Though I have too often had high-priced but excellent restaurant meals, when the bill comes I inevitably ask myself, “Was that really any more satisfying than a hot dog on a butter grilled bun with brown mustard, relish and onions?” I also have a soft spot for frappes, always mocha (coffee ice cream and chocolate syrup and, if I make it at home, a splash of Kahlua). And, of course, there’s that summer favorite, the lobster roll. Some can cost more than $50 locally. Considering that a lobster sells for around $15 a pound that’s quite a mark-up, though it is admittedly more work to make a lobster roll than a hot dog.
Since it’s summer, I decided to explore some of Plymouth’s summer shacks, take-out windows, and snack bars – the town’s seasonal eateries (though a few are open year ‘round). These are the kinds of places where you order at the window and they call your name or number, you dine at picnic tables, and the entire staff appear to be high school juniors.
Given that what meets the criteria of a summer shack or snack bar is in the eye of the beholder, I applied my own top-secret criteria – which are pretty much non-existent – to choosing Plymouth’s. Quibble if you want, but don’t shoot the messenger. Please.
I couldn’t possibly sample every item at these places without giving my cardiologist a heart attack, so I went with whatever struck my fancy at the time. And since I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew in a single column, fear not if your favorite isn’t mentioned here. The adventure will continue in future columns. (If you have a business you’re partial to, please let me know.)
I started my culinary journey at Gellar’s Snackbar at the intersection of State Road (Route 3A) and White Horse Road in Manomet. You’ll recognize it by the five-foot-tall strawberry ice cream cone on the roof. The sign atop the take-out windows says, “Gellars,” not “Gellar’s.” Peter Gellar, the fourth generation of Gellars to operate the business, surmises that at some point the apostrophe fell off. (On his mother’s side, the affable Gellar is a direct Mayflower descendant. His middle name is Bradford.) Disregard the “98 Years” on the sign, too – this is its 100th year of continuous operation. The doors opened in 1926 when my fellow Amherst College alumnus, Calvin Coolidge, was president (no, we were not in the same class). Not great timing, since the Great Depression fell upon the land in 1929, but the Gellars persevered.
Gellar’s is the quintessential summer snack bar, though for the past couple of years it’s been open all year. (There are a half-dozen indoor seats in winter.)
Gellar’s serves 24 flavors of soft-serve ice cream and about three dozen hard flavors (the hard ice cream is locally made by Richardson’s in Middleton). The rest of the menu is what you’d expect. Burgers (hand-packed patties from Plymouth’s Perry’s Market), hot dogs, fish and chips, fried clams, and assorted sandwiches are the mainstays. Since it opens at 9 a.m. daily except Mondays, it also serves breakfast sandwiches.
On my first visit I tried the “small” soft-serve chocolate in a cone. The tower of ice cream rose about six inches above the rim of the cone. That was lucky for my dogs since I plopped some of it into a cup and shared it with them. Dogs can only have chocolate in small amounts, so I was parsimonious.
On my second visit, I went deeper into the menu. I ordered the cheeseburger loaded, or “dragged through the garden” in Gellar’s lingo. It came with lettuce, tomato, onion, house-made pickle chips, ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayo on a Brioche bun. It was very tasty, but the onion rings stole the show. Onion rings are too often limp and mushy; these were cooked to a perfect, golden crispiness and had a satisfying crunch. No one on the staff appeared older than 18, and all were friendly and cheerful.
From the old time Coca-Cola cooler in front stocked with assorted soft drinks to that kitschy ice cream cone on the roof to the kids’ table inside a replica of a 1957 Chevy convertible, Gellar’s exudes old-fashioned charm. All in all, a very good, nostalgic vibe and service with a warm smile.
If you think it’s impressive that Gellar’s is in its 100th season, behold Bramhall’s Country Store at 2 Sandwich Road in Chiltonville. It opened 98 years before Gellar’s and just 58 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. John Quincy Adams, our sixth president, was in office. It, too, remains in the founder’s family.
Lobster rolls, fresh produce, and ice cream are the staples, but from the take-out window you can also order hot dogs, tacos, grilled cheese and a few other items from the grill, all to be enjoyed at picnic tables nearby. Whereas Gellar’s exudes a mid-20th century ambience, Bramhall’s takes you further back to a time when the country was still in its relative infancy.
On my first visit I ordered a mocha frappe, but be sure to specify coffee ice cream, unless you want mocha chip which appears to be the default when ordering a mocha frappe. (I don’t like little chips of chocolate in a frappe.) I also brought home a quart of absolutely splendid but extraordinarily expensive fresh strawberries ($16).
There was no doubt what I was going to order on my next visit to Bramhall’s: a lobster roll. They come in two sizes: a quarter pounder ($32.75) and the budget-busting half-pounder ($56.75). Because lobster rolls can range from virtually flavorless to sublime, I decided not to risk nearly $60 on the unknown.
The lobster was as fresh as the sea and unadorned, served on a gilled bun. It was very good, but I can’t say I haven’t had better. Though I favor New England-style lobster rolls – as this one was, served chilled – over Connecticut style, warm with butter, Bramhall’s lobster roll could use a little melted, salted butter. (Bramhall’s also sells live lobsters.) For a little variety I also ordered The Puritan, a soft-shelled beef taco that was very flavorful, along with a refreshing strawberry lemonade.
It’s easy to see why Bramhall’s and Gellar’s are family favorites. They’re a reminder that in our homogenized culture, there’s still a place for the kind of idiosyncratic, authentic experience both serve up by the scoopful.
Peter Zheutlin – a freelance journalist who has written frequently for The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, and many other publications – brings the perspective of a Plymouth newcomer to the Independent. He is the author or co-author of nine books, including the New York Times bestseller “Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway.” Zheutlin can be reached at pzheutlin@gmail.com.