The Culinary Tourist: Shipwrecks and Fried Fish

fileId:3096224744025508;size:inter; You come for the best walleye sandwiches you’ll ever eat, but before you can sink your teeth into the hot, crunchy batter, you're halfway across the room counting shipwrecks on an old Lake Erie map. All 192 of them. Gerry Holdsworth, proprietor of Freeport Restaurant in North East, Pa., tops off your coffee while he spins a yarn or two. “They’re out there all right. Some less than a half-mile off shore. Some, like the Steamer Atlantic, date back to the 1800s...”

Soon, bellies stuffed to the gills with fish and coconut cream pie, you’re standing on Freeport Beach, looking out over the 22 miles of frosted waves that separate the United States from Canada.

If you’re lucky, you’ll catch local sail maker David Bierig preparing to launch his restored Flying Higgins lifeboat. The one his father-in-law designed for the U. S. Army Air Force sea rescue in World War II.

Lisa Gensheimer, Travel Correspondent:

The Culinary Tourist appears every other Thursday and by chance in Gather Essentials: Travel. Explore all 50 states with award-winning documentary producer Lisa Gensheimer as she discovers the fun, food and people she meets along the way. Whether you’re visiting the home of a faraway friend, stopping for directions at a roadside market, or on holiday in an exotic location, richly layered experiences await.

A published author, Lisa has several new projects in the works, including a cultural cookbook and companion travel DVD. Read more about Lisa’s work at MainStreetMedia.tv and TheForestPress.com.

Keep up with Lisa’s other postings and Gather activity by joining her Gather network. Just click here http://lgensheimer.gather.com and select the orange “Connect” button on the left-hand side of the page.

You’ll find Lisa and other Travel Correspondents, plus expert tips and plenty of other travel lovers, at travel.gather.com.

Comments: 13

Sue B.© The Sting IS Worse Than the Buzz Jan 23, 2007, 10:17am EST

Makes me want to go there this week-end!

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Lisa Gensheimer Jan 23, 2007, 10:55am EST

It's a little chilly right now, with lake effect snows expected, but the shorline is glorious any time of the year. I love to eavesdrop at Freeport--lots of old salts on this fresh water lake. Come anytime and join in the conversation!

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Trine Meyer Vogsland Jan 23, 2007, 11:07am EST

very poetic and mouthwatering look at history

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Sue B.© The Sting IS Worse Than the Buzz Jan 23, 2007, 11:19am EST

Oh I know it is, and that's even better! I love the wind whipping at my face and pushing me slightly off balance with the strong crashing sound of the waves heard only like this in the winter or in a storm, and no one in sight for miles.

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Sue G. Jan 27, 2007, 8:51pm EST

How I miss fried walleye dinners in Buffalo, New York, during Lent. Hands down those were some of my favorite meals of my whole life. So many bars with restaurants do that meal. Not too much fish is available in restaurants in Lincoln, Nebraska; not great like that anyway. Thanks for the memories.

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Lisa Gensheimer Jan 30, 2007, 7:57pm EST

I'll bet you miss Buffalo's original beef on weck (kummelweck) sandwiches, too! Buffalo has some wonderful neighborhoods. We especially like Elmwood Avenue, with its ethnic restaurants, coffee shops, and Talking Leaves, the city's oldest independent book store. Elmwood Magic, owned by our good friend Paul Richards, has since relocated to www.elmwoodmagic.com, but we never tire of visiting the Elmwood Strip and the nearby Albright Knox Art Gallery, one of the finest contemporary art galleries in the country.

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Richard Frisbie Jan 31, 2007, 12:37pm EST

It took me awhile to realize North East was the name of the town, not the location (I was sooo confused!) but my mouth watered for the walleye! FYI - nice line in an article on eating fish "stuffed to the gills" -- fun!

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