‘Ugly’ bagels and lobster grilled cheese sandwiches among the food truck options at Belfast’s waterfront this summer

BELFAST, Maine — This summer, the scenic Belfast Harbor Walk won’t just be a source of scenic views — it will also offer an array of food options from coffee and bagels to lobster rolls and ice cream as food trucks and lunch wagons set up along the waterfront.

The harbor walk stretches from the footbridge to Front Street Shipyard to the Belfast Boat House. Here’s a brief introduction to the food trucks, starting with the ones closest to the Belfast Boat House and heading north toward the footbridge.

Must Be Nice Lobster

Sadie Samuels, 29, is an old hand when it comes to Maine lobster. She’s from a fishing family and has had her lobster license since she was 7 years old. She loves going out to haul traps on her boat, the Rockport-based Must Be Nice, more than almost anything.

“It’s my dream job. It’s the greatest job in the whole wide world,” she said. “I love being able to provide people with excellent seafood. It makes me feel incredible. It’s what I’m meant to be doing.”

But the industry can be unstable, and she wanted a way to create a sustainable business for herself. A few years ago, she started making and selling lobster rolls from her catch at the United Farmers Market of Maine in Belfast. Last year, she upgraded to the “Must Be Nice Lobster” lunch wagon on the Harbor Walk, parked near Hamlin’s Marine.

Samuels sells lobster and crab rolls, lobster and crab grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads and hand-cut fries. The wagon was a hit, and she’s hoping for another good season. So far, all signs point to yes, as people begin to emerge from the pandemic.

“I have a very good feeling,” she said. “It just seems like people are really excited to get outside.”

Must Be Nice Lobster will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday only until Memorial Day. After Memorial Day, It will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Bob’s Ugly Bagels

Bob Rothwell of Acton has been working on his bagel technique for several years. During the pandemic, he had the time to perfect it. Now the elementary school teacher has turned his hobby into a side hustle, and will be bringing “Bob’s Ugly Bagels” — which he describes as delicious if not always beautiful — to Belfast this summer.

“I do love a New York style bagel. I love a Montreal bagel, too,” he said. “It’s kind of an in-between.”

His bagel flavors include jalapeno cheddar, herbed onion, cranberry orange, sesame, everything, plain, cinnamon-raisin and, of course, asiago.

“The asiago bagel is kind of the inspiration behind the Ugly Bagel,” he said. “It just looks ugly, but it tastes great.”

Rothwell, originally from the town of Waldo, is going to move to Waldo County with his family for the summer. He plans to make and bake bagels in a trailer he will also park near Hamlin’s Marine. He’ll offer a variety of cream cheese spreads, locally roasted coffee, breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches.

Bob’s Ugly Bagels is aiming to open on Memorial Day weekend and will be weekends only until June 10. After that, Rothwell plans to open almost every day from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Stone Fox Farm Creamery

Stone Fox Farm Creamery, a midcoast favorite, is known for its super premium ice cream made with local cream, milk and other ingredients whenever possible. Its ice cream truck, dubbed the “Mobile Cone,” will be parked for a second summer off the Harbor Walk by Hamlin’s Marine.

Owners Bruce and Kathy Chamberlain, who also opened a new store this year on Route 1 in Searsport, have been busy getting ready.

“We’re making tons of ice cream,” Bruce Chamberlain said.

“We’re staffed and ready for a good summer,” Kathy Chamberlain added.

Among their most popular flavors are salted caramel, ginger, vanilla and chocolate salted caramel. New this year are cookie butter (made with Biscoff Cookies) and dark and stormy, made with rum and ginger. They expect to offer milk shakes in the ice cream truck, too.

Stone Fox Farm Creamery will open next week, and be open seven days a week from noon to 6 p.m.

Coffeeman

Doug Hufnagel hand grinds coffee beans at his cart, “Coffeeman.” The coffee cart is parked in a new location on the Belfast Harbor Walk this year, close to Wild Cow Creamery.  Credit: Abigail Curtis / BDN

Doug Hufnagel, also known as the Coffeeman, has already opened his distinctive green coffee stand on the Harbor Walk next to the Wild Cow Creamery.

There, he grinds coffee beans by hand and uses water heated on a propane burner to freshly make pour-over coffee, four cups at a time. It’s a simple process and one that he’s perfected over the 33 or so years that he has been in business, often parking his cart outside festivals, concerts and the Common Ground Fair.

“I’ve always been a morning person,” Hufnagel said. “People are appreciative of a good cup of coffee.”

The cart, which sports a small wind turbine that runs a battery that powers a water pump and lights, is “totally self-sufficient,” he said.

It’s decorated with an array of stickers and signs that showcase Hufnagel’s interests in counterculture and environmentalism. He hasn’t offered lids to his cups “since 1990,” in a nod to the environment, but does have the “European Lifestyle Cafe,” a table and a couple of chairs, where people can enjoy their drinks. His coffee and teas can be enjoyed hot or iced, he said.

Hufnagel doesn’t take credit cards but does extend credit. It’s worked out, he said, adding that as far as he knows, his customers have a 100 percent record in settling up.

“Every day is different,” he said. “You meet a lot of people, which is great. It’s fun. It’s a fun job.”

Coffeeman is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. It’s closed on Mondays.

The Moody Dog

Local chef and entrepreneur Raymelle Moody of The Moody Dog is looking forward to another good summer season with her hot dog cart, parked outside of Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., and her food truck, located up the hill at 39 Main Street.

Moody is known for her creative flavors and quality, locally sourced ingredients, including her hot dogs, which are made by Maine Family Farms in Portland. She also offers a house-made veggie dog. Favorites and new menu offerings include a Buffalo, bacon and blue cheese dog, a Muffuletta dog made with an olive and pickled vegetable spread and a Chicago dog, topped with yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle, tomato, raw onion and pepperoncini.

She also is planning a bunch of seasonal specials, such as a kimchi dog when Napa cabbage is in season, and will have homemade baked goods available all summer. At the food truck, which has more space and longer hours, she’ll offer more options, including corn dogs and breakfast sandwiches.

“I have lots of fun plans,” Moody said.

Starting next week, the Moody Dog hot dog cart will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at Marshall Wharf. Beginning on Memorial Day, the Moody Dog food truck will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Wander Pizza Co.

The Wander Pizza Co., which has a brick-and-mortar business on Western Avenue in Augusta, will bring its classic Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza to Belfast this year.

Owner Jesse Hardie said the pizza trailer will be located just inside the gates at the Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., and hopes to start slinging dough there on Thursday, May 27. Hardie uses naturally leavened dough that is made in-house at the Augusta restaurant and will offer several different toppings, including a butternut squash, ricotta cheese and bacon pie.

“We have some fun toppings,” he said.

Wander Pizza Co. will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. Beginning in June, it plans to expand hours to 2 to 9 p.m. on the same days.

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