El El Frijoles

06/24/2026

“Be careful of reality!”…
That’s my advice. In today’s world, where fact and fiction, truth and lies, reality and fantasy all seem to be increasingly entwined, you need to watch yourself. One never knows if you are on the right side of reality- you may think you understand things that are occuring right in front of you, that seem to be absolute, normal, obvious. But then one day you might find yourself facing a 10 year federal prison sentence for a domestic terror attack against a monument! Sure, you might not spend much time in D.C. you may not be one for protesting or dissent, maybe you even support our current regime? but when things start to get as weird as they are now, you just never know. So while you are considering your electricity bill, or your gas mileage or your healthcare plan- just remember, you might be one step away from federal detention for attacking the State. Be mindful…
If you, like me, have chosen to hide out here in Downeast Maine for the time being, where it’s safe, you might be interested in some sustenance. Food, friends, we are offering you some food today. As it is Wednesday, we are making Fish Tacos for you- Haddock, marinated in a tasty soy/garlic/citrus concoction, pan-seared and served on grilled flour tortillas with rice & beans, guacamole, salad etc. Also, we have a Local Crab Quesadilla, served with a nice salad. If you are not a seafood lover, maybe you’ll try our Duck Tacos? Tender, shredded Maple Leaf Farm’s duck in a tasty Orange & Apricot sauce Michele made up, with all the taco trimmings. A little sweet, savory, and juicy with a depth of flavor and texture you’ll love!
Up at the ol’ Makers’ Market Shop & Studio we have fresh Tinder Hearth bread today, there are more of our local Strawberry Crisps available too, some freshly-baked Lemon Scones, and a lot of other things as well. It’s a great day to stay out of trouble, keep your head down and follow the rules. Our sign says we’ll be open from 11-7 today, and we plan to obey that directive!

06/23/2026

“We’re here, we might as well enjoy ourselves!”…

Ahh, summer in Maine. It can’t all be blue skies and following breezes, right? We need the rain, and it’s actually kind of nice out today, not too cold anyway. Just a basic rainy day on Coastal Maine.

So, as we have Makers’ Market Shop & Studio open today for your shopping pleasure (11-5, yo!) we are making some amazing food to go up there.

Crab & Corn Chowder- Yup, freshly-picked, local crab with sweet corn and Aroostook potatoes in Michele’s famous chowder. This stuff is going to be delicious! Grab a freshly-baked baguette or two, maybe a bottle of Picpoul and you are set for an epic meal out on the screen porch! Finish off with a piece of her Strawberry Crisp- made with those amazing Homewood Farm’s berries we picked up yesterday in Blue Hill.

Of course we also have the freezer full-up with Burrito 4-paks, Quesadillas of Pork or Chicken, par-baked pizzas from Abraham’s Creamery and local chops and bacon from Rainbow Farm and Colvard’s Ellsworth-made Sausages. And that’s just the freezer! The reach-in is packed with tasty stuff too, from our salsa to schmears, pickled chili-citrus shrimps to cold beer and cider.

Of course the rest of the store is a magical place too, full of unique treasures- all made right here on the Blue Hill Peninsula. You won’t find a better place to spend part of your indoor day than at Makers’ Market- plus, today Luna the miniature Australian shepherd is on staff, working behind the counter all day! Take the day, make an adventure out of it, and come check out the wide spot in the road here in Sargentville, the sun returns tomorrow!

06/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1MT6frZd9T/

On Saturday, I was honored to make a couple of sheet cakes for the celebration of 20 seasons for EL EL FRIJOLES and for Jasper’s graduation.

The importance of that place and of that family in my life is astronomical and I owe them so much and always will.

My first job ever was babysitting Jasper while Michael and Michele crafted incredible food in their new taqueria. Eventually, I was introduced to their kitchen and I never left. For 10 years, I grew up under their wings, not just inside the kitchen but truly as life role models. They saw the best and the worst of me and still trusted me through all of it. I found my love and passion for the culinary arts, for teaching, for small, community conscious small business running, and for art through theirs. I’m forever grateful.

To be a part of this celebration, even though I couldn’t be there physically, was emotional for me and full circle.

Michael, Michele and Jasper and all of the people who El El Frijoles gave me; THANK YOU forever and truly. Your lessons and love are with me in everything I do and everything I pass on to those who I hope feel the same about me someday.

06/22/2026

“Well”…
Thanks, y’all. That was A Party, to be sure. We sort of thought our big anniversary bash would be the event of the season around here, but I am not sure Sargentville has ever seen anything quite like that before! The lasers, the fog , the thump-thump music and all of you who came out to celebrate made Saturday’s event truly special. Even if only like 10% of you got into the screen porch for Kara's cake, it just illustrates just how amazing this community is- all of you here laughing and talking and hugging and dancing. This melange of folks from all over who share in the love of this special place- really, it was just perfect! Thanks for showing up, always, and supporting us while we work diligently to do what we do.
Now that it is another day, another season, and another week it is time to get on with it. No resting on our laurels around here, who has the time for that? It’s Monday- and whilst I am holed up in my office doing the admin stuff that needs to be done, the kitchen elves are out there working diligently to get us ready for another week. Makers’ Market Shop & Studio is open today, from 11-5, and there is all kinds of fodder going up there this morning.
# kinds of sandwiches, for starters. Chicken Salad, our Ham & Cheese and that Spicy Tuna Salad- all on a crusty hunk of Baguette with just the right accouterments. The reach-in will be filled up, too. Spicy Pickled Citrus Shrimps are there. Sun-dried Tomato Schmear is there. All of our salsa is there (the mangos are still not here, so Mango Salsa tomorrow?) there is both Spicy Tuna Salad and or Tasty Chicken Salad, we have Fresh Gazpacho (and baguette, makes it a meal!) plus about a million other tings to wow and amaze you. Dog treats, sketch pads, fishing lures, dyed yarn, jewelry and locally-produced Board Games for instance. Myself? I need to grab a new bar of handmade soap, I need another can of hot-pepper olives for tonight’s martini and maybe a thank-you card or two. Oh yeah, we also have ice cream sandwiches!
Keep your focus local, things are actually o.k around here. Reality prevails, here in Sargentville!

06/20/2026

“And the planet tilts”…
Greetings, friends. Welcome to Saturday! It’s finally here, the Summer Solstice aproacheth, and we head into the longest days of the season. Remember when it was dark at 3:45? I was out breaking down after dinner service last night and it was way before sunset, balmy, breezy- downright pleasant.
Today is The Day. Our Big 20th anniversary party hits tonight after work! You are all invited, just know if you all have the brilliant idea to come at 6:40 and order dinner it is going to be a mess. Be reasonable, yo! Also, carpool (or walk or bike). Bring earplugs, because there will be 3 D.J.’s, your sweet tooth, because Kara is making cake. Also B.Y.O.B. because it’s EL EL and that’s how it works (Makers’ Market will be open until 7 too!). Mostly, though, bring yourselves and your loved ones, bring your stories, your memories, your good cheer and your merriment- It’s going to be super fun!
Before all that, we are serving food up in here- Today we are going all out, and have for you Seared Local Scallop Tacos! Topped with a Calyx Farm’s Carrot Pesto, and served atop grilled flour tortillas, this is not like other Scallop dishes… Also today? Local Colvard Chorizo & Potatoes, stuffed with melty cheddar into a quesadilla! Maybe with a green salad. There is Local Crab Quesadilla, too, but maybe fewer portions than we’d hoped. And we are again making Soft-Serve It’s Vanilla, and we are serving it with a home-made chocolate sauce!
Up the hill at Makers’ market Shop & Studio we’ll have Tinder Hearth bread and pastry today (the last Saturday delivery, we switch to Fridays moving forward!) along with Honey & Lace’s Bagels & Whoopi Pies, all of the fresh things we make for the reach0in plus about a million other tasty and visually-interesting things. And, yes, we have something you can get for a terrific Father’s Day gift if you maybe haven’t found that yet.
It’s been quite a ride, building out this Wide Spot in the road in Sargentville, thanks for playing along with us. We are looking forward to seeing you!

06/19/2026

Freedom in any form, is something to celebrate”…
Well, our friend (and former employee) Kara couldn’t have been more right. It’s Juneteenth, and we are celebrating freedom today!
We are also taking the time to remember. To remember what it was like to have decency, intelligence, honor, decorum and substance in our leaders. On the one hand, it is a beautiful thing to see the opening of the Obama center in Chicago- and on another to see just how far we have fallen in such a short time. In the history books, if they are ever written, this dichotomy is going to be the thesis. This shift from good to evil, right to wrong, light to dark that has happened seemingly in an instant will be studied, dissected, analyzed and hopefully understood so that we as Americans, as humans can prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again.
We celebrate the end of slavery, while we work still to undo its lasting effects. I don’t think any normal person in our society would argue that we have achieved equality, decency and parity in really any of our social institutions. We continue to try, though. We do the work, take the incremental gains as wins, suffer the failures collectively, and always we hope. When not making keen observations about history and society, the above-mentioned ex-employee is a highly-competent baker. Like all of our current and former team members, she is a complicated, talented, intelligent, visionary human and we are all fortunate to have her (and the rest of them) sharing this planet with us. In Kara’s case, she’s baking us a couple of her awesome cakes for tomorrow’s big party! Many of our former peeps will be here, along with all of you guys, to dance to some pumping EDM, eat that cake, and celebrate 20 years of making food the hard way. We are fortunate to exist in this community, and we can’t wait to get together with you all and party!
Those of you looking to eat around here today? Well, there will be Shrimp Tacos today. Also, Local Crab Quesadilla and so, so much more. 11-7 today!

06/18/2026

“Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory”…
Well, thank god that’s over, right? Nothing like a good War to unite the country, to infuse us all with the sense of communal suffering on the way to doing the right thing. Well, now we get to see how we spin it, how we justify the act of starting a war, spending vast amounts of money, and then losing- all in just a few months! It’s actually pretty impressive, they managed to do the whole thing before Congress even had a chance to weigh in. Sure, we’ll all be paying for it for the rest of our lives, things will never be the same when it comes to transport of oil via ships anyway, and we’ve shown the world just how bad things have become around here. But I bet someone made money on the deal!
One really has no choice but to refocus one’s attention on the local, to focus on what is right here, right now. The grass (needs cutting) the family (needs a haircut) and the tasks at hand. We’ve got a party to plan (Saturday night, yo!), we have food to make and people to serve. Real things, happening right here in Sargentville.
Like today, at EL EL we are making Seared Ahi Fish Tacos: These are always popular, a tasty piece of sashimi-grade tuna, pan-seared just right, and served on 3 grilled flour tortillas- we always come up with some tasty stuff to put on top (I have no idea what, as of yet, but it’s early). Oh, also today, we have a great dish for the murky weather- Albondigas: Tender Mexican Meatballs in a rich and complex tomato sauce, served as a bowl with Rice and Black beans and stuff. Good Food! Also, word has it there is Local Crab, with which we shall construct the Local Crab Quesadilla, with a nice salad.
Up at Makers’ Market Shop & Studio things are really going gangbusters- there is so much new stuff coming in, food, art, craft, wine, pizzas. Mango salsa! Too much to list, just go take a look-see. Both stores open 11-7 today!

06/17/2026

“Are you in?”…
Happy Wednesday guys!
It is an almost perfect day here in Eastern Maine, this is about the best weather we can expect for the entire year right now, so make a point to go outside and acknowledge the temperature/humidity/wind/light quotient. Savor it!
While on the subject of savoring, let’s talk about today’s food offerings:
Fish Tacos- Being Wednesdays, we are leading off our big week with the marinated, pan-seared Haddock Tacos! The fish has been hanging out in a ginger, garlic and chili soy sauce bath overnight, and soon will be lovingly seared and laid-out atop 3 grilled flour tortillas, served up with rice and beans and fresh guacamole and plated with some sort of green salad accompaniment. It will be good. Also, likely gone by dinner if our experience rings true, so don’t dawdle!
Local Chorizo & Potato Tacos- Colvard’s excellent Ellsworth-made seasoned pork sausage, slow-cooked with yummy taters from up in The County and some caramelized onions. As a plate of tacos!
And we have a Local Crab Quesadilla- served with a nice salad.
Also, up at Makers’ Market today we have fresh Gazpacho, warm Tinder Hearth bread and pastries, Schmears, Spreads, Shrimps and Mexican Street Corn along with so much more. Go take a look.
Finally, by now you have received your invite to the huge cage match we are having on our lawn this Saturday! Actually, there is no cage, but we do have several D.J.’s and a lot of cake from Honey & Lace Baking, plus there will be fire, too. It’ll be a party- Come join us to celebrate our 20 years in this crazy business! Be there….Hey, Remember when Mari worked here? And there was Guac on the salsa bar?