Among the mist and heavy fog, a small town diner in Bridgeville, Maine, differentiates itself from other diners across the East Coast.

            For starters, moose is on the simple menu. They’re plentiful and the first to be killed by whatever evils lurks beyond the town’s borders .

            Moxie soda rests on the table before glasses of water and the only special on the menu has to do with lobster.

            The LL Bean and Carhartt wearing clientele are picky with their seafood. If the whole-belly Ipswich clams are not up to snuff, the place isn’t even going to receive a one-star rating.

            The comfortable and affordable institution is heartier than greasy. Fresh homemade, white bread slices arrive hot.  Cheese and tomato soup are the only things missing.

            Six sandwiches are a constant: seafood/lobster roll, veggie, red meat, poultry, burger, and chili dog. They all past the test. The contents don’t slip out from the other end and fall into your lap after the first bite.

            The chowdah has a million billion clams buried in the creamy roux base. And being in a mecca of mushroom heaven filled with chanterelles, black trumpets, chicken of the woods, and porcinis, the cream of mushroom soup is by far the best thing since the flavor was invented.

            Onion rings take a while. Whereas the Kennebec fries are thrown in the deep fryer in handfuls, onion rings are treated with TLC, dipped slightly in a panko crust and fried one at a time.

            Oysters are oysters; fresh and flat like the rest of oysters in the New England area. A whole roasted haddock is a nice option from lobster. The fish is served every which way from fried to sashimi style. Roasted is the only way to go.

            Boston cream and apple pies are nothing fancy. The crust is finer then most due to semolina flour. Sundaes are ice cream with hot buttered rum sauce and schlag (a Viennese whipped cream).

            The diner in Bridgeville is a lunch, dinner, and late night safe haven spot; a distraction from all of the terrors and neighborhood gossip outside. But you know what? Sometimes a distraction is all you need to survive and go about your day.

Bridgeville Diner

Bridgeville, Maine

ATMOSPHERE: Carhatt and LL Bean wearing folks chow down on chowdah and lobstah away from the busy life and scares of the outside world.

SERVICE:  Attentive and also lets you have your privacy at the same time. Sometimes, they got their own lives to worry about.

SOUND LEVEL:  Erie quiet.

RECOMMENDED:  The lobster roll.

DRINKS AND WINE:  Sodas, pops, juice.

PRICES: $2-$12

OPEN: 7 days a week from noon to midnight

RESERVATIONS:  No