larryatalden's Profile
Nana's Kitchen 546 Atlantic Hwy Rte 1 Northport, ME 04849
We've had lunch there a couple of times and we really like it. It's quite casual. The food isn't fancy but it's honest and very reasonably priced. They're even doing delivery now - a $3 charge for a $20 minimum order. A paved parking area would do a lot to upgrade the curb appeal. Inside it's clean, bright and very friendly. We'd definitely recommend it.
Maine (Portland, Wiscasset, Camden, Bar Harbor) Advice Sought
Re: Duckfat - you're not mistaken.
Re: Primo - I own an inn in Belfast and we have quite a few guests, some of whom are serious & well-traveled foodies, who've been there. I've never nothing but raves. I have heard the rare story of aloof service, but I don't think it's at all typical. My own experiences there have been uniformly excellent.
Re: The Edge - never eaten there, but I've heard good things about the chef from my friends at Rosemont and they're as educated as anyone about the food scene in Maine. (Should you have the opportunity to stop into the original Rosemont market on Brighton Ave., ask John Naylor your questions!)
Cheese around Camden
I second the Appleton Creamery recommendation. They make excellent cheese from cow & sheep milk (their "Camdenbert" might fit the bill, for example) in addition to their better known goat cheeses. Monroe Cheese Studio also makes excellent cheeses and they show up at the Belfast Farmer's Market, not sure about Camden. It's much farther afield, but if the Portland area is a convenient stop for you, the guys at the Rosemont Markets do special orders all the time and they have a great selection of cheeses from all over the world. Good luck!
ACF Midcoast Maine Chapter...read on if interested.
Here I am replying a month late... I might be interested if we had a specific time (& perhaps a new place if the Farmer's Fare brunch has come and gone). Thanks!
Mount Sunapee Area Eats
Flying Goose is okay. Food is middle of the road pub fare and they used to brew their own beer which is quite good, if they're still at it. Peter Christian's has gone downhill in my book. Still, they're both affordable. The New London Inn has gone through a few changes but is worth a look. Same is true for the Colonial Farm Inn. (I'm an owner of a small inn myself, so I have a soft spot for these guys. They are very friendly and the inn is beautiful.) If you have the time and interest, a trip to Hanover would broaden your options quite a bit.
Native Maine Shrimp season is here! (ME and NH)
Thanks for that link! Trufflehound's salt & pepper suggestion is excellent. We do a variant adding a little hot pepper sauce that works very well. Just spread out the newspaper on the table, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Kind of the Maine version of a Maryland crab bash. Re: distribution: when the shrimp population went down a few years ago, the season was shortened. When supply grew short, a number of processors went into another line of work. That said, the best shrimp, for my money, has always been what one buys off a truck. It's a little far from Portsmouth, but in Freeport a fellow named Dave has been selling them on Fridays and Sundays by the has station at Desert Rd. & Rt. One (the former Maggie's).
p.s. The heads make a great stock which can be used for bisques or what-have-you.
Looking for source/rec for overnight lobster delivery from Me.
Graffam's in Rockport is a great place. Very friendly, very professional. The ship a lot of lobster. The Trenton Bridge rec is also a good one.
Breakfast at B&B inns in Belfast, Maine (Wealthy Poor House, Penobscot Bay Inn)
Hi There.
Sorry to be slow to reply. I own a B&B across the street from the Wealthy Poor House and I recommend them highly. Carol and Malcolm are very friendly innkeepers with a very loyal clientele. Don't know much about the Penobscot Bay Inn.
Regarding another thread, I don't know what the beef was with Scoops, but I've always thought their ice cream was great. (I believe they get it from Round Top, actually.) Their gelato has been hit or miss, in my experience. They'll usually let you sample a taste first though.
Midcoast Maine Meanderings
Chase's Daily is definitely the real deal! They also do good, if not exactly traditionally Asian, fried rice and their soups are almost always worth considering. Now that we're in season, it's very difficult to get a table for their Friday night dinners. You'll want to get your reservations in early if you want a table for Friday night. Lunch is just your usual mob scene. Early or late arrival is a good strategy if you don't care to wait for a table.
We also love their produce. They are progressive about what they choose to grow, as you can see from their happy rich. Later in the season, they have an amazing assortment of melons, plus heirloom tomatoes, chili peppers, corn, herbs, all sorts of stuff. We often use their cinnamon raisin bread as a basis for French toast. On top of it all, they're nice people too!
Just Barb's doesn't seem to be going anywhere and they seem to be staying pretty busy. Don't know what the future holds, but it's darned difficult to get a loan for restaurant or hospitality businesses around here these days. If they plan to stay open until they find a buyer, they might be around for a while!
Restaurants Camden Maine Area
Hartstone should be a pretty good start, actually! The cooking there is really fundamentally sound. The atmosphere is charming, too. If you get down to Rockland, The Brown Bag is great for lunch. I also have a soft spot in my head for the Rockland Diner.
Boston to Midcoast maine, any must stops?
Primo's still great in my book. If you have any appetite for breakfast, come see us at the Alden House Inn in Belfast! We happen to have a great, totally undiscovered Thai restaurant here in Belfast: Thai Bhurapar, which we recommend to our guests who enjoy Thai food. If you're in the Portland area on a sunny day, grab a sandwich (or purchase ingredients to make your own) and a bottle of wine at any of the Rosemont Market locations then take a ferry to one of the islands in Casco Bay, find a beach and enjoy a picnic. There aren't many restaurants anywhere that can top that.
