My favorite topic: Food. The picture above is a typical lobster dinner we have just about every summer when we have friends and family up to our place.  There are a few places locally (that I’ve mentioned in other posts) where you can get fresh Maine lobster and some will even cook them for you. I highly recommend this as it is downright impossible to feed an entire party at once without some serious firepower. Literally, you need a lot of heat and some really large pans of boiling water to do it right. Leave the cooking of the lobsters to the professionals.

I’m going to move up the coast starting in the southern Maine coastal region and move up the coast. We’ve been to a number of places up and down the coast and for the most part I will cover “Mainely” seafood places. There are a few notable exceptions to this rule, but let’s face it. You can get most types of food anywhere, but if you want fresh seafood you really have to go to the coast (east or west).

Jake’s Seafood – Ogunquit Maine

On a recent trip to the coast (winter ’15) we were on a mission to find a real wooden lobster trap that we intend to turn it into a coffee table. We found an antique/curiosity shop on route 1 in Ogunquit, close to the Wells/Ogunquit town line. We were also in the mood for some seafood so we stopped by Jake’s on route 1. They had a good selection and weren’t too pricey. Note: pricey is a relative term. This isn’t McDonalds. 

The Lobster Claw – Saco Maine

Just down the road from Old Orchard Beach on Ocean Park Rd (rt 5) there is a place where you can sit down to picnic style dining and dig into some fresh seafood. The dining area is large Marquee (in the british sense, a large tent) covering picnic tables where you can seat yourself. It’s been a few years but I believe you go up to the window and order your food. This is actually quite common in coastal areas.

Note: Moving up the coast the next major location we have visited with frequency is Portland, ME. Portland has  enough points of culinary interest to warrant it’s own post. I will cover Portland, as a place to fill your gullet, on it’s own page.

Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Company – South Freeport Maine

Just outside of Freeport (yes, home of LL Bean and many other shopping locations), there is the little village of South Freeport. If you are traveling to Freeport from the southern region, you will most likely exit route 295 on exit 20, which dumps you right onto route 1. Just as you exit the expressway and curve to the right, if you keep to the right and head down route 1 south about 50 yards on the left you will see Pine Street. Take a left onto Pine st and follow it down all the way until it crosses South Freeport Rd and becomes Main st. Continue on Main st to the very end. Park in the lot to the right just before the big red building. Again you will find picnic style seating (both inside and out). Order your food around the backside where you can see them pick the freshly caught lobster right out of the tanks and cook them right there for you. My recommendations are of course the large whole belly fried clams, a fresh steamed Maine lobster, and you must try the lobster bisque. You may think you’ve had lobster bisque (sorry Tommy, Palmer’s is campbell’s soup in comparison), but until you dig into a bowl of the Harraseeket’s bisque and pull up large chunks of lobster meat (clearly discernible claws, chunks of tail) you haven’t had bisque.

Buck’s Naked BBQ – Freeport Maine

This is the first exception to my seafood only rule. Buck’s used to have several locations in southern Maine, Freeport, Windham, and Portland’s old port, but last I checked the only remaining location was in Freeport. I haven’t been to the Freeport restaurant but I’ve been to the Windham location. The best thing I have had there is no longer on the menu. They made a terrific Banh Mi on a fresh roll with greens and I think BBQ short ribs. Anyway, they also have a huge sampler plate that will fill even the hungriest appetite.

The Independent Ice Co. Portland Maine (Old Port)

The Independent Ice Co is located in Portland’s Old Port between Fore St. and Commercial St. at the corner of Warf and Union streets. We made a point of visiting this place because there was an article that listed the best whiskey bars in the US and Independent Ice Co was number 2 on the list. It did not disappoint. Great whiskey selection, excellent food. The cocktail of the day was an excellent Rosemary Whisky Sour that Donna really enjoyed. To top it all off the waiter was extremely friendly and  knowledgeable and even told us where we could buy a bottle of Blanton’s Bourbon and pay normal price ($65) and not get gouged. (Anyone who knows anything about Blanton’s knows how hard it is to find and liquor stores often charge as much as $200 per bottle.) Definitely worth stopping by even just for a drink.

Note: I have pictures so when I can find them I will post them.

Linda Bean’s – Freeport Maine

Right on main street Freeport, directly across from the LLB Flagship store is Linda Bean’s restaurant. We were able to catch New Year’s Eve dinner there a few years back just a about an hour or two before midnight. We sat in the front of the restaurant facing the windows where we could see all the excitement and festivities. I believe they even had fireworks. Honestly I don’t remember what we had for dinner but it was good and the evening’s entertainment was worth it.

El Camino Restaurant – Brunswick Maine

Just up the road from Freeport is Brunswick Maine. I have spent countless days in and around Brunswick as it is the closest town to our favorite vacation spot, Bailey Island. While we were looking to buy a place in Maine we explored several options in the Brunswick area. Our realtor was kind enough to make recommendations for dinner and sent us to the El Camino Restaurant. Unfortunately, we were there in January which was evidently a slow enough time of year for them to do some renovations. They weren’t open. I plan to stop there soon, the next time I get tired of seafood (it may be a while).

Cook’s Lobster House – Bailey Island Maine

I have been going to Cook’s Lobster House since I was young enough to not like lobster. My parents would make a point of dining there at least once maybe twice while we were vacationing on the island. I remember ordering their kids chicken dinner while the adults had lobsters, steamed clams, fried clams, you know, the good stuff. The dining room is very casual and is surrounded on three sides by windows that look out onto the ocean. Not much has changed in the restaurant in the last 40 some odd years I’ve been going there except the prices. Back then you could get a full two boiled lobster dinner for about $10.00. Now the lobster is marked “Market Pricing”. I’m pretty sure this is all because about 15 years ago Visa featured Cook’s on one of their “bring your visa because Cook’s doesn’t take American Express” type commercials.

To get there take route 24 south out of Brunswick off of route 1. About 1500 yds past the Bridge onto Bailey Island there is a right hand turn that takes you down to the waterfront and the restaurant.

Estes Lobster House – Harpswell Maine

Just across the water from Bailey Island is Harpswell. Technically it is a peninsula that runs parallel to the chain of islands that lead to Bailey Island. Take route 123 South  out of Brunswick (just past Bowdoin College) on route 1. Again, take this road almost all the way to the end to find Estes Lobster House. You really can’t miss it. We finally got the chance to stop in there a few years back. We caught an early dinner (late lunch) so the place was nearly deserted.

Sea Basket, Wiscasset Maine

We stayed a week at the Snow Squall Inn just down the road in Wiscasset which is home to the ever popular Red’s Eats (more in the next paragraph). We found the Sea Basket one night when we didn’t want to wait in line at Red’s (again, stay tuned). They served a pretty big helping of fresh fish and other seafoods for a reasonable price (again see my note on pricing above under Jake’s).

Red’s Eats

Red’s Eats is one of those places that perennially shows up on the “Best Place to get a lobster roll” lists in newspapers and magazines. Red’s serves up a lobster roll filled with the meat of 1 whole lobster or more. They also eschew slathering the lobster with heavy sauces and give you the option of adding mayo or drawn butter on the side. If this was all they did they might still justify the long lines that begin before lunch and end sometime after dinner, BUT they serve so much more. Try the full-belly deep fried clams. I’m also told that they serve a really good hotdog, but truth be told, I’m not waiting in line for 1-2 hours just for a hotdog.

What’s that you say? 1-2 hours? Unfortunately, yes. This place is so popular the lines go across the front of the building, down the sidewalk and down the road onto the Wiscasset bridge. The first time we went to Red’s we were in line for over an hour and while in line we agreed to split a lobster roll and some fried clams. When I got to the window I ordered 2 lobster rolls and the fried clams. My wife said “I thought we were going to split one?” I said “I didn’t just stand in line for over an hour to split a lobster roll.”

My recommendation? Wait until about 7pm. The lines seem to die down after dinner.

Pictures to follow (when I find them)

(Cheers!)

Maine, as it turns out is home to a growing movement of craft brewers and distillers. Do a google search for breweries in Maine and you will quickly see that there are over 50 breweries and probably more being added every month. For more information on the growing brewery trade check out the Maine Brewers Guild website. Here’s a link to the 2016 Beer Trail Online guide:

Click to access ME-Beer-Trail-Jan-2016.pdf

One of my favorite beers comes from the award winning Allagash Brewery located right on the outskirts of Portland.

If you are heading east on Route 302 take a left onto Riverside St. (there is a Hannaford’s on the corner) and drive less than a quarter of a mile and you will find Industrial Way. This small road is packed with all kinds of non-industrial businesses. Most importantly you will find Allagash Brewing, Foundation Brewing, D. L. Geary Brewing, and New England Distilling.

I highly recommend taking the free tour of Allagash and New England Distilling. Allagash gives free samples so what’s not to love about that. Their signature beer is their Belgian White which is really popular all over Maine. Allagash has become so popular and well known you can now find it as far west as Rochester New York. I recommend trying all their beers, but the Saison and Belgian White are my favorites. I can also recommend some of their newer beers like the 16 Counties and the Tribute beer Hugh Malone Belgian Style IPA.(Hugh Malone Belgian IPA)

(Allagash Tour Guide)

Other notable breweries that I have personally sampled include Gritty McDuff’s in Old Port, Foundation (across the street from Allagash), Sebago Brewing Company, Maine Beer Co (try the Maine Peeper, it’s excellent), Geary Brewing, Sea Dog, Ship Yard, and probably several others. One notable non-Maine brewing company is Tuckerman’s of Conway NH. They make a really nice Pale Ale.

In 2015, Allagash decided that 20 years was worth celebrating so they decided to throw a street fair. On June 27th, they closed off Industrial Way and brought in a bunch of other brewers, some food vendors, mixed in some live musical performance, and a picture perfect weather day. It was a huge success and tickets for the event sold out way in advance (glad I bought mine early.) It was a well organized event complete with shuttles from nearby parking lots so you didn’t have to walk several miles to get to your car.

Afterward, I went on the Allagash facebook page and told them what a good time it was and I recommended that they do it every year. They took my advice and held the second annual Allagash Street Fair this summer on July 9th 2016.

(I think this tank holds large quantities of beer making stuff)

Take a quick trip down Industrial Way to New England Distillers and see how they
distill whiskey, gin and rum. Buy some while you are there.

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Here’s a slideshow of recent pictures taken on one of the trails.

The park is protected under the auspices of the Loon Echo Land Trust. Here’s a link to their website page that details the properties they protect: Loon Echo Land Trust

On the Loon Echo Land Trust page there is a link to a PDF of a map of the park.

 

(How cool is that foot bridge?)

The Story Book trail is located in the middle of Bridgton behind the Magic Lantern Theater. The trailhead is located at Western end of the public parking lot with a Pavilion and informational kiosk marking the beginning.

The trail is sponsored by the Bridgton Public Library in partnership with the town of Bridgton.

As the few pictures I currently have show, there is a really cool bridge at the beginning that is actually a memorial named after a town native named Bob Dunning. Zoom in on the plaque for more details.

(I’d love to thank the wonderful person who left their cigarette butt at the base of the plaque. Nice touch)

So, full disclosure. I have not yet walked the trail.  I plan to do so the next time I get up there. From what I can tell, there are references to story books scattered along the trail, all of which can be checked out at the Bridgton library. 

So for now I’ll leave you all with these pictures.