D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 1 0 9 Fiction ADobe stock The Great White Whale By Dylan Robinson T he Great White Whale, a res- taurant, became a staple of fine Maine dining in 1989, known na- tionally and revered locally for its blue-rib- bon-winning clam chowder. Summer vis- itors and envious celebrity chefs flocked by the thousands to get a taste of that sig- nature chowder. Unlike much of the food world at the time, head chef Dwayne Miller made his chowder from all natural ingredi- ents: butter, milk, flour, vegetables, and, of course, the clams. Ever after, Dwayne and his family found success in their quiet, small-town busi- ness niche. From his provincial perch, he downplayed his success and soupçon of fame from doing what he loved. Having been taught to cook at an early age by his mother, he’d inherited her knack and lis- tened intently to her whispers of the hard- earned family secrets of the culinary craft. She passed away when Dwayne was only 27. From there, he worked tirelessly to make his mother’s dream of running a restaurant a reality. He honored her memory as his North Star by further venerating her clam chowder recipe, the same exact one that put The Great White Whale on the map. The chowder was more than just an in- credibly satisfying meal, it was a symbol of Dwayne’s dedication to his family name. The glory days of the late Eighties and early Nineties dissipated as the once fruit-