York Corner
Last week, we concluded our observations here with a listing of some of what's new at Sean Mitchell's Bagel Basket, in the Village - and that included a gas fireplace, lending enhancement to the growing popularity of the place as social gathering-spot, plus some literal heat especially welcome in these days of prolonged cold.
Also new this year, Sean told us, were gift cards, the response to which he said had been "huge," plus free wireless connection for the computer crowd, and Sean's acceptance of MasterCard and Visa credit cards.
In the food line, the expanded menu we mentioned earlier now includes, among a host of sandwich options, a daily panini, plus three soups, each different every day. The single exceptions to that last rule are fish chowder, always available on Thursdays, and clam chowder, always available on Fridays.
On the Monday we were there, Reuben's were featured, and the enticing soups du jour were Hungarian mushroom, vegetarian chili and chicken noodle vegetable.
"Coming soon," said Sean, "is a burrito special. We're working on it."
At our request, Sean refreshed our memory about the business' and his own backgrounds.
The Bagel Basket was begun in 1994, and Sean bought it seven years ago. Originally from Wakefield, Mass., he got a head start in food service at a restaurant run by his family there - Toody's, a fixture long familiar to those from that area.
Like many another, Sean came first to York on weekends, loved the region and moved in 14 years ago.
Now his wife, Laurie, teaches music to toddlers in several York pre-schools, where she's known as "Miss Laurie." But sometimes, said Sean, she's also called "Mrs. Bagel," as he, he added, is sometimes called "Mr. Laurie."
Their children, not yet tagged with such nicknames (or, if so, we weren't told), are Joshua, 10, Jonah, 8, and Carly, 3.
At the Bagel Basket, Sean employs something like 15 people, and they go by the name "The Bagel Babes," a term adopted by six of them when they participated, last June, in Boston's Jimmy Fund Marathon, to raise money for cancer care and cancer research. (The six were Sue Malett, Claire Franey, Kate Carr, Michaela Franey, Kelsey Caramihalis and Liz Caramihalis.)
On the day we were there, we saw evidence of continued support for healthcare funding in the form of paper hearts ringing the counter where orders are taken. Each represented a contribution pledged by patrons as well as staff to cystic fibrosis care and research.
As we were chatting with Sean, one of those patrons, a "regular," chimed in.
"This place is colorful, to say the least," he said, adding, "It's a great place. All the people are nice, and Sean's a good guy."
The speaker was Al Taplin of Cape Neddick, who reported that he stops in every day and sometimes twice a day, "for coffee, usually," but also sometimes for sandwiches, all of which, he enthused, were "all good, all fresh."
Sean confirmed that Al was one of what he called "a slew of regulars" that he draws, as Al confirmed that the Bagel Basket was "kind of a meeting-place," and a "fun place," where, in summer and fall, the appeal is heightened by the opportunity to sit outside in the sun, sip coffee and watch the passing.
When we pressed Al for what he did when he wasn't at the Bagel Basket, he told us that he was a painting contractor who was also a massage therapist specializing exclusively in treatment for sports and athletic injuries, and that he was now working about half the time at each job.
And when we pressed him further about how he came to be working at two such different pursuits, he spoke of what seemed to be his real love: coaching track. His interest and training in massage therapy arose out of the interest in track.
He's been coaching indoor track at York High School, Al said, for 14 years now, and he can be found there from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. every weekday, and on some weekends, too. He's done it as a volunteer, he said when we asked, and is now getting paid for it, but he stressed, "I don't care one way or the other. It's just fun working with the kids."
And that must have its effect, because he reported that 130 students are participating in indoor track this year, "the biggest team in the state," he said, "and they're doing very well."
"Some of our high school runners work here," he added, bringing the conversation back to the Bagel Basket, and he named Kelsey St. Germaine and Kendall Farley by way of illustration.
A laminated card on the table where Al sat provided more testimony to the fact that the Basket is patronized by regulars.
"Reserved For the Coffee Shop Cowboyz [sic]," it read, "Richie, Ray, Ralph, Barry, Sal, Charlie and Johnny, 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily."
The Basket was closing as we finished talking, but we promised ourselves we'd swing by one of these mornings at that time to take some more notes. The Bagel Basket, by the way, is open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., except on Sundays, when it closes at 1 p.m.
