some under the sun, and some in the shade of trees that
were between the building and US1.  Service was basic, the food was
damn good, and prices on the high end of reasonable because that's what
the New Yorkers passing through would pay.  And it was BYOB.  Oh, you 
could buy soft drinks there, but the Cove had no problem with anyone
just hauling in a cooler and enjoying a beer or some wine or your own
store-bought pop with your meal.

First thing we noticed today was the point.  There's a bigass lobster
boat propped up there now, facing the junction.  Well, the bow and
pilothouse, anyway. The rest of the boat is a stockade fence that
hides the dumpsters.  The porta-potties are gone.  In the window of
the pilothouse, signs say "EAT IN  OR  DINE OUT!"

The fish market is still there.  Well, if you can call a  four-foot
half-empty display case with a couple of fish fillets in it a fish
market.  The rest of the former market was expanded out to where 
half the front porch used to be, and there's tables and chairs there
now.  "Budweiser" and "Bud Light" signs and banners are all over the
place.  There's a real indoor bathroom around back.

Out front, the picnic tables and canopies are there.  The tables in
the sun all sport brand-new Bud Light cafe umbrellas.  The shelf
by the ordering window that used to hold salt, pepper, malt
vinegar, and ketchup is gone.  They don't seem to let anyone salt
their food anymore, and I found out why when I tasted the fries -
everything is pre-salted to Dead Sea saltiness.

A big sign by the ordering window said "Please Only Beverages Sold
By The Cove."  Because they sell Bud Light and Bud now, you know.
And wine.  They sell lots of different white wines, by the bottle
only I guess from reading the list there, which only gave bottle
prices.  None of the bottles were priced under $20.  A lot were 
$30.  I didn't think to notice what wines they were serving, but
I'm pretty sure that a clam shack isn't serving real $20 wine.
Good thing we left the cooler in the Exploder, though.

I checked out the menu as I waited in line (a line that didn't seem
any shorter than it ever has.)  Prices were up about 30% over last
season, too.  Damn.  I'd budgeted $40 for this meal.

All this time, Lynn and Maryanne were sitting at one of the picnic
tables, chatting with some friends we happened to bump into there
and poking at the dog, who was happily accepting hugs and ear pulls
from a toddler who wandered over to see the "goggie."  I ordered
fish and chips for each of them, and got myself a Rogue Island
chowder (very good, rich cloudy clammy broth, lots of chopped
quahogs, unfortunately mealy potatoes instead of my prefered waxy 
eastern spuds alas) and a hamburger (meh, honest enough meat but 
cooked too long, redeemed by being placed on the soft bun directly 
off the griddle so the fat and juices could soak into the bread.)
"I thought you were going to get steamers and grilled mussels,"
Maryanne said.  "Nah, I'm not all that hungry, so I figured 
chowder and a burger would be fine," I replied.

Two fish and chips, chowder, and a burger; no beverages, window
service (so no tip): $38.50!!

Ah well.  They're not the only game in town.  Next time we'll
be looking for another place to eat.

---
Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, 
minutus carborata descendum pantorum
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