Restuarants in Maine

[chefchelle]

I will be traveling to Maine in August and was wondering if anyone could recommand some good restuarants to eat at. I Will be in the Millinocket Area for a couple of days and also in the Bar Harbor area a couple of days.

Any input will be helpful.

Michelle

[Holly Moore]

Don't know where the Millinocket area is, but the New England portion of my site Eating the New England Coast has a bunch of lobster, clam and similar restaurants up and down the coast. Nothing yet on Bar Harbor though.

My three current favorites are Red's Eats on Rte 1 in Wiscasset for lobster roll, Bet's Fish Fry in the Town of Boothbay just before Boothbay Harbor for Fried Haddock, and Waterman's Beach (won a Regional Beard Award) in South Thomaston for Lobster.

I don't tend to eat all that upscale in Maine, so someone else can point you towards the fine dining.

[chefchelle]

Thanks for the input. I guess i am looking for some local places more than the high priced restuarants. I saw on tv before where you can go the dock, pick the lobster, and have cooked right there for you. That is what i am interested in finding.

Michelle

[Holly Moore]

Not sure where you can pick them off a boat, but the aforementioned Watererman's Beach and also the Lobsterman's Coop have boats docking at their restaurant. But I think that's the case for many of the Maine Lobster Pounds. My best advice is to avoid the places overrun by tourists, but that depends on where you're going to be.

[jaybee]

We drove the coast from New Hanmpshire to just below Bar Harbor a couple of years ago.. Our dirve hugged the shore line whenever possible. Wiccossett has a couple of great lobster pounds and lots of antique stores.. We just picked the places as we went along based on how they looked. Sometimes we asked local inn keepers. The rough and ready places with picnic tables on the dock are your best bet. I think lobsters are in good supply thois season, so prices should be reasonable and quality, good. The "shore dinners" usually include a 1 1/2 lb steamed lobster, steamed clams, corn on the cob and cole slaw. The best bet, unless you have someone recommend a place is to go by your instinct. The places that look pretty low key and simple are usually the best. I totally agree with your decision to avoid "fine dining". They all have cold beer (local brews are best).

Beware at night though in some areas on the Maine coast the mosquitos are terrific. They swarm all over you. So wear long sleeves when the sun goes down and put repellent on your clothes if you want to be outside after dark. We must have eaten fifty lobsters between the four of us on that trip and about one quarter were incredible, eight of ten were good and only two in ten were bland and watery. Not too bad.

[chefchelle]

Thanks for the info Jaybee. i have a feeling that we will probably end up winging it.

Michelle

[bushey]

One of the best lobsters I've ever eaten was about 12 years ago at the Ogunquit Lobster Pound. It's on the main route, not in the touristy Perkins Cove part of town. We were there in October, so it wasn't too crowded.

At the time you got to choose your lobster, then they put it in a string bag (like the environmentally sound string shoppers) and tag it with a number. Then they swing the bag down into a deep stone pit and steam it. It was clean and sweet tasting with perfect texture. That lobster become the benchmark against which I measure all lobster dinners.

[Varmint]

First, trust Holly's advice, as he has an amazing ability to find the best spots.

We just got back from a family vacation in Bar Harbor, and you really need to get out of that town for decent lobster. There are a couple of decent lobster pounds on Mount Desert Island, however. Try Beal's in Southwest Harbor or Thurston's in Bernard (just beyond Bass Harbor). I didn't try it, but I also told to visit the lobster pound that is just off Mount Desert Island (to the right as you're coming in -- I can't remember its name, however). Although neither Beal's nor Thurston's may be as good as what Holly recommends, they are superior to anything you might get from a restaurant in Bar Harbor.

Make sure that when visiting Acadia, stop by the Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers. The rest of the food is only so-so there, but the popovers (and the scenery) are unforgettable.

Finally, hike hard and spoil yourself at Ben and Bill's. It's an ice cream and candy shop, and I got something there 6 out of my 7 days on the island. Try their ginger ice cream. You might want to try (but not actually order) their lobster ice cream. It's not all that great.

Have fun!

[chefchelle]

WOW! There are alot helpful replies that i will definatly have to print up and take with me. I am very surprised the food in bar harbor is only so-so and to get a good lobster i would have to go to the outskirts so to speak.

We are definatly going to hike hard, also we will be white water rafting up in Millinocket and hiking Mt Katahdin.

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Thanks again for everyone's feedback.

Michelle

[Beachfan]

There's a lobster pound in Keenebunkport (on the road to the point where the mansions are). They don't serve there, but what they have is fresh picked lobster meat (within the last 90 minutes when I was there).

First I tried a lobster roll. Outstanding. Then I bought I half pound of meat, and ate it by the water with a fork. Just the lobster, no mayo, no butter, no lemon. The best I ever had. I went back and bought another half pound. For the first time in my life, I was satiated on lobster.