Mainegal's Profile
Downeast Maine - North of Ellsworth
In addition to other places mentioned:
Hancock: Le Domaine (although ownership has changed, it's still the place for French fare, an excellent wine list, and fine dining); Crocker House Country Inn (unpretentious inn on the point serving continental fare made with local ingredients) Chipper's (casual leaning to fine atmosphere, wide-ranging menu with emphasis on seafood).
Winter Harbor: Bunker's Wharf is a must for the location on a good day, views are lovely. Tends to be a bit pricey. Ask locally how it is this season. Gerrish's Store is always evolving. Rumor is the the old Mama's Boy is reopening. The Winter Harbor Farmers Market on Tuesday mornings t is a great spot to pick up both fresh and prepared foods.
Milbridge: Fisherman's Wife Cafe
Steuben: Kitchen Garden is back (Yay! Limited menu drawn from garden and local sources, mostly organic; Jamaican influenced--jerk, goat, etc., BYOB $5 fee, reservations/order required at least a day in advance; no credit cards)
Lubec: Bold Coast Smokehouse & Monica's Choclates (between the two, you've got a meal); dining possibilities include Cohill's, Frank's Dockside, Water Street Inn, and the lobster restaurant at the Inn at the Wharf. Each can be hit or miss.
Eastport/Perry: New Friendly (unfussy good home cookin')
Calais: sigh. Now that Juliana's World Cafe has closed, that leaves Bernardini's. It's fine and smack downtown. Or cross the border--just remember that you lose an hour (Atlantic time is an hour ahead of Eastern time).
Trip To Maine In July
If you can get to Ellsworth, you can get to Bar Harbor--check with Down East Transportation--it operates on this route, but it favors going from BH to BGR. Other than that, there's the Bangor Bar Harbor Shuttle, but it tends to be pricey: www.barharborbangorshuttle.com. It might be a better deal to take the Down East Transportation bus to BH, then use the free Island Explorer shuttle to get around and spend a night at a cheap motel, such as Robbins. The Island Explorer makes it possible to get all around the island--including restaurants in Bar Harbor and the outlying communities.
Bar Habour and Southwest Habour - creative and unpretentious dining
Mache and Fathom, both in Bar Harbor, are worth a look-see.
Trip To Maine In July
Bangor has a number of interesting places--search it, and you'll find a few threads.
Presque Isle: Cafe Sorpresso is a real bright spot; Winnie's for lobster stew and Winnie burgers; all-day breakfast and homebaked treats at Riverside (a small diner).
Augusta: Adjacent Hallowell has plentiful choices lining Water Street (Slate's, Liberal Cup, Hattie's, Cafe de Bangkok/great Thai, Lucky Garden/all-you-can-eat lunch buffet)--a riverside multi-use path connects Augusta to Hallowell, so bike or walk if the weather's decent. In Augusta, Bay Wrap makes great wraps, but it's only open during working hours.
Tuesday Lunch Bangor/Waterville/Augusta
Giacomo's, that's it! (couldn't think of the name of it in my post).
Tuesday Lunch Bangor/Waterville/Augusta
Friars Bakehouse downtown--not a huge selection, but always delicious. Brothers Kent and Brother Donald bake their breads and offer a small selection of housemade soups and sandwiches; this place is a local institution.
Montes International Catering, on Columbia Street, downtown. Excellent soups, sandwiches, salads, and more; only serves lunch.
Bagel Central makes great deli sandwiches.
Also one more place smack downtown, coffee shop-plus, been around maybe three years. Always gets high marks.
Dysert's, at exit 180 heading south on 95, if you want a real taste of Maine truck-stop excellence.
A few questions for Portland / Scarborough
1) I don't think you could go wrong with either.
2) Talk with Vince about what he's liking right now; be sure to sample.
3) Coffee by Design, community minded coffee company/shop that has a huge following for many reasons, beginning with the product.
4) Browne Trading, on Commercial Street, Portland--supplies some of the nation's top restaurants; Pat's Meat Market, Stevens Ave.; Rosemont Market, Congress St. & Rosemont Produce, Commercial at India; Micucci's, India Street--check out the bakery in the back, go mid/late morning for best selection; Harbor Fish, Custom House Wharf, for everything seafood related. Someone mentioned Rabelais Books--no longer in Portland.
5) See above, Harbor Fish, Custom House Wharf.
Bonus: You're in Scarborough, but you don't say where. If out on 77--Black Point/Prout's Neck/Higgins beach, consider adding breakfast/lunch/dinner at the Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth--excellent food, great views, and you can eat on the deck if the weather cooperates.
Recommendations for Somalian restaurants in Maine?
Three One Cafe in downtown Lewiston, which is home to a large Somalian refugee community.
New (?) Italian on Route One, Falmouth ME??
It's a sister restaurant to the extremely popular Hugs at Sugarloaf. Good family Italian--addictive pesto breadsticks, family-style salad, and the usuals. Haven't been to this one (it's been open for a year give or take), but the one at the 'loaf is reliable, always good, sometimes excellent. It's funky (indoor umbrella tables) an fun. If you're seeking haute Italian, this isn't the place, but its notches above red sauce palaces.
Portland advice please
Fore Street is a great choice, but I'd also look at the too-often overlooked Back Bay Grill: http://backbaygrill.com/dinner_menu.htm
H.
Dec 24 family gathering in Portland , ME
Given the age range and the duration, you might also consider renting a hotel room downtown for the day--place for babies and youngsters (and oldsters) to nap, keep any luggage and coats, etc., plus many have airport shuttles, which would make it easier for people coming and going. Hampton Inn downtown is attached to the Shipyard Brewhaus, Portland Harbor Hotel has a nice lounge/dining area, Regency & Holiday Inn both have restaurants (and HI has an indoor pool, which might be a plus with antsy kids). There's a new Marriott Residence Inn, too, which would have suites with full kitchens--order in food and relax.
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Holiday Inn
88 Spring St, Portland, ME 04101
Shipyard Brewhaus
1000 Commons Cir, Kingfield, ME 04947
great dinner southern maine
Chef Joshua Mather, of Joshua's, in Wells, just won Top of the Crop: Maine's Best Farm to Table Chef at Harvest on the Harbor. He bested Chef Derek Federico from Five Fifty-Five, Chef Masa Miyake of Miyake, and Chef Eric Flynn of Harraseeket Inn. Call now, this just put him on the radar of the Portland foodie scene. Joshua's is a gem.
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Five Fifty-Five
555 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
Harraseeket Inn
162 Main St, Freeport, ME 04032
Can there be a more magnificent burger than the one found at Dogfish Cafe
Poutine burger...maybe if I eat only lettuce for a couple of days before and afterward.
Old Orchard Beach to Bethel -- any lunch recs?
Depending upon your route:
In Raymond, opposite Sebago lakeside picnic area, Good Life Market--great place to pick up sandwiches, salads, etc.,
In Norway, Cafe Nomad, for homemade soups, salads, daily specials.
In Bridgton, opposite Craftworks, Beth's Kitchen Cafe--grab it and go to the public park on Highland Lake.
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Cafe Nomad
450 Main St, Norway, ME 04268
Beth's Kitchen Cafe
82 Main St, Bridgton, ME 04009
Washington County Maine in Mid-September--Advice Please!
Fisherman's Wife, Milbridge (between Ellsworth and Lubec, on Route 1A downtown, across from church, behind real estate agency, before going over bridge. Cute little cafe. Cheap. Good Maine fare.
Fiore olive oil and vinegars
Fiore is wonderful, and it has another shop in Bar Harbor.
Need early weekday breakfast in Portland
Becky's opens at 4 a.m. and is within walking distance (downhill there, uphill back--work off the calories).
looking for help with our Down East Eating Adventure
Assume you're speaking of Vinny Gartmeyer's Bold Coast? Yes, his smoked seafood is excellent. Bring a cooler--you'll likely want to buy quite a bit of it.
New Rest. in Orono,ME????
You mean Verve? It's been around for over a year. I had an excellent breakfast burrito there last summer. http://verveburritos.com
Road trip to Canada - need lunch break recos!
Heading south out of QC, in St. Georges-de-Beuce, turn right at the intersection (traffic light) with Burger King and continue about two blocks and look left. You'll see an orange/purple/yellow building with a windmill, that's Pere Nature, an amazing food market/cafe/prepared foods/fine dining restaurant. Best stop between QC and I95. Eat there, and stock up on picnic fixings for the journey to Bar Harbor.
Lobster Rolls in and around Boothbay Harbor
Trevett Country Store, Barters Island Road.
Primo in Maine
MCM: Taunton Bay Oysters are from Maine. Taunton Bay is just north of Ellsworth, in the Acadia region.
Had the privilege of touring Primo's gardens, and chicken and pig pens with Melissa Kelly--very enlightening experience. She encourages everyone to walk around them before dinner.
Best Meals this summer
Best new spots this summer (so far): Tides Beach Club, Goose Rocks Beach, K'port (where Chef Brian Dame, previously with The Edge in Lincolnville,now hangs his toque); 10 Tables at the Bass Cottage Inn, Bar Harbor; new Miyake, Portland.
Best return visits: Damariscotta River Grill, Damariscotta; Old Vines Wine Bar, Lower Village, Kennebunk; and Fisherman's Inn, Winter Harbor. Best new to me: Brandy's On the Rocks, Goose Rocks Beach, K'port, and Hatchet Mountain Public House, Hope: both do down home right.
Best new places I'm angsting to get to: Fathom, Bar Harbor; Tale Tales Tavern, Oquossoc; and Yay They're Back: Bunker's Wharf, Birch Harbor, and Kitchen Garden, Steuben..
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Fisherman's Inn Restaurant
7 Newman St, Winter Harbor, ME 04693
Portuguese Food in Northern Maine
FYI: Cockatoo has been around for years, originally an outdoor restaurant at the family fish market on the other side of Stonington, and then moving in 2007 to its current location in Goose Cove. When it's on, it's great.
Breakfast, ME, Saturday morning I95 State line to and incl Lewiston/Auburn Recommendations please
In Kittery, and easy to find on the Route 1 traffic circle: Sunrise Grille, nothing fancy, downhome breakfasts done right; just south of it on Route 1: Beach Pea Baking Company.
In York: take exit just before toll, head to Route 1 right at the intersection (stone's throw from 95) is STonewall Kitchen, which has an espresso bar serving breakfast (call to verify hours), head south on 1 for less than a mile, and look for Norma's, a breakfast/lunch cafe in a small strip mall on left .
L/A: Try Holly's Own Deli and Restaurant , Court Street, Auburn. For takeout, you can't go wrong with the pastries from Italian Bakery Products Co., in Lewiston. Not sure whether She Doesn't Like Guthrie's does breakfast, but great spot. (And you're right, when heading to L/A, Portland is off the path; you want to stay on the pike).
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Holly's Own Deli
84 Court St, Auburn, ME 04210
Maine (Portland, Wiscasset, Camden, Bar Harbor) Advice Sought
FYI: Chef Brian Dame is now at The Tides Beach Club, Goose Rocks Beach, K'port (the Old Tides by the Sea, completely renovated and rejuvenated and updated and upscaled). Dined there in late June, excellent (but no Sunday night pizza menu).
Mt. Desert Island - what's new?
NEW: Fathom (replaced Maggie's Classic Scales) is getting mixed, but generally good, reviews; the Lobster Claw (where Michelle's Brown Bag was located) is back as is Eden Vegetarian restaurant (love Eden; it's in the old Bar Harbor Hostel). My thoughts on 10 Tables; http://bit.ly/MTM71911ten
Washington County Maine in Mid-September--Advice Please!
East of Ellsworth, but not by much: Chippers (love it) and Le Domaine (mais oui), in Hancock; Chester Pike's in Sullivan, for the BEST fried fish and homemade desserts; Fisherman's Inn, in Winter Harbor, for fresh fare with (sometimes) an Asian twist reflecting the owner's regular trips to Thailand; Bunker's Wharf, just reopened on the Schoodic Peninsula in Birch Harbor; Kitchen Garden, in Steuben (just reopened, YAY!).
If you're in the neighborhood on a Monday night, head to Tidal Falls, where Carl, the chef/owner of Fisherman's brings his lobster roll ($10)/hot dog ($2.50) cart for the summer music series--good value, excellent sauces. Also, the Winter Harbor Farmers Market on Tuesday mornings is fabulous. I was just there--fresh foods, produce, prepared foods (Indian!), and much more. If you're heading into the park, pick up sandwiches at Harbour Girl (combo soap/lotion store and deli--hey, it's Down East Maine, and it works!).
If you venture down the scenic Blackwoods byway (do it!), there's a decent pizza spot in Franklin, Maple Knoll, tiny, but decent (Buzzy Giola has roots in the Old Country).
Moving down east, 44 degrees north in Milbridge (just good food, not fancy); there's a Mex place at the end of the road behind Joshy's, but it's closed for August to serve the migrant community in Deblois); not a real lot in Jonesport/Addison region, BUT don't miss Bohemian Mama's Bakery, if it's open (wow!). There's a new gourmet store in Machias that's garnering high fives, The French Cellar; Helen's has greatly improved under a new generation of ownership.
Lubec, quite a few new places over the past year, newest is at The Wharf, but others are on Main Street/Water Street. Nothing that will rock your socks, but a far improvement over what previously was offered. The pub is decent as is the place across the street. If you're a chocoholic, don't miss Monica's, on the road in.
Eastport, sigh. It's improving. I don't think you can beat the breakfasts at The Weston House, Jett is one of (if not the best) of Eastport's caterers; Pickled Herring--stick with the pizza and the martinis; there's a new Greek spot (takeout? ) that's getting good reviews; Quoddy Bay Lobster, definitely, but it's fair-weather only, all outdoors; the Wa-co is, well, let's just say in a town of not too many choices, it's at the bottom; the New Friendly in Perry, just east of the Eastport turnoff, is a gem--classic down home Maine fare.
Still with me? Okay, in Calais, I like Juliana's World Cafe (not sure it's still open, but very good, if quite eclectic--has, uhm, charachter; Bernardini's, American-Italian, but does a good job; and if you're wrapping around to the Airline (Route 9), The Nook, a real surprise.
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Fisherman's Inn Restaurant
7 Newman St, Winter Harbor, ME 04693
Bernardini's Restaurant
89 Main St, Calais, ME 04619
The New Friendly Restaurant
851 Shore Rd, Perry, ME 04667
Harpswell Maine???
There's an excellent market, the Vegetable Corner, on the corner of Route 123 and Mountain Road, and it has way more than fresh veggies.
Also on the Neck is Allen's Seafood, a seasonal takeout trailer overlooking Middle Bay. Over on the Orr's/Bailey side is Guernet Landing, a nice lobster shack, and Island Candy Company, for chocolate and ice cream.
Depending upon where you are in Harpswell, Brunswick is 5-20 minutes distant.
