WOOLWICH

The big sign outside The Taste of Maine has served as a cheery sentinel lately for people traveling U.S. Route 1.

The restaurant overlooking Pleasant Cove opens for the season on Thursday. For those of us afflicted with cabin fever, this is good news. And there’s more of it, throughout the region.

“We’re ready,” said Candy Gregory, who with husband Scott has owned The Taste of Maine for 34 years. “We’ve redone the floors and the kitchen, and we’re set to go.”

Mid-coast seasonal eateries don’t necessarily wait until Memorial Day weekend to open back up. Well before tourists converge on Boothbay, Camden and Wiscasset, there’s a rite of spring here in the southern Mid-coast.

Bath Road in Brunswick has “comfort food” in spades. Cameron’s Lobster House already is open, and The Fat Boy Drive-In welcomes customers on Thursday.

Cook’s Lobster House on Bailey Island and the Sea Basket in Wiscasset have been open for a while now. Not far from the landmark Cook’s eatery on Bailey Island, the Log Cabin Inn welcomes guests on April 4, for the first time since late October.

Need ice cream? Dot’s Ice Cream on Front Street in Bath, as well as Dairy Queens in Topsham and Woolwich have got you covered.

The Taste of Maine is known for “the world’s largest lobster roll,” a 16-inch delight crammed with more than a pound of fresh lobster. The baked haddock supreme and the fired seafood combo are among the attractions.

“Our fried combo is huge,” Gregory said, “and people absolutely love that. And we’ve got  some vegan options, too.”

All these places need is a little cooperation from the weather, because people afflicted with cabin fever are ready for some healing.

Cameron’s is located at 18 Bath Road, and opened on Thursday, March 14. Owner Dana Cameron offers lobster rolls, burgers and fried seafood, as does a competitor down the road.

“We also have lots of grilled seafood,” Cameron said. “We are ready. We’re pumped for the season.

Trips to the Fat Boy Drive-In, located at 111 Bath Road, are a rite of spring for some.

“The snow’s almost gone,” said Ken Burton, who runs The Fat Boy with his wife, Jeanne. “Once we start getting warmer temps, people are ready for us.”

Most Fat Boy customers queue up in the drive-in portion of the restaurant, so yes, good weather helps. Not since Columbus Day weekend have they been able to get their hands on one of Fat Boy’s BLT specials, which come with home-cut onion rings. Lobster rolls, clam rolls, burgers, home-breaded sea food and frappes keep them coming..

The Burtons do take a winter vacation, but when they return to their Brunswick home, it’s always the same.

“They know who we are, and when they see us, they can’t wait,” Jeanne Burton said. “We’ll be ready at 11 a.m.”

On Route 1 in Wiscasset, the Sea Basket, known for great food and generous portions, makes its own cole slaw and onion rings. Their lobster stew is made with local fresh picked tail, claw and knuckle meat,

Located just outside the village, the Sea Basket opened back up on the second week in February. The restaurant known for its platters and lobster rolls is closed Monday and Tuesday for now, but will be open six or seven days a week by Memorial Day weekend.
All this — weeks prior to the season opening of Red’s Eats on April 15 in Wiscasset.