Remember those places you used to frequent in your youth? When you were small, it may have been the corner superette where you'd buy candy, gum, and baseball cards. Then, as you headed towards your teenage (and infinitely more mobile) years, there were those eateries where you and your friends discussed life's pressing issues (girls, homework, summer jobs, etc...) over a burger, or some fries, or a shake, or a plate of onion rings. Everybody has these places that they remember in their youth. They are, to a great extent, portrayed in the movies and TV shows we have seen over the years. On "Happy Days", it was Arnold's. On "What's Happening", it was the local burger joint where Shirley Hemphill's character served up fries, shakes, and attitude. More recently, some of us hung out with the kids of "90210" at The Peach Pit. And the Fell's Point Diner was the central location (and lifelong hangout) of the principals in Barry Levinson's "Diner". For me, this place was a sandwich joint in my hometown of Methuen, Massachusetts, known as Bea's. Since I can remember, Bea's was one of the best places in town to grab a good sandwich (and a yummy fig square!). Although best known for their cutlets, they were also well known for their Chicken Barbecue sandwich (a local favorite that has nothing to do with real Barbecue, it is basically sliced and shredded chicken in mayonnaise on a burger roll). My high school friends and I spent some very cool times at Bea's, discussing the finer points of change, coming of age, and cutlets.

Why all this talk about Bea's? Well, recently I read that the owners of this local dining icon are looking to move to a new location, and the town of Methuen is going to turn the Bea's site into a boat ramp. I was quite saddened to see this story, and talked to my best friends (many of whom I have known since high school) about getting together and paying our respects to this fixture of the town in which we grew up. The photos accompanying this piece were taken during this "Bea's Night Out" with my friends and I, catching up on new times, old memories, and classic cutlets (actually, my friend Dave opted for the Chicken Barbecue). Let me tell you about Bea's...part of the landmark status of this establishment was the fact that the location was pretty much a landmark in itself. Please allow me to explain. The Bea's in Methuen (there was once another location on Route 28 in Lawrence) was built in the 1960's, back before local communities got their knickers in a twist over issues such as signage. (This led to the innovative and attractive designs of diners, sandwich shops, and chains such as Burger Chef and McDonald's, giving way to drab, generic, cookie-cutter earth-toned monstrosities with brick fronts and mansard roofs.) Bea's had a big sign in the parking lot in front. A really big sign. In Bea's heyday, that sign would light up at night with neon letters proudly proclaiming "Bea's FAMOUS SANDWICHES" for all to see, even those on the Route 93 overpass that runs not even a half-mile from the restaurant. The front was also well-lit, with a big neon "Bea's Sandwiches" as well as a listing of what they had to offer, and the tile-covered interior made it even brighter. Another cool feature of Bea's was the counter in the dining area that ran the length of the plate glass windows in the front. There were plenty of stools by that counter, and table seating in the middle of the floor as well. In earlier times, there were also a few picnic tables outside. Not the standard tables, mind you, but some really cool art-deco inspired tables with angular overhangs featuring recessed lighting. Also, the location was on the banks of the Merrimack River, and on a good night you could have a bite, share a word, and look through the trees out over the river. This place was downright cool! Simply put, to me, it had all the charm of a diner. (And I LOOOOVE diners!) With all that they offered on the menu, I always had a singular favorite. The cutlet sub. Bea's cutlets stood head and shoulders above any other cutlet sandwich out there. Bea's cutlets came in three sizes...the grand-daddy of them all, the cutlet sub...then there was the regular cutlet, and for the kids, a cutlet on a burger or bulkie-style roll - known as the Cutlet Jr. Although Bea's always used good pork (not veal) and good seasonings to make up the breading.

What really made the Bea's cutlet "the Bea's cutlet" was the incredible sauce that they put on the cutlets. A tangy sweet tomato sauce with chunks of meat and onions. The sauce was a tradition in itself. Some people would always order their sauce on the side. The sauce was so good that Bea's even sold "sauce sandwiches", featuring the sauce (and only the sauce) in a roll. These were quite inexpensive and another popular staple in the Bea's legend. Simply put, get me a Cutlet Sub, some onion rings, a fig square, and a large Coke, and I was in complete neo-nutritional Nirvana. Whenever a new sandwich shop offering cutlets would open, there was the inevitable comparison between those cutlets and the ones offered at Bea's. The Bea's cutlet always seemed to be the standard, up to which everything else was held. To be honest, what most sandwich shops call cutlets today just aren't cutlets to me. They are usually a rounded beef/veal composite patty (very much like the ones you would find in your grocer's freezer under the brand names "Our Best" and "Maid-Rite"), cut in half, with a slice of provolone and some generic marinara sauce. This is not a cutlet. The Bea's cutlet is actually more like a fillet (with no definable shape) covered with seasoned breading and topped with a tasty sauce.

(EOG's Note: When King Cutlet in the neighboring town of Salem, New Hampshire, opened up, one of my co-workers claimed that their cutlets were "even better than Bea's". This has been a point for debate, but I would put the two cutlets themselves on just about equal footing. Hey, I look at it this way, a cutlet from either place was always a treat that was worth the wait. But, of course, as was illustrated here, the Bea's Cutlet was the standard to which every other cutlet was upheld. Now, even with the debate and speculation ongoing over "who's the best", I offer this piece of, what I believe is, incontrovertible truth: Bea's sauce still surpasses the sauce used at King Cutlet, or anywhere else for that matter. Bea's sauce was the absolute best.)

My earliest memories of Bea's are of my early childhood, long before my high school days. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Allen Robert, my father, was a manager at Bea's Sandwiches. I would always come to visit him, along with my mom or the odd sibling, and would have a sauce sandwich in my Dad's area. Even now, when I go to Bea's for a cutlet, I see behind the counter...the grill...the stainless...the prep area...and it still conjures up memories of me hanging out with my Dad at Bea's. This was back in the days before conglomerated mega-chains SubWay, Quizno's. D'Angelo's took on (and, in many cases, helped take out) the great local sub shops. Sure, a lot of great local choices still exist, but it still isn't the same. Back then, you had great places everywhere. Anyone who grew up in my area in the 60's and 70's will remember Bea's two locations, the one featured here, and their location on Broadway in Lawrence. You might even remember the King-Size sandwich shop, or Joe Gile's Bungalow. (In the late 1970's, my Dad and I made the Bungalow's Chicken Barbecue our Friday late-night tradition.) Another terrific location for good local eats those days was a stand called The Den on Route 114 in Lawrence. (Alas, a Boston Market now sits on just about that site.)

The business landscape has changed over the years, and Bea's has changed a lot, too. The old white tile interior has been replaced by wood paneling. While there is still counter space along the front window, most of the seating has given way to the pre-fab self-contained booths normally found in many pizza shops. The outdoor tables are gone (can I say it again, those outdoor tables were REALLY COOL)...and time has taken its toll on the building's memorable signage as well. Business, for whatever reason, appears to have slowed down and now the place closes at 7:00pm. And then there was the news that Bea's was going to be closing up shop on the Riverside Drive location for good. (Head bowed, heavy sigh...) Maybe the location is not as advantageous anymore, what with all the quickie-marts, delivery places, and incessant strip-plazas there are in town nowadays. Maybe it's the onslaught of all the local conglom outlets pushing product and branding over food quality and dining experience. Who knows?

(I will give the owners, the Yorke family, a lot of credit, though, for keeping Bea's going as long as they have. They purchased it from the Consoli family (who founded it) in 1984 and have kept it alive, a charming reminder of a far different time in the food industry. I want to genuinely thank both families for providing this delightful part of not only my life, but the lives of many who come from here as well.)

I think as I am writing here...sure, Bea's has changed...but so has life. What was once a bunch of carefree high school students has metamorphosized into a group of adults now dealing with mortgages and careers and families. What was once a quick trip down the street was a pilgrimage for some on this day, some coming from as far as Worcester and Franklin, MA, either person having a travel time of an hour each way. And one of the guys was actually up from his place in Washington, D.C. But, I am noticing, as these changes happen, we also have new adventures, meet new people, and make new friends with girlfriends, spouses, and even children. You know, sometimes change can be pretty cool. The one thing that hasn't changed...my friends from that time are still my best friends these days. Kind of makes a great commentary on life, don't you think?

Okay, I'll stop rambling now. All things considered, maybe this is the best way for the owners of Bea's to keep the business running and the food flowing with the Bea's name, get a new location, and a new facility that isn't as high-maintenance. Would it be the same? Ask that question to any Yankees fan who, in the mid-1970's, had to see Yankee games at Shea Stadium while Yankee Stadium was being renovated. Was that the same? Some will say yes, some will say no. When Bea's finds a new place to roost, if that is indeed the plan of the owners, I'll gladly be among the first in line for a cutlet, some rings, and a fresh new cup of history. Of course, in the back of my mind, some of it still will not be the same. And neither will Methuen. I spent a lot of time at this location in my youth, and tried to get there when I could when I moved back up here a couple of years ago. It was a unique spot, a really cool location, and a touch of Americana.

Goodbye Bea's on Riverside Drive...you have served us well. And to the owners - good luck with the new location when you find it...just don't mess with the cutlet sauce. And when you do schedule the Bea's re-launch, just remember one thing: billrobert@equalopportunitygourmet.com. Send the word, and I'll be there, with as many people as I can find.