Classic Car Night at Nicky's

By Melanie Brooks

The traffic on Union Street was moving slowly last night as oglers inched by Nicky's Cruisin Diner to catch a glimpse of the spectacular array of classic cars. It was a gorgeous night and the place was packed!

Nicky's Cruise Nights began in the summer of 1992. Wednesday nights are reserved for cars and motorcycles get their turn to shine on Tuesdays. Oldies were playing on the sound system and the cars were waxed to an almost blinding shine.



Car owners were more than happy to talk to anyone interested in their hot rod. Many of them let admirers sit in their car and even start it up! If you are a car enthusiast you don't want to miss this weekly event. Come hungry and enjoy a burger and milkshake! Check out more photos below.

Week One: Name That Sandwich Contest

By Melanie Brooks

Welcome to Week One of our Name That Sandwich Contest. Have a guess as to where I ate this delicious looking roast beef sandwich? Click on the "comments" tab below and give me your guess along with your email address. If you don't include your email I have no way to contact you if you won!

You have 24 hours to make your guess before I declare a winner at random. Good luck and good lunch!

Name That Sandwich Contest!

By Melanie Brooks

I know you are all just gaga over the June/July Summer Guide issue of Bangor Metro and couldn't possibly be thinking about the next issue yet...but we are. The upcoming August issue is one of our favorites -- and apparently yours too judging from the magazine rack sales -- BEST RESTAURANTS!

There is so much good stuff in the pages of this magazine that I can't wait for you to see it. The cover alone will make your mouth water! The mere fact that I know the winners of the Best Restaurant poll and I can't tell any of you is suffocating. I want to shout it from the rooftops of downtown Bangor -- but I can't. Not yet anyway.

So I'm going to tease you with a little competition. For the next four weeks I'm going to publish a photo on the blog of a sandwich I had for lunch. Your job is to guess what restaurant, cafe, or deli it comes from.

Here's how it's gonna work:
Each Monday for the next four weeks I will write a post with a photo of a sandwich.
You have 24 hours from the time of the post to guess where I ate.
Add a comment on the blog with your guess and email.
After 24 hours I will pick a right answer at random.
That lucky winner will get a $10 gift certificate from the place I ate lunch.

What a deal!

So check back here every Monday for a chance to win. It won't cost you anything and who knows...it might be a lot of fun!

Cool Sounds Concert: Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy

Tomorrow is the start of the Cool Sounds Concert Series in Pickering Square in downtown Bangor. Kicking off the summer is Bruce Nye the Elvis Guy. He'll be performing from 7-8 pm but get there early to check out the outdoor market which starts at 5 pm. Shop for jewelry, clothing, and produce among other things.

Bruce Nye, er, Elvis performs all over Maine and the Tampa, Florida area with his wife Darleene, er, Priscilla. He not only has the crooning voice of the King, he has the outfits too.

The rest of the Cool Sounds Concert Series will feature the following:

June 18: Chico and the Band (Country)
June 25: Flash in the Pans (Steel Drums)
July 2: Blue Northern (Bluegrass)
July 9: Montville Project (Celtic)
July 16: Evergreen (Folk)
July 23: Spontaneous Jazz (Jazz)
July 30: RetroRockerz (Rock)

Hope to see you there!

West Market Festival

By: Melanie Brooks

If you're looking for something fun to do on Saturday, head to downtown Bangor. The West Market Festival, put on by West Market Productions, is taking over downtown all day. The festival, which includes two stages with dozens of musical guests for all ages, fashion shows with stores like The Gap and Bella Luna, and a beer tent with Magic Hat brews outside of the Whig & Courier.

If you've got kids, head over to the Pickering Square stage at 12:15 to see the Flannery Brothers. The duo writes and performs children's songs about such things as broccoli, rutabagas, pillow, and being tucked in to name a few.

Maine's own Rustic Overtones is the headlining band. They take the stage in West Market Square at 6:15 pm. If you've never seen this jazz/rock/funk band there's no time like the present. Take a minute and check out the video below...



With musical performances from 10 am to 8 pm and fashion shows throughout the day, it's amazing that West Market Productions is putting this all on for FREE! For a full list of musicians, retailers in the fashion show, vendors, and supporters visit their website here.

Wide Load

For the past three days, trucks carting pieces of a gigantic wind turbine have cleared the streets of downtown Bangor. Gigantic is an understatement -- they're ginormous, gargantuan, colossal. This photo from exit 194 near Old Town doesn't do it justice.


Their route from Jackman to Chester takes a detour from Route 201 and the highway at Dysart's in Hermon. The trucks slowly head downtown then get back on the highway at Hogan Road. It's not a parade. According to the Bangor Police Department, the overpasses in this stretch of I-95 are too low for the turbines to fit under.

There has been a lot of discussion on the merits of wind power. There has also been a lot of discussion about how windmills corrupt the natural view of the landscape. What do you think?

poll by twiigs.com

Click on the links below to read stories about wind power in Bangor Metro!
Winds of Fortune
Composite Genius

Supersized Sandwiches

By: Melanie Brooks

Ashley and I were in Pittsfield this morning conducting some interviews with ballet students at Maine Central Institute. The kids were so much fun to talk to that we didn't get done until noon -- lunch time! And what better place to fill your tummy in the Central Maine area than Big G's Deli.


My family has a cult-like devotion to Big G's. I've been going there since high school, sometimes driving the hour to Winslow with a friend just for a sandwich. Yes, they're that good.

My personal favorite sandwich is the Dr. Strangepork. It has turkey, muenster, tomatoes, and onions on their homemade bread. SO GOOD! And, so you know, this photo is just a HALF of a sandwich. A whole one can feed a family of four...


All the sandwiches have off-the-wall names. Here are a few off their menu, which is divided by protein in case you were wondering HOW you would possible choose:

Cindy Blodgett: Hot turkey, No Fowl, Swish Cheese, Slammed with Sprouts and Tomatoes. (Cindy grew up next door in Clinton, by the way.)

Richard Simmons: Tuna Salad, Sprouts, Onions, Tomatoes, Pickles

Gov. King: Ham, Turkey, Bacon, Onions, Muenster, Cold Slaw.

Founded in 1986, Big G's has grown over the years thanks to fresh food, good service, and their big-as-your-head whoopie pies. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week from 6 am - 7 pm. Check them out online or stop in. You won't regret it!