A sliver of sun warms the porch and boats are starting to appear in the harbor as an early summer weekend unfolds at Blue Moon Cafe. It’s my favorite time of year to wake up in time for breakfast on the porch. In a few short weeks there will be a line out the door by seven, but in early June the pace at Blue Moon is slower. Regulars linger over blueberry pancakes and a copy of the Boothbay Register. There’s room for a dog to nap underfoot. And until the summer season hits in earnest, proprietors Fred Munro and Stephanie Conzelman have time to enjoy a cup of coffee, catching up with customers who have become friends over the years.

Fred bought Blue Moon 20 years ago, and, since then, mornings have gone pretty much like this. Fred is up before dawn. Early risers have come to listen for Fred’s scooter, the Red Rocket, as Fred passes by on his way to town. If he hasn’t sped by 5:30 am, they start to worry.  He unlocks the Moon for a moment of solitude.  Johnny will soon arrive to begin prepping the onions and peppers for home fries.  Johnny likes things “just so.” The omelet pans must be lined up properly before Johnny eases into the comfortable and predictable conversation he has come to expect with Fred. They’ll dive deep into a discussion of vintage cars, but there’s also an ongoing disagreement about who is the better skier, Johnny or Fred. This requires lengthy consideration — it’s been the topic of debate for years. If you ask Johnny, he will tell you that Fred will talk your ear off. But Johnny has three siblings and is the son of a fire department chief. He can hold his own against Fred.  

By the time the first customer arrives, everything will be where it should be — the door and windows open to the sea breeze, pancakes on the griddle, and a plate of peanut butter cookies on the counter, made from the recipe of Fred’s mother Barbara. Fred and Johnny will be getting a groove going, inspired by Motown tunes on the radio. Donna and Magen will be ready to serve breakfast, Calvin will be ready to clean up. Stephanie will arrive with flowers from her garden — zinnias, blue hydrangea, mint, or daisies — for the bud vases on each table. 

Five days a week, the seven o’clock crowd includes George, captain ofCharger Sportfishing, and his mate Josh. Often Dave shows up too, with live lobsters for the day’s menu. Dwight and Duane Lewis come by for a cup of hazelnut coffee, sometimes offering to make a run to Hannaford, or to help pick lobster, or to mow the lawn. The morning group knows the way through the back door and into the kitchen.  Johnny likes to surprise George with something special “off menu” for breakfast.  

Everyone says the Blue Moon staff is like family — the entire crew celebrated Magen’s graduation from Boothbay Region High School — and every season there is a new opportunity to make friends with strangers. Kevin from Kentucky, a lovely young golf pro who landed on the peninsula last summer and followed the smell of fresh baked muffins straight to Commercial Street.  John, living for the summer at Hodgdon Marina, where he was restoring an antique sailboat. Families whose children can remember every season since Blue Moon opened — coming year after year for two decades, the children can finally reach the counter. Some now are a head taller than Fred, but they still think grilled cheese and chips are a breakfast for champions.  

Given the chance to serve breakfast to anyone, living or not, Fred and Stephanie dream of a family affair. Both would invite their late mothers. Fred’s dad would be there. Stephanie’s kids George and Sam. And since there are no rules to the game, they’d invite professional skiers Makaela Shiffrin and Ingemar Stenmark, obviously, to weigh in once and for all on whether Fred or Johnny is the superior skier. Stephanie, once a competitive junior skater, is definitely in the running where skiing is concerned.  

The menu, then, would be a nod to family breakfast memories, with an athlete’s dash of protein. For Fred, who grew up in Nova Scotia, more often than not breakfast was a bowl of hot red river cereal, or shredded wheat with warm milk, butter and brown sugar.  Sometimes a Western sandwich.  But it was Stephanie’s mom who really set the bar high — she was willing to cater to Stephanie’s whims on any given morning, whether that called for scrambled eggs with steak or lamb kidneys. Stephanie’s tastes now run more towards smoked salmon, sauteed spinach over eggs, or eggs with avocado lemon salt on Dave’s prison bread. I advocate for including a Bloody Mary, a favorite on the Blue Moon menu. I feel like a Bloody Mary would get the conversation flowing. 

As summer gets hectic, one of the things Fred and Stephanie crave most is time — time to sit on their deck, to work out at the Y, to visit with friends and family, and to take their boat out. Time for date night at Ports of Italy with a plateful of Bolognese. Which brings me to my own cravings' confession.  I dream all winter about the Blue Moon Tuna Melt, especially the part where the cheese meets the pickle. You know how sometimes you don’t really want to wake up from a dream? Blue Moon closes at noon, so I recommend setting your alarm for eleven.  

Tuna Melt recipe  

While there is no secret to the Blue Moon Tuna Melt, it stands out as something special. Load up white toast with canned tuna fish mixed with mayonnaise and harbor island dressing. Add sprouts and cheddar cheese. Serve with chips and a pickle.