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The Sea Basket
(207) 882-6581
Route 1, Wiscasset
Hospitality-Counter service in an immaculate, cheerful dining room
Open Tuesday through Saturday 11-8 from March to mid-December, closed mid-December through most of February
Entrées $5.95 to $15.95
A local favorite for lobster stew, fabulous scallops, and well-made fried fish
Following the white arrows painted on the pavement makes walking into this bright, cheerful restaurant as easy as pie; and the perfectly trimmed shrubs and window boxes are signs in themselves of the well-organized, tranquil efficiency reigning inside. Blue molded wood benches fill the floor, and murals of green fields along the sea fill the walls with color.
The menu over the counter offers the classic favorites-chowders ($6.99 for a bowl of fish chowder), dinner baskets, and jumbo platters of fried fish. Single servings are thoughtfully available, without fries, rolls, or coleslaw ($6.50 for fried Maine shrimp); and all the offerings also come in sandwiches or rolls, like a big haddock filet sandwich ($6.99).
A kid's menu, with penne pasta with Parmesan ($3.99) and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ($3.99, with fries), makes this place work for any family.
Scott Belanger works here now, a part-owner along with his mother and father; the Belanger family started the business in 1980.
Although many places long the coast stick to the trans-fat-filled oils, called partially hydrogenated, for their frying, Belanger said his choice to use high-quality canola oil and a convection-style fryer have been valued by every customer who understands the difference. His well-established business had a banner year in 2006, which he attributes to the high quality of his seafood.
Angela Emerson comes in at 6 AM every day to wash the place clean, from the ceiling to the floors, and trim those perfect bushes; "She saves me," Belanger said. The business is closed for only a short spell in winter because, Scott said, they want to keep the staff they depend on to run the restaurant so well, and they have a loyal local clientele who pop in to keep things going even in dreary March.
The restaurant is well known for its lobster stew, which can be purchased frozen and brought back home, and for its great scallops, bought from the same boats every year.
Among several options for dessert, the rainbow of big whoopie pies stands out, from raspberry cream to peanut butter to classic chocolate (all $1.99 each). This place is a favorite, and many Mainers know just where it sits-on the inland side of Route 1 south of the village of Wiscasset. The extensive parking lots are ready to accommodate everyone. You can also bring your own beer or wine to enjoy with your meal-the restaurant does not have a liquor license.
