Lashaway Inn

Sunset and lobster

by Margaret LeRoux

Lashaway Inn Route 9 East Brookfield (508) 867-2150 Hours Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

I finally had the lobster dinner I'd been dreaming about all summer. On countless rainy, cool nights, I've fantasized about sitting on a deck overlooking a body of water -- the ocean, a lake, a pond. I'd have settled for a stream. But the sun had to be out, or at least setting, and the temperature had to be bordering on hot. It didn't happen until the final weekend of the season, but I'm satisfied at last. And you can be too if you take a leisurely drive west on Route 9 to East Brookfield and the Lashaway Inn. It's just past Spencer, only about a half hour by car. And the homemade clam chowder alone is worth the trip. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I've driven past the Lashaway Inn before, usually in a hurry to get somewhere else, but always noting Lake Lashaway, noisy with speedboats. This time, just before sunset on the Friday night of Labor Day weekend, a friend and I stopped for dinner.

Surrounded by trees (and lots of lake homes) with a tiny wooded islet at the far side, Lake Lashaway is as pretty as any lake I've seen in northern Maine. Tonight there was no wild churning of speed boats, only an old pontoon boat slowly chugging its way around the edge of the water, and a colorful Sunfish sailboat. Incredibly, my friend and I were the only diners on the deck. The crowd at the smoky bar had its own agenda, I guess, and the people inside the dining room were enjoying the view through the windows. But we wanted the real al fresco thing, and the Inn's staff graciously obliged. High praise for the charming young waitress who served us. It was her first night on the job, but she couldn't have been nicer, handling our orders with ease and showing a genuine interest us.

The Lashaway Inn's deck is small, with room for half a dozen glass-topped umbrella tables. The place-mats are paper, but with a pretty pink-and-green pattern matching the pink cloth napkins.

We started off with drinks, a gin and tonic ($3.25) and a tall, frosty frozen margarita ($5). We sipped and mellowed out while we watched the sun slip behind gathering clouds. Then we feasted.

From the appetizer list -- mostly pub offerings such as chicken tenders, potato skins, crab Rangoon, buffalo wings, and beer-battered onion rings -- we chose red-chilies shrimp poppers ($5.95). Five good-size shrimp atop a cream-cheese-stuffed red pepper -- battered and fried and served with cocktail sauce with a generous hit of horseradish. Not the type of appetizer that usually attracts me, but it was very pleasing. As was the entire meal. Though our selections were simple, there was something special about it that made it memorable.

Lashaway Inn offers the standard American fare. Three sizes of prime rib: ($8.99, $10.95, $13.95), surf and turf ($15.95), roast stuffed chicken ($9.95), and a few Italian items -- lasagna ($7.95), pasta and meatballs ($6.95) -- plus burgers (plain for $4.95, bacon-cheddar and other toppings for $5.75), sandwiches, burritos, steak and Swiss cheese, all $5.95.

We ordered from the specials of the evening: steamed lobster ($13.95) and haddock and chips ($8.95).

The haddock dinner included a cup of clam chowder, quite honestly the best example of this ubiquitous New England specialty either of us has sampled. The chowder was chock full of fresh steamers, and the cubed potatoes still had some life in them, not like the mushy chunks you get in so many chowders. The broth itself was rich and creamy but not heavy like the ones that are so thick you can stand your spoon up in them. This chowder was rich, but you can really taste the fresh clams. You can get it on Fridays at the Lashaway, and I recommend you do.

In an interview later with the chef of the evening, Lisa Merola, I learned that the chowder is the creation of her father, John. The Merolas have owned the Lashaway Inn for 29 years, and Lisa literally grew up in the business. After college, she came back to learn cooking alongside her father. Based on the meals we ate, I'd say she's a good student.

My dinner came with a salad -- a nice assortment of greens, sliced cucumbers, and tomatoes and a chunky blue-cheese dressing served on the side. The hard rolls were of the frozen variety, but baked and served nicely warm.

The haddock was a generous boneless filet -- very fresh tasting beneath the crunchy batter. The French fries had been frozen, not fresh cut, but they stayed crisp, and the coleslaw tasted homemade. My friend, who considers himself a connoisseur of fried fish, gave this an A rating.

My lobster was even better than I expected. It was probably between one and a quarter and one and a half pounds, with a big tail, yielding enough meat to satisfy me. Lobster fans usually fall into two groups, tail versus claw, and I'm one who gladly hands over the claws to other diners. But this lobster was so sweet, I reneged on my offer to share both claws, and kept one for myself. Yes, we both had lobster-sticky hands by the end of the meal, but there was a foil packed towelette for clean-up provided along with a bowl for shells and a lobster cracker.

We were completely sated. Not even homemade strawberry shortcake for dessert could tempt us, though you might want to give it a try. Our indulgent summer evening was a bargain, too -- $41.37 including tax but not tip.

If we get a well-deserved Indian summer, I urge you to spend a warm evening on the deck at the Lashaway Inn.