Foodie delights in Maine

Lobster is plentiful in Maine, but look beyond the lobster and there is an incredible choice of dining for visiting foodies.  We found a few treasures that I would recommend whole-heartedly.  But first to the lobster…

Surprisingly enough, I had never had lobster, and so our first night staying at The Inn at Cuckolds Light (amazing place – read more from me on The Lux Traveller) was exciting as we were booked in for the house special – a lobster supper.  I am pretty sure that lobster can’t be much fresher.  We picked our lobster from the pot down on the waterfront and Mark immediately steamed it over sea water and sea weed.  It was then served up with potatoes and sweetcorn – all very simple but oh so tasty.  We had little melted butter dishes to dip into, but the lobster was so tasty that the butter wasn’t really needed!  The bibs and the tools were certainly needed, and happily our other host Heather taught me how to go about getting my lobster out of its shell!  Accompanied by a lovely glass of Cloudy Bay!

After we finished our lobster, we all shot outside to enjoy the sunset – perfectly timed!  When we came back inside – there was a second lobster waiting for us all! Two lobsters each in one evening? Almost – I actually finished mine off a day later in a breakfast omelette!

Lobster isn’t just about fine-dining, in the way it most commonly is seen here in the UK.  In Maine – Lobster is everywhere.  Just look out to sea – the water is dotted with buoys that mark the pots, absolutely covered in them.  As a result lobster is available everywhere – it has its market rate of course, but that rate is incredibly different (and lower) to anything I have seen before.  So we partook – twice more!  We had some fantastic lobster rolls – once in Kennebunkport and again in Ogunquit.  We drove through Wiscasset (in a hurry, running late for our boat ride out to the island) and there was a queue round the block for Red’s Eats just by the river… I suspect that one is also worth a visit.

There is of course, even in Maine, more to the diet than lobster.  Planning our trip I booked us into a couple of restaurants that I didn’t want to miss out on.

When we were in Camden we ate at Long Grain – a fantastic and local Thai restaurant.  This was on a recommendation from a friend – it is a very unassuming place, had we just strolled around town we would have missed it completely (were it not for the queue out the door!).  When we were there, right at the start of the summer season, it was heaving at 7pm.  A fantastic atmosphere – people were popping in for take-away as well as eating in, even the bar area was busy with diners.  I was very glad we had booked.  Of course the food was fantastic – incredibly tasty, and the menu offering is a little different and more interesting to the standard Thai fayre more commonly see.  Friendly stuff and generally a good set up – the decorations are quirky (kitchen tools in frames) and water comes in jam jars.  It is all really well thought through and a great hidden gem.

During our stay in Kennebunkport I had booked us into Earth at Hidden Pond.  This is very much in the middle of nowhere (Mr P would agree – we left the car there and he ran the 10 or so miles back the next day to get it…) and you will be surrounded by the sound of frogs making frog noises.  In fact the croaking was so loud at one point it sounded more like a cow! Earth is definitely somewhere to see and be seen, and also somewhere for a special occasion or if you feel the need to flex your Amex.  Nonetheless it was very enjoyable and a fantastic evening out.  Inside there is a tree sprouting from the ceiling and a very well stocked and homely bar.  In fact the whole set up is homely and very comfortable – with a roaring fire and dim lighting which makes it all feel very rustic.  The food was really good too – the menu was very varied, with pizza if you wanted, but better still a really good choice of tapas for starters, followed by some fantastic meaty mains, put together really well and with no scrimping on portion sizes.

Our final treat was Old Vines Wine Bar in Kennebunkport – walking distance from where we were staying.  The wine bar was happily off the tourist track and we were the only non-locals there.  Everyone was friendly and there was a great atmosphere sat up at the bar.  On a warm evening there is ample outdoor seating, but it is lovely and snug inside.  We did of course delve into the wine list and enjoy ourselves – a real mixture of choices, very enjoyable indeed.  Thankfully they also serve food, tapas style charcuterie, cheese and salads – all very tasty and the perfect accompaniment.  The setting of the bar is lovely – nautical but not overly so.  I did of course spot something I liked – the ceiling lights… one day we will get something just like this for home!

Of course – no Parker trip would be complete with out some investigative work.  Local vineyards always need investigating.  Maine has its own wine trail and we popped in to two when we were in the Camden area – not bad at all, we visited two good ones it seems.  Breakwater Vineyards is in Owl’s Head and had a lovely sun-deck where we sipped their wines.  Cellardoor is into the hills above Camden and has a stunning view of the surrounding countryside.  The shop at Cellardoor is fantastic, so many wine-themed treats.

Some fantastic food choices in Maine, we only visited a few places on our trip so only scratched the surface, but these  recommendations would go well for a trip.  Aside from eating (and drinking) – we fitted in plenty of other things during our visit.  I’ve already shared these on A Luxury Travel Blog along with some of my pictures – enjoy.