Executive Chef Al Hynes has a reputation for excellence in the kitchen, any kitchen. Fueled by his passion for cooking, this former executive chef for the Harraseeket Inn of Freeport, and DeMillo's Floating Restaurant in Portland, is now at the helm of the Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay Harbor.

Chef Hynes has 35 years of experience under his hat. He says he has been cooking since the tender age of 11. The young, enterprising Hynes lied just a tad about his age and landed himself a job frying up clams at the Howard Johnson's in Wells.

Hynes graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, then located in Hartford, Conn., and is certified by the American Chef's Association as an executive chef.

He studied ice carving at the University of Michigan, and has gone on to teach the art of crafting swans and lovebirds while wielding a chain saw to others for 22 years.

Seafood is his specialty, and his award-wining clam chowder recipe is at the top of the list…and got him an invite to the "Regis and Kathy Lee Show."

In August 1996, the Chef was cooking at Thompson's Clam Bar in Chatham, Mass. where Mr. Philbin, who was attending a reunion at his alma mater Notre Dame, came in for dinner.

Philbin was so impressed with the chowder that he went into the kitchen (removing his disguise of beard and sunglasses), and asked Hynes if he would like to make some on the show.

Later that month, Hynes did the show, preparing the chowder with Philbin.

"I didn't know if I should go - I mean, it was August, you know," said Hynes. "But the restaurant owner said, `You'd better go!' It was fun time."

Hynes attributes his passion for cooking to his Italian grandfather, who, said Hynes, could have been a famous chef had he been able to read and write in English.

"When he came to this country he worked the resorts like Mount Washington, grew his own herbs, in fact, some of the resorts he worked, I've also been the chef at," laughed Hyson.

"Cooking comes very naturally to me, I have a natural ability to season food. I've never done any other kind of job. I'm not sure I would be good at anything else!"

Ironically, co-owners Angelo DiGiulian and Joe Paolillo have been trying to employ Hynes since the Spruce Point Inn's former maitre d', the late Julius Petrovic, introduced them several years ago.

"Julius and I were friends for 30 years - we met working at Mount Washington," said Hynes. "We took his death very hard, my whole family. Over the years, he had worked with all of my kids in the business. He was on his way to our house for a visit that day. He was a very close friend; a member of my family."

The introduction took place while Hynes was visiting Julius and his son Bill, who was SPI's executive chef at the time. Hynes, the younger, "served" at the Inn for four years.

All four of Hynes' children are "in the business," - true testimony to the art being in their blood. Locally, son Chris is the chef at the Newagen Seaside Inn on Southport Island, and his daughters are chefs in Florida and Pennsylvania.

"I tried to keep them out of the business, but they were in the kitchens with me when they were young children," said Hynes.

At the end of 2006, in his fourth year as executive chef at DiMillo's, and after having been in kitchens "early on" himself, Hynes decided it was time to seek employment at a seasonal resort. The Spruce Point Inn immediately came to mind.

"He called in December," said DiGiulian. "Joe and I had him come right over, we all sat down and we asked him what he wanted."

And so began another "Hynes chapter" at the Spruce Point Inn, sounds like the makings of a winning recipe.

SPI's extensive menu already includes some of Chef Hynes' well-known recipes including his award-winning clam chowder, his grandfather's steak butter recipe, scampi butter, halibut prepared with a cornbread macadamia nut crust and a citrus beurre blanc sauce, Italian bruschetta, fried clams, and jumbo lobster ravioli pomodoro.

Hynes has nothing but praise for his new employers.

"Our opening weekend we had a wedding, a convention, we were busy. But, all of my staff is not here yet. Everything went beautiful. Through the weekend, there was my boss Joe (Paolillo), working side-by-side with me. You don't see that too often," said Hynes. "And I felt very comfortable with him in the kitchen. He's a very down-to-earth man who wants to see things go well.

"This hotel is a real family-oriented operation," said Hynes of the Inn. "Joe and Angelo, their wives, all of them are working with the employees. That's something you just don't see very often. We all are getting along well together."

"It's the only way this place works," said DiGiulian. "We are always around to pitch in."

A member of the Maine Produce Advisory Board, Hynes predominantly uses fresh vegetables and buys local as much as possible.

"Some restaurants have gone all organic, like the Harraseeket, it's expensive now, but, years from now it won't be because everyone will be buying that way," Hynes said.

"I like to cook. It challenges me to get the food out hot, and well presented, and I am challenged every time I do it," said Hynes.

And, by all accounts to date, he has been successful. Both DiMillo's and the Harraseeket feature his recipes on their Web sites and his creative and flavorful creations have been raising eyebrows, and forks, at Spruce Point.

"His food is great. People have been raving about it. We are very happy to have Al on board," said DiGiulian.