That was fun to read, Chief.  I ate at Durgin Park one time about
fifteen years ago and enjoyed it so much.  We sat with a group of
tourists from The Netherlands and a nice couple from Belgium and had a
super time.  I remember the chowder was wonderful and I think I had a
hamburger and of course, beans!  I didn't know the history of the
restaurant before now so thanks for posting the story.

Ann

that was a lot of fun to read, chief.  thanks for posting it.

kate

  DURGIN-PARK  (cont'd)

Early one morning Martha and her 6 cats returned to Durgin-Park. They
have been there ever since. In the past 6 years the king-sized wedges
of pie cut by the pie girl have grown even larger. Old-fashioned apple
pie, of course, is the Number One favorite.  The recipe is as follows:

                  OLD-FASHIONED APPLE PIE

Make your pie dough the way you usually do and line large pie plates.
Peal and slice fine 6 large apples. Fill pie plate half full of apples.
Put half a cup of sugar, a little nutgmeg and cinnamon on top.

Now add the rest of the apples, filling up pie plate round-ful. Add
more cinnamon and nutmeg, another cup of sugar, a large piece of butter
cut in small pieces. Pour on a little lemon juice. Cover with pie dough
and bake one hour in a 350F oven.

Apple pan dowdy is made much the same way. It is made in a deeper pan
because four times as many apples are used.  That's right, 24 large
ones. Also 1 cup of molasses, two cups of sugar, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg,
two of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  And there's plenty of butter
on top before covering with the top crust.

The coffee served at Durgin-Park is the restaurant's own blend. Hallett
won't reveal its secret, and wild jeeps couldn't tear it from him.

                        SPRUCE GUM*

There is also something missing. For the past 130 years penny sticks of
spruce gum have been sold at the cashier's desk.
"It has a terrible taste and it pulls the fillings right out of your
teeth," says Hallett. "The old-timers loved it."  for the last half
century all the spruce gum chewed at Durgin-Park premises was made by
a farmer at Five Islands, Maine.  Recently Hallett received word that
the spruce gum maker had passed on.
"No one," he says sadly, "could make spruce gum like that old farmer.
The way that stuff held broken chairs together was simply wonderful."

                          THE END

* NOTE: Another source of supply has been discovered and the
famous spruce gum is again being sold at the cashier's desk.

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... "If you can't write `em, steal `em." ÄÄ Sigline Thieves Local 46.
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