A Great Little Place to Eat, worth the drive and possibly the wait :)

This week was a much anticipated week by the locals in this small little community I am proud to call "home". I don't live there any more (at least not right now...) but it is, has been and always will be, home. The name of this wonderful little eatery is Ralph's Cafe. It sits almost in the center of town (Brooks...and yes, I know MANY of you have no idea that Brooks is even a town in Maine). It is next door to the Post Office and across the street from the Town Office and Fire Station.

They are open Wednesday to Saturday from 7am-2pm and Sunday from 8am -2pm...Dinner (or "suppah" if you are a true Maine native) is served from 4-8 on Friday and Saturday.

I went for this seasons first Sunday morning breakfast with some friends. As you can see little Danny liked the chocolate chip pancakes. Personally I recommend the stuffed french toast with strawberry or raspberry on top...mmmm

They have a great lunch menu and one of the new items on the menu that I am anxious to try out is The Cuban... seasoned roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickle, and mustard on a roll pressed on the grill...

If you aren't a meat lover, they have a great variety of vegetarian items for lunch and breakfast.

One of the things I personally enjoy most about this little place is the interior, the items that adorn the walls are interesting and fun to study.

The owners of the Cafe are very involved in the community and on April 7th there will be a fundraiser for the town's annual July 4th celebration. The town population is just over 1000 people but they have one of the best fireworks displays and have for many years. This is a personal near and dear to my heart cause :) I will post some of the images I took at the last July 4th Fireworks another time.

April 7th there will be an Easter Egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny in the Community Park at noon and from 1-5 there will be "Pies on Parade", a $10 ticket buys you tasting of 15 different pies that will be at local businesses in town. All proceeds go toward the fireworks this summer. If you are looking for a day out and something different and tasty to do, mark your calendar for this event. If you have questions or want more information, please call Frank Champa (owner of Ralph's Cafe and part of the Brooks Boosters who plan the July 4th events) at 207-722-3893. Tell him "Roxie" sent you :)

And if you cant make it to Ralph's on April 7th, you have until December. Oh and for the avid golfers who may be reading this, Brooks, Maine has an amazing Golf Course with some of the most spectacular views! Make a day of it!

The owner, just shared this with me, so I am adding it to the blog post to show you just a portion of some of the breakfast menu :)

Where's Roxie-Week 10

This week I was in a place filled with lots of sweetness and love, even the trees made that clear as I found one that had a heart in the bark :)

Many people may think of Vermont as a equated with Maple Syrup but Maine has quite a little industry of its own. Many individuals also will tap just a few trees and boil it down for their own use.
One of my oldest and dearest friends opened this sugar shack back in 2002 with his father, a wonderful man that lost his life in a tragic accident just over a month ago. The trees are producing some fine sap this year and I know that Mr. Lewis is watching over the operation still, his presence is felt all throughout the property and this venture so dear to his heart.


Because of the super warm temperatures this year, this particular shack boiled its last batch this weekend (once the temperatures get too warm and the trees begin to bud, the taps need to be pulled so as not to damage the trees...I am far from an expert, I am just going on the tidbits of information I picked up listening over the weekend).


Some of you will know what town this was, as I have already given away the owners name. I believe Maine's Maple Syrup Sunday (an annual thing where participating sugar shacks open to the public to see the process and purchase products) is next weekend. Check out the website here http://www.mainemapleproducers.com/maine-maple-sunday-map.html to find a local one near you. Its a great day for the whole family.

So, guesses? Where was Roxie in week 10?

In Loving Memory of Mr. Clair Lewis, September 10, 1936-February 11, 2012

Where's Roxie-Week 9...Where there is Moxie of course!

You know I was in Maine when you see our unofficial, or maybe it's our official, state beverage on display at lunch time. I was NOT in the town for which the state drink is best known for. My father and my sister happen to LOVE this soda, I however, do not. I think this is a drink that you either love or despise and there is no in between. I do think the company and all memorabilia associated with it are amazing and the festival in July is SPECTACULAR! I went to my first one just 2 summers ago and if you have never been its a must! And I have grown up in Maine and live just minutes away from the festival, I just don't have many Saturdays in July off that allow me to attend these events as a rule.

Maine offers all sorts of unique beverages and food...I recommend you sample some local fare wherever the road leads you in the state on occasion, this little place made one of the best cheeseburgers I have eaten in a while.

So much character in and around the diner, I of course had to take these shots, obviously some could be anywhere so as usual, I made sure to add some to "give it away" if you know the town.

So, now the question is...where was Roxie this week? See below for last weeks answer.

The last time I traveled for Where's Roxie, I had a correct answer, I was in Orrington. You can read the comments to find out who the famous author was :)

This week, I already know a handful of you that will know where I was, but those that don't, can you guess?

Where's Roxie-week 7 & 8-Not Where I wanted to be...

Week 7 & 8 my "where's roxie" posts took a little vacation of sorts. I didn't speak much of this publicly or even privately to many people but those were a couple of scary weeks for me personally and I laid low.

I went in for my yearly mammogram now that I am 40 -i know, i know, i don't look a day over 25 but i am-just kidding :) About 4 weeks ago, a week after my initial mammogram I was called and asked to "come back for some additional views". I wasn't overly concerned because when my baseline was done a few years ago it was done with film and the hospital had told me that now they do these digitally so be prepared for a call of that nature, its very common.

I went back but soon discovered there was a REAL reason I was asked to come back, I went in on Valentines Day for the second more detailed mammogram and when a cyst was ruled out, taken to another room for additional tests by an ultrasound. Soon after what I had anticipated as a 20 minute appointment that had now lasted almost 2 hours, I was talked to by the radiologist and a nurse. They scheduled me for the next available appointment on Feb 28th for a biopsy of the mass that had been detected.

I did a few photo shoots for clients but didn't take the extra time for my where's roxie assignment as I was anticipating not being able to lug equipment etc for a few days following the procedure and quite frankly, wasn't sure what to expect, so I concentrated mostly on client work and this project took a bit of a back seat.

About 3 days after what I would not describe as the most pleasant of procedures I have ever had done, I was called to say they found no trace of cancer, it appeared to be a calcification, but I will have to return in 6 months for another mammogram and they have marked the spot (with an internal metal chip) so it can be watched for the rest of my life.

So as there has been a little lapse in my posts...Here is where Roxie was....