BikeToEat's Profile
vegans coming to Acadia
In Bar Harbor, Cafe This Way has several veg entrees (breakfast and dinner, no lunch ). They are accommodating for swaps or changes to the menu. There is also Siam Orchid, a Thai restaurant , that has vegetarian items that would likely be vegan. I would not say it's the best Thai food, but it is ok and inexpensive.
A&B Naturals for tofu, non-dairy ice creams (not sure they are vegan), and other items and assorted organic produce. MDI Ice Cream has various sorbets which are creative and delicious.
seafood market in or near Bar Harbor
At the Bar Harbor Farmers' Market on Sunday mornings (9-12) there is a fishmonger selling a variety of fresh fish and shellfish (scallops, mussels, lobsters). The market is held in the parking lot of the YMCA, corner of Park St. and Main St. I don't know if he will be there on July 4th. He sounded like he might not be there on the holiday.
Looking for gluten free in Bar Harbor, ME
Just noticed last night that Cafe This Way has a celiac menu upon request. I don't know about bars for gluten free beer, unfortunately.
Bar Harbor Winter Dining?
Looks like Red Sky will be open after Feb 12. Open for dinner on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They are in Southwest Harbor...worth the drive to the other side of the island.
Boston to Bar Harbor, ME: chow advice?
Second Duck Fat for lunch on the way to BH.
For Saturday lunch you could go to Little Notch Bakery and Cafe in Southwest Harbor. They have great bread, soup, salads, pizza, and good sandwiches. Veggie friendly as well. They are bit pricey as lunches go, but portions are big.
You will likely need dinner reservations for Friday night. Things are still crowded enough. If you want to go a bit lower price-wise, try Cafe This Way for dinner. A few have said on this board that the food has slipped a bit recently, but I have not experienced it.
Lunch in Westwood
Siam Lotus for good Thai food. Route 1 Southbound side in Norwood. It's about a 10 minute ride from where you are working, if there is no traffic.
Ginger Beer in Maine- Stewarts, Goslings or Barritts
Cap'n Eli's ginger beer is available at Hannaford. I think it makes a good D&S. Their website lists store locations, http://www.captneli.com/rootbeer.php
What are the best and coolest food businesses and farms in Coastal Maine? From Rockland north through DownEast.
Mandala Farm in Gouldsboro - They use Norwegian Fjords (ancient breed of horse) to do most of their farm work and grow a variety of vegetables, raise pigs, chickens, and milk cows all with sustainable practices. If you have read about sustainable farming in Omnivore's Dilemma, you know how they farm. www.mandalafarm.com
Bar Harbor/Acadia Area Steak?
An added benefit to Havana is that they use locally raised, grass-fed beef.
You might also want to check out Red Sky in Southwest Harbor. I've not had steak there, but the food in general is excellent.
Canton Ma.
Mai Place on Rte 138 - good Chinese and excellent sushi. The Globe did a review of them a few years ago: http://www.boston.com/dining/globe_review/1268
Enotecca, Bouchon, L'Atelier, Fiamma & LOS - Trip report
After lurking on this board for a while before my business trip to Las Vegas , I made reservations for dinner at these restaurants and had some great eating. It didn't start out so well, but ended up great.
Enotecca
Had a bad dining experience here. The bread was burnt. We were told some story about it being a traditional, tough crust for carrying into the mountains, but it tasted like charcoal. Service was terrible; noise level was really, really loud. The meal was saved by the vinegar maker's salad and the gemelli pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe. Both were delicious. The pork shoulder was ok but not great. We ordered a side of brussel sprouts which the waiter forgot and finally brought out after we had finished the rest of our meal. They were also black, not caramelized, but burnt. The waiter apologized and comped them. The waiter also forgot our wine order. Not our best meal.
Bouchon
The warm, toasted pistacios they bring out with the bread is a very nice touch. Frisee salad was delicious. I had the roast chicken with wild mushrooms and savoy cabbage. The waiter described the long process of salt packing, brining, sous vide cooking and finally roasting the chef goes through for 3 days to make this roasted bird. It was good, but not significantly better than other roast chickens I've had. The mushroom/cabbage mixture was very tasty, though a bit over salted. The noise level here was also very loud. Inexpensive wines by the glass and carafe were good.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
We went for the winter tasting menu (5-course, $75), labeled the Club Menu at the restaurant. As others have reported, we had to ask for it specifically. The waiter only provided the regular a la carte menu and the more expensive 6-course tasting menu ($148). The winter tasting menu was fabulous. Each course was expertly prepared and beautifully presented. DC and I both had the hanger steak as the choice of the 3rd course and then got one of each of the desserts (tarts and ice creams/sorbets) and shared both. My favorite courses were the langoustine in brick pastry, deep fried and the cheese course. The langoustine meat was sweet and juicy inside the crisp crust. Cheeses were a nice selection of creamy cow, hard sheep and blue cow, all served at the peak of their maturity. We had a bottle of 2004 Chateau Neuf de Pape ($95) to accompany the meal. Excellent. We enjoyed it so much we went back for a second meal before we left.
Fiamma
Three of us dined here. The star appetizer was the crispy calamari with basil, perfectly cooked, crispy and light. All three entrees were great, linguini with sautéed prawns, smoked bacon, tomato, basil, roasted garlic -butter; pan-seared sea scallops with swiss chard, braised cannellini beans, and speck; and grilled pink snapper with roasted vegetables, toasted pine nuts, and vin cotto. Panna cotta for dessert was good but nothing special. Definitely would dine here again. Very reasonable prices for Las Vegas.
Lotus of Siam
We really enjoyed our meal here. The nam kao tod (sour sausage and crispy rice salad appetizer) was very interesting and terrific as was the tom yum kung (hot and sour with shrimp, lime juice, lemon grass & straw mushroom). Our favorite was the sea bass som thum with thai green papaya salad. It was so light and tasty. My DCs loved the chicken red curry, though I wasn't as wowed. LOS has a great wine list, too.
It was a great eating trip. Thanks for all on this board for words of advice about these restaurants. It made our trip!
What are the best bacons made in New England, especially Maine?
I've purchased bacon from Sunset Acres Farm at farmers markets in the summer. They don't make it, but I think it is cured by Curtis Meats in Warren, ME. The bacon is pretty good. It does have nitrates in it, though the minimum required by state laws, based on the folks at Sunset Acre. I'd contact Bob there and ask him.
Great Chinese between Norwood and N. Attleboro?
Mai Place in Canton has good Chinese, good sushi, too. I'm not sure it's open tomorrow.
I'm not a fan of Golden Abacas. Mandarin Taste is fairly good.
locally raised ham for xmas
Don't know if it matters to you, but the hams from Harrington's contain nitrates.
Cafe This Way Closed?
Thanks for posting the link. Agreed that it is definitely Miguel's. Interestingly, the original owner just bought it back from the Acadia Corp a year ago and now it's back on the market. He also owns Havana, Rupununi's and Guinness & Porcelli's.
Cafe This Way Closed?
Thanks for providing the link. Agreed that it is Miguel's. The original owner bought it back from the Acadia Corp just a year ago. They also own Havana, Guinness & Porcelli's, and Rupununi's.
Cafe This Way Closed?
I looked today and could not find it on Craig's list in Maine. It would be ashame if it changed hands. Cafe This Way is currently closed for the winter.
Good Wine Buys for under $10.00?
There are some great deals, though sometimes not as good as Costco prices, at Bin Ends Wines (www.binendswine.com). They deliver wine free within MA if you buy 12 bottles. or more. The convenience of the delivery is great. I've ordered wine online and have had them deliver it within the hour! At times they have some older wines that are hard to find elsewhere. The deals I have gotten on
Not to Misses in Dedham
Other options include good Thai food at Siam Lotus in Norwood on Rte 1South, excellent sushi and good Chinese at Mai Place in Canton on Rte 138 South, and middle eastern food at Byblos in Norwood (excellent baba ghannouj).
I had dinner at Isabelle last week and hadn't been there in years. I was very pleased with my meal there. Appetizers, salads, and entrees are quite large, so even though the prices are on the high side, you can eat there economically. Wine pours by the glass are also big, probably 200 ml.
Local Fresh Turkey
I braved the monsoon on Tuesday and there was still a long line, but the wait wasn't too bad, 20 minutes or so.
Local Fresh Turkey
We bought a 14-lb turkey from Owens this year. It was terrific. Lots of good turkey flavor in both the white and dark meat. The bird came very clean, no extraneous feathers or bits of tissue and very little fat in the cavity. There was also very little fat in the roasting pan after it was cooked. The per pound price was $3.59. The line to pick up the turkeys was long but moved along pretty quickly. I think I had read online that Owens feeds their birds all veg. feed and no antibiotics, but there were not any signs in the store that mentioned this.
Bar Harbor in the off season
Cafe This Way is closing for the season on Oct 19, so johnbycz will be too late for them. Two Cats is open year round.
Bar Harbor Eats
The pub with the best food that fits your description is most likely McKay's. Not sure what your price range is, but McKay's does have a wide price range. www.mckayspublichouse.com
For more upscale food and prices, try the Burning Tree in Otter Creek. The last night they are serving this season is on 10/11. You will need to call ahead for a reservation as they will most likely be very busy. They specialize primarily in seafood. If you go, make sure to try the seafood (shrimp, scallops and crab) fritter appetizer. It is delicious. The restaurant is casual, but has no bar or pub area.
Search this board under Bar Harbor or MDI to find other reviews. Most places are open at least through Columbus Day weekend.
Chili Verde, Tomatillos or not
The tartness of tomatillos depends on their level of ripeness. The riper they are, the sweeter they will be. As they ripen they also turn more yellowish in color.
I recently made a chile verde with tomatillos and it was a bit too tart. There was also poblanos, onions, garlic and pork in the recipe. I added some ground cumin, which gave it an earthiness that contrasted the tartness well. This is probably non-authentic, but it tasted good to me!
Pizza and Ice Cream in Bar Harbor
How's the pizza at LIttle Notch Bakery in Southwest Harbor? It's probably pricey, too. Their sandwiches are great, but I've not tried the pizza. I've heard it's good and it looks good.
Bar Harbor & Boothbay Harbor, ME
I had recently tried Town Hill Bistro and was sorely disappointed. I thought the menu concepts were good, but the execution very amateurish and woefully under-spiced. My review: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/545127
As for your list, I'd replace Town Hill Bistro with Red Sky in Southwest Harbor. I like Burning Tree and Havana and think they are keepers, in that order. I think that Red Sky and Havana are equals. I haven't been to Ports of Italy and Boat House Bistro, so can't compare them with the others. My experience with Mache was so long ago that I don't think it would be appropriate.
Bar Harbor & Boothbay Harbor, ME
Check out the Morning Glory Bakery for breads, sandwiches, quiche, soups and baked goodies. It's a good stop for a light breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack.
I'm a real fan of Cafe This Way breakfast, particularly their blueberry pancakes...light and buttery and real maple syrup. I think they are only $5.95 for two dinner plate sized pancakes.
I agree that Burning Tree maybe more expensive than you would want. But it is terrific.
You'll find that dress is casual almost everywhere, so you needn't worry about that.
In Southwest Harbor, Little Notch Cafe has great pizza and very good sandwiches. A bit on the pricey side, but servings are big and you can make it fit in a tight budget. I am fond of the chicken focaccia sandwich with aioli and roasted onions. Their breads are very good, though pricier than Morning Glory.
I'll second the BH Farmers' Market on Sundays. The breads and biscotti from Firefly Farm and goat cheeses and meats from Sunset Acres are very good. There are farmers markets in other towns (Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor) on different days, with many of the same farmers. Check out the local paper for days and times. There's also a Wed morning farmers market in Bar Harbor in the Reel Pizza parking lot next to the town green.
Bland But Strongly Flavored Foods
Egg drop soup.
Lentils simmered with some curry powder and onion. You could serve this with some rice for complete protein. Lentils are the quickest cooking beans.
Tofu in broth with soy.
What to do with a ton of green tomatoes?
The original Moosewood Cookbook has a Mexican Hot Sauce recipe that calls for either red or green tomatoes and lots of them. I haven't made it in a long time, but it may pretty good enchiladas, though probably not authentic. I vaguely remember that there may be a recipe in the same cookbook for chile rellenos using green tomatoes rather than peppers.
I have as many tomato plants as you do and I fear they won't turn red either!
Bar Harbor & Boothbay Harbor, ME
Burning Tree (just south of Bar Harbor in Otter Creek) is excellent, especially if they have the deep fried, goat cheese stuffed squash blossoms with smoked tomato jam. They sell out fast. I think BT is usually open until Columbus Day.
