As you walk along the waterfront in the Harbor and pass around the by-way next to the old bowling alley, you will come to a sidewalk that heads downslope to the famous Boothbay Harbor footbridge. The footbridge was meant to connect the east side and the other side of the harbor, which it does.

But before getting to the footbridge, you will approach the entrance to Andrews' Harborside and a kitchen window peek into the world of Chef Craig Andrews, as I did, and do, from time to time.

Even photographed through a screen, it perfectly clear that there is plenty of heat in the kitchen section of the restaurant — many ovens and stoves and abundant hot air! That would not necessarily include Chef Craig, however, it might.

For example, at the time of this week's photo, Craig was preparing one of his baked stuffed lobster gems for some lucky sailor. Our glimpse behind the scenes revealed Craig sporting his magnetic smile with just enough time to share a joke he'd probably heard from Danny Beal, a regular customer and musical entertainer well known to Harborside patrons.

Danny supplies a tale with local color and Craig embellishes. They would make a great team outside the kitchen. Danny is the straight man and Craig is more the comedian. We have known them to create a few showstoppers — by the time we hear their jokes they've been road tested and adjusted for maximum impact!

“Did you ever hear the one about ...”

“Careful Craig, there are children in the crowd!” Craig lowers his voice and refers us to a less public space, away from a gathering crowd, for the punch line.

“All in a day's work,” Craig would say, as the lobster comes out of the oven.