The Fabled Pumpkin Much like the fabled pumpkin, this building is about to be transformed into a TV studio, cooking school, general store extraordinaire and you'll never guess what's going behind it. (Photo Barbara Martin)

Roger Bintliff attended the Edgecomb Selectmen's meeting Monday to fill them in on his newest projects - a general store, a cooking school and filming of food preparation shows for a national television audience.

Many who travel Route 1 regularly have seen the "For Sale" sign on Mostly Maine just before the bridge to Wiscasset. But how many have noticed that the sign now says, "Under Contract."

If Bintliff is able to wish upon a star successfully one more time, he will be bringing a little bit of Hollywood "bling" to mix with Edgecomb's Maine charm.

He plans to turn the second floor of the building into a cooking school that will include a television studio where cooking shows will be videotaped and cable broadcast for national syndication.

On October 1, five cooking programs, using the name of Chef's Kitchen, will be filmed and "put in the can" as they say in the business. Five professional chefs will join Bintliff for a national broadcast, each offering the chef's favorite lobster recipe. What a surprise! Professional Chefs Tony Clark, John Mims and Walter Staib from Pennsylvania will join Christopher Lee from Manhattan and our own Roger Bintliff for production.

Also joining in the fun will be Senior Food Editor Annie Copps from Yankee Magazine who will probably get to sample all that great seafood. Tough job!

Unbeknownst to many of his neighbors, Bintliff has a national following as a TV chef and regularly films shows for Fretz Kitchen that are shown in far-off places such as Miami, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Some of those programs have been filmed right in his own Edgecomb restaurant. It remains true that the home crowd is often the last to know. These will be the first of many filmings so get those recipe cards ready folks. He already has an agreement to complete 15 shows.

If approved, the cooking school will be ongoing and will offer training to both aspiring chefs and those looking to spiff up dinner. "We don't have any adult education in town and I think that would add something extra for residents to enjoy," Bintliff said. The school may also offer healthy cooking and eating classes.

He has already spoken with the University of Maine at Orono, and some classes will offer college credit.

"Many people who travel in the area are just passing through. It would be nice to have some destination sites here," he said.

Now let's talk about the first floor. Bintliff has often spoken of building an old-fashioned general store in town where residents could meet and greet, and maybe even sit down and jaw awhile as in the old days.

He hopes to get approval from the Planning Board to add a wrap-around porch to the building, which will enhance that hometown feel. However, the products available in the store will be anything but run of the mill.

"We plan to have Davis Island brand products on hand that would include spices, sauces, a wine and cheese section to add to a great coffee, muffins and pastry selection," he said.

"There will also be our own brand name spices, jellies, and jams. And of-course, there will plenty of fresh seafood available along with dinners to go," Bintliff said.

The five acres that come with the Mostly Maine building have also piqued the new owner's interest. "I would like to work with a forester, using the town ordinances, to develop a high end wedding operation," he said.

"I can see botanical gardens surrounding the site, using a tent for the affair. We love to do weddings. We have rooms to house the guests and would bring them over by a bus escort. We could have a dock and the option of bringing guests or the wedding party to the area by boat," Bintliff said.

"We get a lot of requests for wedding facilities," he said. "Up to now we have discouraged large functions, but I would love to offer the residents in the area a beautiful location to plan their special day."

"I have been contacted by several fast food franchises, and I don't want that for Edgecomb. These plans will be very different, maintaining the feel of the town," Bintliff said.

Does this chef/builder/planner ever sleep?