Bag Lady and Shopping Siren have one thing to say: chocolate-peanut butter milkshake.

That is all.

OK, you got us, that isn’t all. However, it’s a big part of why we love Freeport. Again. More.  Because the shopping mecca has added a Johnny Rockets restaurant downtown, and let’s just say its chocolate-peanut butter milkshake is the dessert drink of the gods. *happy sigh*

But as we learned this week during our first Bliss foray to Freeport in four years, there’s a lot of food to love in town. Since we were there last, it’s added an array of restaurants, food stands and little shops filled with such culinary delights as fresh loaves of blueberry/raspberry/lemonade bread and the Whoop-De-Doo, a chocolate-dipped mini whoopie pie.

Chocolate. Dipped. Whoopie. Pie. 

This week kicks off a four-part road trip highlighting The Other Freeport, boutiques and eateries we never happened to give a second look or just newly discovered, much to our delight.

Sure, we always loved to shop in Freeport. Now we love to eat there, too.

Johnny Rockets

In a word: Cool.

Complete Happy Days nostalgia: Lots of black, white and chrome, with 5-cent jukeboxes on the tables. Maine has two Johnnys, one in Freeport Village and the other in the Maine Mall. For our first visit, we grabbed a menu and traded a nickel for the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.”

* Chocolate-peanut butter milkshake, $4.89

Too often flavor-bully chocolate snuffs out peanut butter’s taste. Oh, not here. Subtle chocolate, strong PB. Milkshake perfection. We split one between the two of us for the perfect portion.

* BLT, Johnny Rockets, $5.99

Thick-but-not-too-thick sandwich that gives you your choice of lightly-toasted bread layered with bacon, lettuce and tomato. Shopping Siren loved this sandwich — and the fries that came with it — though she had an embarrassing moment that involved a bite and too much bacon. Before this, we didn’t think it was possible to ever have too much bacon.

* Bacon cheddar burger, $7.49

The ’50’s era-waitress didn’t ask medium, rare or well done, and it turned out it didn’t matter. Really juicy burger, ditto with the voluminous bacon. The menu mentions “all-you-can-eat-fries” with your meal; wisely, we didn’t go there.

When Pigs Fly

In a word: Aromatic.

Open the door and it’s baskets and baskets of fresh-baked bread, yours for the sniffing, with a small offering of jams, olive oils and babywear. (Yes, babywear.)

* Fresh bread, various kinds, When Pigs Fly, $5-6/loaf

Located on the edge of the shopping district, When Pigs Fly is a little store filled with loaf after loaf of fresh bread. Want cinnamon raisin? Got it. Chocolate? Got it. Blueberry/raspberry/lemonade? They’ve got it! With a plethora of free samples, you can try before you buy. And trust us, you will buy. We hear cranberry is most popular. (Note: The building’s second floor is used by a working psychic. Which makes sense. If we were psychic, we’d totally set up shop above a bakery.)  

* Chocolate Heath Bar Crunch cookie, $2

Like the chocolate-peanut butter milkshake, this was another two-person serving. As tasty as the name suggests.

* French baguette, When Pigs Fly, $3/baguette

Not ready to shell out $6 for a loaf of bread? Try a French baguette for half the price. Like all the bread in the shop, the baguette looked fresh and smelled amazing. Now to find a gourmet cheese store to — oh, look, whoopie pies!

Wicked Whoopie

In a word: Jon Stewart eats here.

SS: That’s four words.

BL: Shhh!

Located across the street and nearly diagonal from When Pigs Fly, it likewise offers a mind-boggling array of treats. Just, you know, in whoopie form. On one wall is a signed photo of The Daily Show’s Stewart — a clerk said he ordered their whoopies online and sent the pic as a thank you.

* Whoopie pies, $1.65 each or $9/dozen

Red velvet, chocolate chip, oatmeal cream, vanilla bean, chocolate mint, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate with chocolate… We’ll just be over here planning our dessert schedule — um, and exercise regimen — for the next month.

* Jumbo whoopie, 72 oz., $15

Unwrap, dot with birthday candles and enjoy all the OMG-you’re-a-genius accolades.

* Whoop-De-Doo, Wicked Whoopies, $1.25

A mini whoopie covered in rich chocolate. You know you want to.

* Mini whoopie pies, Wicked Whoopies, 85 cents

Full-size whoopie too much? Whoop-De-Doo too decadent? The mini might be just what you’re looking for. (Uh, we’ll take six.)

Rotary food cart

In a word: Quick.

A local staple located right outside L.L.Bean.

* Hand-squeezed lemonade, 24 oz., $4.75

Also available in 16 ounces for $3.75  and 32 ounces for $6. Something about half a lemon bobbing in ice says summer, even in October.

* Steamed hot dog, $2

Simple, good, able to be eaten with one hand using a minimal number of napkins. Really, the perfect shopping food.

* Grilled Italian sausage with peppers and onions, $7

Nary an L.L.Bean concert can go by without Mr. Bag Lady snagging at least one of these. A Bag house favorite.

So, we’ve dined. (Or, more rightly, over-dined.) Next week, we shop!

Bag Lady and Shopping Siren’s true identities are protected by a pair of stylish, sweater-wearing Doberman pinschers (who steam easily; just try feeding them too late on the weekends) and the Customer Service counter at the Sun Journal. You can reach them at baglady@sunjournal.com or shoppingsiren@sunjournal.com

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