Bar Harbor and Down East Maine

[Keithstg]

I also had a delicious brunch at Cafe This Way in Bar Harbor. House-made corned beef hash. Smoked haddock eggs benedict. Ham-stuffed french toast. Fabulous.

Another good breakfast spot in Bar Harbor is Two Cats, located at the beginning of cottage street as you enter Bar Harbor from Seal or Northeast Harbor. May not be open this time of year, though. Some other places we make sure to visit when lured from our summer place off of NE Harbor are: Miguels for tex-mex, Galyn's on main street, and both Cafe Mache (on Cottage) and Michelle's (on main). None are great in the sense that they would blow your mind in DC (or Portland for that matter), but offer solid food, nice atmosphere and a minmum of tourists, even throughout the summer.

[pizza man]

Another good breakfast spot in Bar Harbor is Two Cats, located at the beginning of cottage street as you enter Bar Harbor from Seal or Northeast Harbor. May not be open this time of year, though. Some other places we make sure to visit when lured from our summer place off of NE Harbor are: Miguels for tex-mex, Galyn's on main street, and both Cafe Mache (on Cottage) and Michelle's (on main). None are great in the sense that they would blow your mind in DC (or Portland for that matter), but offer solid food, nice atmosphere and a minmum of tourists, even throughout the summer.

Miguels is my dad's favorite restaurant, (he lives in Seal Cove). Galyn's Galley was one of my first jobs-I was a dishwasher/prep cook there during high school.

[StorageLady]

4 days/nights in Bar Harbor coming up in a few days - any suggestions for us? Of course we plan on having at least one lobster roll...After that, a mix of casual dining and probably one nice evening out.

Thanks!

[LauraB]

It's been awhile since I was last in Bar Harbor, but I still remember the breakfasts we had at Cafe This Way. The omelets I had there were the best I've ever had in my life, with the exception of France. I especially recommend 'The Green Eggs and Sam' and 'The Ann.' This is truly a hidden gem -- it's on Mt. Desert St., but not facing the street, it's tucked behind other buildings. It's worth seeking out! Of all the meals I've eaten in Bar Harbor, the breakfasts at Cafe This Way are the only ones I remember!

[kirite]

4 days/nights in Bar Harbor coming up in a few days - any suggestions for us? Of course we plan on having at least one lobster roll...After that, a mix of casual dining and probably one nice evening out.

Thanks!

Bar Harbor can be a tourist trap. Very crowded. You might consider driving or cylcling to South West Harbor. Much quieter and much more Maine. If you do, I have three recs --Cafe 2, Fiddlers's Green, and Red Sky. But while you are in Acadia, the carriage trails are really interesting.

[Keithstg]

Bar Harbor can be a tourist trap. Very crowded. You might consider driving or cylcling to South West Harbor. Much quieter and much more Maine. If you do, I have three recs --Cafe 2, Fiddlers's Green, and Red Sky. But while you are in Acadia, the carriage trails are really interesting.

This is true, although you will be ahead of the real tourist madness, which is all of August. In Bar Harbor I can recommend Galyn's, Michele's, echo the Cafe this way rec, and also throw in a rec for the Lompoc Brew Pub.

After spending 32 summers up here thus far I'd be hard pressed to call one spot on MDI "more maine" than another, largely because I am "from away". That said, NE and SW Harbor are quiet and have a nice feel to them. Most DR.com'ers would enjoy Sawyer's Market in SW harbor as well. Bassa in NE Harbor would be a great place for dinner, assuming they have opened again this season (haven't been up since March).

[pizza man]

Gotta plug the Opera House for coffee and internet access. My buddy Matt owns it as of this year.

[Pool Boy]

Been to Bar Harbor twice over the last 15 years or so. Can name names, but we really never had a bad meal there. Never had an outstanding meal, but we got to indulge in things we rarely get in MD while there for good prices.

[kirite]

This is true, although you will be ahead of the real tourist madness, which is all of August. In Bar Harbor I can recommend Galyn's, Michele's, echo the Cafe this way rec, and also throw in a rec for the Lompoc Brew Pub.

After spending 32 summers up here thus far I'd be hard pressed to call one spot on MDI "more maine" than another, largely because I am "from away". That said, NE and SW Harbor are quiet and have a nice feel to them. Most DR.com'ers would enjoy Sawyer's Market in SW harbor as well. Bassa in NE Harbor would be a great place for dinner, assuming they have opened again this season (haven't been up since March).

Keithstg is right. The cruise ships don't arrive until August and linger through September. That's when Bar Harbor becomes Maine's Manhattan.

[StorageLady]

Gotta plug the Opera House for coffee and internet access. My buddy Matt owns it as of this year.

What's your real name? Just in case we get there, I'll tell him you sent us!

Janis

[StorageLady]

Another friend recommended these places - any thoughts?

Havana

McKays Public House

Burning Tree

Thanks all! I value the DR opinions above all others!

[Keithstg]

Havana is pretty good, only open for dinner, good wine list. Burning Tree has been around forever in various incarnations - it's out of town on the road to seal harbor, and at last glance, was a vegetarian restaurant, but that may have changed.

No clue on McKay's, sorry.

[StorageLady]

Back from Bar Harbor, and thought I would share my findings:

Havana - GREAT drinks, good food but not spectacular. Loved the ambience

McKays - good, but not fabulous food, good ambience, and a smarmy server

Thurston's Lobster Pound - Fabulous lobster, quirky staff, out of the way location, nice spot on the water. Sweetest, most tneder lobster I've ever had.

Burning Tree - Outstanding dinner of poached cod in a savory broth, a strawberry salad made with fresh produce from the onsite garden, and a wonderful strawberry cosmo (the best cosmo I've ever tasted, and trust me, I've had a few), mediocre dessert All four of us declared it to be the best dinner we had all week. I would definitely recommend driving the extra time to get here. A+

Morning Glory Bakery - a true find - nice chewy bagels baked fresh, and pastries/cookies made with real butter. Each day they had a different savory special that was very very good - for the plane trip home, I had a turnover filled with cauliflower, havarti & capers. Earlier, we had foccacia topped with tapenade, sundried tomatoes and sprinkle of cheese. One of my favorite places in BH

Tamarind - meh

This Way Cafe - very good breakfast spot - unusual omelettes, great service, and terrific ambience. Good coffee, too.

Beal's Lobster Pound - had the lobster roll. It was fresh and toasty - but there wasn't much of it for $12 and it was a bit underseasoned

[pizza man]

Hey all, Hope I am posting this in the right place. [You are, and congratulations! DR]

Just wanted to drop a line and let you know I am in Maine, about 5 miles from the heart of Bar Harbor.  We have opened a little restaurant - Sweet Pea's Cafe - in a beautiful setting, on a farm. Osprey have been nesting on the property.  We have a pig named Kevin Bacon that we will probably not eat.  Goat, chickens, guinea hen, ...  We have our own oyster farm, we are calling them Western Bay Oysters, they may be available in DC area, I'm not sure, but they are quite good.  Here's our Yelp! review.

So.. Yeah, Alive and well.  Hope some of you can come to MDI this summer, the government shutdown put a hurt on a lot of people last year and they/we could use your tourism $$.

Much love!  Hope to see you this summer!

P.S.

I have some pictures I can try to post if there is interest and I can find a couple minutes.  Opening a restaurant is a lot of work!

Peace!

[Keithstg]

Hey all, Hope I am posting this in the right place. [You are, and congratulations! DR]

Just wanted to drop a line and let you know I am in Maine, about 5 miles from the heart of Bar Harbor.  We have opened a little restaurant - Sweet Pea's Cafe - in a beautiful setting, on a farm. Osprey have been nesting on the property.  We have a pig named Kevin Bacon that we will probably not eat.  Goat, chickens, guinea hen, ...  We have our own oyster farm, we are calling them Western Bay Oysters, they may be available in DC area, I'm not sure, but they are quite good.  Here's our Yelp! review.

So.. Yeah, Alive and well.  Hope some of you can come to MDI this summer, the government shutdown put a hurt on a lot of people last year and they/we could use your tourism $$.

Much love!  Hope to see you this summer!

P.S.

I have some pictures I can try to post if there is interest and I can find a couple minutes.  Opening a restaurant is a lot of work!

Peace!

Congrats Edan! We will miss the easy boat access that the other place had, but look forward to checking the new place out. I won't be up until August, but the rest of the family will be out from early July and will be sure to stop in. Would love to see pictures of the new space!

[zoramargolis]

J and I will be visiting mid-coast Maine in a couple of weeks. We'll be staying at a friend's place near New Harbor, but making forays up the coast from there. If we get to Bar Harbor, we will definitely stop in.

[seanvtaylor]

We just returned from a week in the area. We rented a house in Lamoine, just outside of Ellsworth, and found this to be a perfect spot for lobster and for Acadia.

We did two meals at Sweet Pea's Cafe, and they were both delicious. Breakfast there was a great way to start a day of hiking; the popovers were great, but for me the real highlight was the pigs in a blanket--nice pancakes wrapped around housemade sausage. My wife had the smoked salmon salad, and also loved it. They were doing a good breakfast business, and the place is warm and inviting; I could imagine this becoming a go-to place for a nice breakfast for people on their way into the Park.

The second meal at Sweet Pea's Cafe was a blow-out (Thanks, Edan!). Appetizers kept coming out and all were absolutely delicious: the cremini mushrooms were refreshing, the salmon tartare was delicious, the oven-roasted olives as good as we remembered them from the 2 Amy's days, and the lamb meatballs--oh my goodness were these great. That said, I'm still thinking about that tartare, and how nicely the bread worked with it. I could eat mounds of that stuff. The pizzas were perfectly baked--nice char, delicious crust, and topped just right. I had the sausage pizza, with broccoli rabe and more of that house-made sausage, and wished I had room for more. My wife had a sweet pea's pizza, to which she added roasted eggplant, and she loved it, loved the creaminess of the roasted eggplant, loved the mozzarella, loved the crust.

Our take-away from our Sweet Pea's Cafe experiences were that this is a serious restaurant, executing at a high level, but without any pretension whatsoever. It's maybe 15 miles from some of the best hiking on the East Coast, and the restaurant fits that location--friendly service, a low-key feeling to it--but also raises the bar--Neapolitan pizza! Salmon tartare!--for all of the Bar Harbor places as well. From here, it's far, and unfortunately not a restaurant that we'll be able to go to except when we return to Acadia, but we'll be talking about it for a long time to come.

Another culinary highlight for us included Mt. Desert Ice Cream--reminiscent of Jeni's Ice Creams, certainly, with interesting flavor combinations. My Celery/Sherried Raisin ice cream was surprising and very good. More traditional flavors, still done at a high level, are sure to please entire families.

Lobster pounds: Close to Acadia/Bar Harbor we liked Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound the best--better than Down East or Lunt's Gateway. We found a number of lobstermen selling directly out of their boats/garages, and bought lobsters that way as well, but Trenton Bridge was the best for both takeaway boiled and sit down lobster dinners. Our favorite lobster rolls were from (surprisingly to us) Lunt's Gateway, Thurston's Lobster Pound (down in Bernard, on the West side of the island), and (a bit further afield) Sprague's in Wiscasset. We ate a lot of lobster. Like, a whole lot of lobster.

[zoramargolis]

Sounds like we missed out by not getting up to Sweet Pea's. We never made it further up the coast than Belfast, but had several outstanding meals of lobster and clams at Shaw's lobster pound in New Harbor. Also had fantastic Damariscotta oysters in an otherwise unremarkable pub in Damariscotta.

[The Hersch]

We never made it further up the coast than Belfast

For anyone who may be traveling to mid-coast Maine with a dog: Belfast has the nicest dog park I've ever been to.

[seanvtaylor]

For anyone who may be traveling to mid-coast Maine with a dog: Belfast has the nicest dog park I've ever been to.

I wish that we'd have known that; we drove up and down route 1 through Belfast with our dog on the way to (and from) Bar Harbor, and we could have used a good stop for him. Next time.

[MC Horoscope]

Sounds like we missed out by not getting up to Sweet Pea's. We never made it further up the coast than Belfast, but had several outstanding meals of lobster and clams at Shaw's lobster pound in New Harbor. Also had fantastic Damariscotta oysters in an otherwise unremarkable pub in Damariscotta.

We had wonderful Damariscotta oysters at Fore Street in Portland a few years ago! Some of the best I have ever had.

[The Hersch]

I wish that we'd have known that; we drove up and down route 1 through Belfast with our dog on the way to (and from) Bar Harbor, and we could have used a good stop for him. Next time.

The dog park is just off Route 1, to the left on Lincolnville Ave. as you go north, but you'd never know it's there from the highway. There actually is a sign for it, at least on Rt. 1 northbound, but it's such a small, unobtrusive little sign that you probably wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking for it. I googled ahead of my trip, which is how I found it. Not only is it a beautiful dog park, it's part of a larger facility that has rest rooms for people, too.

[zoramargolis]

We had wonderful Damariscotta oysters at Fore Street in Portland a few years ago! Some of the best I have ever had.

We also had them at Eventide in Portland, which is how we learned about them. We were staying near Damariscotta, and a local contact steered us to a restaurant in town that served them.

[NolaCaine]

heading over to Bar Harbor tomorrow for a week. I usually stay in SW harbor so would love some suggestions on where to eat, and where to avoid.  I"m staying downtown so lunch/dinner suggestions welcome.

I noted the ones above and look forward to Sweet Pea's.  I will have children with me and hope that the animals are on view.  (just realized there's a website...will click now).

Thanks all.

[zoramargolis]

We're going to be driving from Damariscotta to Bucksport to spend the night next Thursday. If we get up there in time to drive up to Sweet Pea's for dinner, we definitely will. Edan's new place sounds amazeballs!

[NolaCaine]

Forgot to report!

I went to three lobster pounds and they are:
Beal's (Southwest Harbor):  http://bealslobster.com/

By far my vary favorite lobster in the whole entire world ever.   I've been dining here for the full decade I"m been going to NE for summers and it just gets busier.

Thurston's:

http://thurstonslobster.com/

(some where on Mt. Desert)

Second best to Beal's.  What they've got going for them is an actual drink counter and a dessert counter. and better views. The lobster is still fantastic.

DO NOT GO TO ABEL's

This place sucks, is about 4 times the price of other places; has rude service and is as slow as molasses on a cold maine morning. I hate that I've been 3 times in my life.

Didn't find Sweet Pea's.

In terms of Bar Harbor we stayed near blaze which isn't bad:
http://blazebh.com/

Not amazing either but perfectly serviceable with nice staff.

I was shocked and amazed by lazy lobster:  Given it's location and cheeseness, I thought it would be horrible but was pretty good. I had a 4 yr old and a pile of books with me and the staff was very nice. I get the sense that this is owned/run for a local couple. Lot's of people came to chat with them during the course of my off-time lunch.
https://plus.google.com/109959307061319045544/about?gl=us&hl=en

I also had a fabulous meal in the village of southwest harbor but can't find the place. It's little, new, and serves local.  If I can figure it out I"ll post.

[porcupine]

Will be in Bar Harbor soon for 10 days, part of which will be with a group.  Would love any/all suggestions for breakfast/lunch/dinner, not to mention places to pick up tasty snacks/picnic fare for the daypack.  Also, suggestion for a Sunday lunch in Bangor would be welcomed.  Many thanks.

[Marty L.]

Sweet Pea's -- Edan and Thea!

Will be in Bar Harbor soon for 10 days, part of which will be with a group.  Would love any/all suggestions for breakfast/lunch/dinner, not to mention places to pick up tasty snacks/picnic fare for the daypack.  Also, suggestion for a Sunday lunch in Bangor would be welcomed.  Many thanks.

[porcupine]

Bar Harbor; Northeast Harbor; Southwest Harbor

A quick report while waiting to board a flight home from Bangor, Maine. Please forgive typos, brevity, etc.

After nine days in Bar Harbor, I can safely say that although the area has almost as many dining options as tourists, most of them aren't particularly good.

Note: most of these write-ups are based on a single meal; take them for what they're worth. Also, it seems that the consumption of lobster and blueberries is obligatory; at least, they're hard to escape. There are so many places to eat in Bar Harbor that it's hard to research them all and easy to miss many of them. Most of the best places I tried I found by striking up conversations with locals.  Some places I was obliged to eat in as I was traveling with a group the frist few days.

Breakfast

Jordan's has the advantage of opening at 5:00 am, but that's the only advantage. Supposedly famous for the blueberry pancakes, there will be a line out the door of this modest diner by 8:00. I'm not sure why. I could make better pancakes than these without even following a recipe. The coffee is standard shitty diner coffee. But hey, open at 5:00, that's worth something.

Coffee Cup Diner also opens at 5:00 am, a fact I didn't discover until my last evening in Bar Harbor.

Cafe This Way is supposed to be the place for breakfast, but beats me why. Opens at 7:00. I had the single most boring French toast I've ever had. And the bacon was burned. How do you burn bacon?

Jeannie's Great Maine Breakfast was somewhat better. I had some sort of eggs Benedict concoction that was pretty tasty but I don't remember the details.

Once I found 2 Cats (130 Cottage St., Bar Harbor; no website), I ate nowhere else for breakfast. Like many places in Bar Harbor, it's on the ground floor of an old house. Quaint but not fussy, comfortable, and very good food. Blueberry pancakes in which you can actually taste blueberry. Great biscuits. Try the hot sauce if you're a chili-head - spicy but well-balanced and not overwhelming.

Lunch

I had perfectly acceptable cod fritters and pizza at Sweet Pea's Cafe. I asked whether Edan was there and was told yes; later several friends told me he was no longer there. One person said he'd been gone more than a year. I don't know if the waitress lied to me or not. In the end what matters is whether the food is any good; in this case it wasn't worth going back a second time. Also, I've tired of the "hunt down the respected but elusive chef" game.

Perfectly fine if rather bland lobster roll at Testa's. Boring lobster macaroni and cheese at Side Street Cafe. Most of the breakfast joints stay open 'til around 1:00, so that's an option. Had a really mediocre and annoying lunch with the group at some place in Southwest Harbor; can't remember the name, can't find it on the map; maybe it was The Upper Deck?  Most of my other lunches were trail snacks. I'm told by locals that Peekytoe Provisions is pretty good but I never had a chance to try it.

Milk and Honey in Northeast Harbor was not really that good, but it was a charming little place off the tourist-beaten path, the kind of place I want to succeed even if the food wasn't the best.

Dinner

Stewman's Lobster Pound is a big, touristy lobster place. The men in our group donned bibs, tucked in to their lobsters, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The women all ordered fish and chips, with corn on the cob (only half a cob). The haddock was nicely flavored and had a good texture, but was limp. The joy of fish and chips is the crispy exterior of the fish, but that didn't happen here. Blueberry pie was engh.

Mache Bistro offers creative modern American food. I ate there twice, once at the bar where I ended up conversing with the owners of Tea House 278 for most of the meal; the second time my husband was sick so I ordered little and ate fast. As a result I'm not sure I can offer details, but everything I tried was distinctive, flavorful, and well-prepared.  It deserves better treatment than I'm giving it here.

Mr. P's favorite was Burning Tree (Otter Creek Drive a few miles south of town). This is the one place on the island, AFAIK, that is truly fine dining. If they're going to play that game, though, they need to better train the staff (please don't kneel at my table), and maybe drop the stiffness and pretension. The food was excellent, much if it coming from their own garden. Definitely emphasis on seasonal here. My main course was grey sole on sweet corn and tomatoes, with curry butter. Sounds simple but it was an outstanding dish. The curry was just a whisper, a tease rather than a punch, and the fish was perfect. Gorgonzola bombolini on a mixed greens salad was also delicious.

My favorite was Red Sky, (Clark Point Road in Southwest Harbor). Not sure the food was quite as excellent as Burning Tree, but I hate pretension and prefer Red Sky's relaxed but not informal ambience. Same basic type of food but with a different aesthetic. One night I had a house-made duck and pork sausage and something with polenta; the other night a smoked lamb taco with pickled red cabbage and a mixed greens salad with smoked duck breast, dried cherries, shaved Parmesan, and some other stuff. Everything I ate there was just wonderful.

Havana in Bar Harbor was disappointing. Modern Latin American influenced food. The portions were stupidly gigantic. My main course, cochinita pibil, was rather plain and overcooked (ie, almost mushy), but all the accompaniments were tasty.

Fathom was...interesting. Verging on formal, well-hidden, quiet. I forget what my appetizer was but remember loving it. My main course was a delicious preparation of green zebra mussels. The mussels themselves were so-so - large, a bit tough, rather strong. I don't know if that's a characteristic of the breed or if they weren't well-prepared. But the garlicy, lightly tomato-y broth was delicious with the stunningly good breads.  Best blueberry pie I had the whole trip (a proper pastry crust, not achingly sweet).

Other

Trailhead Cafe brews a decent coffee, as does Matsumoto Joe. If you like tea, don't miss Tea House 278, but be warned, the owners are serious about tea. Really serious. Asian tea only. No dairy on the premises, so if you want hot, milky, malty black English breakfast tea you are out of luck. But they brew the tea properly, and the Chinese-style garden is lovely and a relaxing respite from the touristy bustle of Bar Harbor.

Lots of ice cream in town. CJ's Big Dipper is fine, but Mount Desert Island Ice Cream ("Fearless Flavor") is extraordinary; some of the best I've ever had. The flavors are intense but clean, the creaminess is just right, the texture is spot-on. Highly recommended.

For baked goods (mostly sweet, some savory), Little Notch is wonderful (several locations on the island).

Weird that the really good places don't have websites...

Things to Do

I went for a photography class. Acadia National Park is a wonderful place for photography. I was a bout to write that it's a wonderful place for hikers, but maybe not. The trails are great: well laid out, well signed, well maintained, but mostly rather short and of course crowded. Hit the trailhead early and avoid ones marked "easy" if you want to avoid tourists.  Hiking Acadia National Park (Falcon Guides) and Field Guide to Acadia National Park (Russell D. Butcher) are both available at the Visitor's Center and I highly recommend them.

Cadillac Mountain is a zoo.  One morning I arose early and was at the summit at 0430 for some stargazing; within 45 minutes the parking lot was full.

Mr. P wanted to try a boat tour.  Fine by me, but I hate crowds, which means I hate buses, jumbo jets, and tour boats. We found an operation that was one man in a small motorboat (Captain Shaw, the Sea Venture), right up my alley.  Captain Shaw is an ornery old coot who told more stories about himself than anything else, but he knew his stuff, by which I mean the natural history of the area. And the human history.  It was cool to scoot about the Porcupine islands with just three of us, going wherever we wanted to and talking about whatever we wanted to (mostly bald eagles, cormorants, peregrine falcons, lion mane jellyfish, the cruise ship industry, and The Problems With The National Parks).  So much better than a PA blaring "and on your right we might be lucky to see some bald eagles".

When traveling we like to check out the fine art scene. There is nothing in Bar Harbor that would qualify as fine art, though there are some decent crafts if you hunt for them, and plenty of kitschy souvenirs. In Northeast Harbor, though, we found a really nice gallery, Artemis, as well as an antiquarian bookstore and a bookstore specializing in naturalist publications.

[pizza man]

eh, I'm still there.  Maybe I was on a break.  I do take them from time to time, somebody has to walk the dog.

Sorry the pizza and cod fritters were just acceptable.  I would have liked the opportunity to show you some of the fun things we were offering, like the Western Bay oysters from just right up the road at the head of island, or some of the awesome produce coming off the farm out back behind the horse pasture.

Thanks for coming by.

[porcupine]

eh, I'm still there.  Maybe I was on a break.  I do take them from time to time, somebody has to walk the dog.

Sorry the pizza and cod fritters were just acceptable.  I would have liked the opportunity to show you some of the fun things we were offering, like the Western Bay oysters from just right up the road at the head of island, or some of the awesome produce coming off the farm out back behind the horse pasture.

Thanks for coming by.

I'm sorry I missed you.    It's a nice space and the menu looked great, but I saw no reason to return after several people told me "Edan no longer works there".

[rockcreek]

So, I forgot to post this, but we called Sweet Pea's last summer (August 2015) and held an impromptu wedding celebration for my brother-in-law and his wife. 

It was lovely. They pushed together tables outside, it was a beautiful evening, the pizzas, appetizers, and drinks flowed freely, and a good time was had by all. Edan was there (I checked beforehand) and the food was just lovely. 

I hope he's still there. His wife was the one who accommodated our giant reservation - they were very nice to do it. We were 15, and we told them we would come whenever they told us. They said regular dinner service was okay.

We're coming back in two weeks, same gang, and I'm sure we'll want to "get out of town" and come back, so I hope it's still humming along. 

[Keithstg]

Sweet Pea's remains fantastic. I haven't been yet this year, but my parents have and really enjoyed the meal especially the crab risotto. While I (selfishly) wish that Edan and Co were still on the Southwest Harbor waterfront, I look forward to getting there a bunch of times between the end of this month and labor day.

[Keithstg]

On 9/15/2014 at 2:00 PM, NolaCaine said:

DO NOT GO TO ABEL's

 

This place sucks, is about 4 times the price of other places; has rude service and is as slow as molasses on a cold maine morning. I hate that I've been 3 times in my life. 

 

Abel's is hit or miss - the hits coming mainly if you are a long-time regular - shouldn't be that way, but that's the way things go. While it is expensive, it's the closest "nicer" lobster pound to NE Harbor. For what it's worth, I've been going there for at least 30 years and haven't had bad service.

Next time try the Docksider in NE Harbor for great lobster stew.

As to takeaway lobsters, I buy direct from the guys in our harbor, but if they are short, Beal's is a good bet, as is the fisherman's co-op on Islesford.

[Keithstg]

Some quick thoughts from the last month up here in Maine...

Northeast Harbor:

The Docksider has been totally redone, and now features a bar, whitewashed interior and new entry. Food is pretty much the same. Solid lobster stew and simply prepared seafood. Same prickly servers. Saw a woman complain that she had been waiting to order for 10 minutes. Promptly set my watch and watched her wait for another 12 minutes!

The Asticou restaurant has been taken over by Acadia Corp, as they lost the concession for the Jordan Pond house. Lunch here was fair, with popovers coming out lukewarm, although balanced out by a very solid lobster stew and perfectly fried fish sandwich. Very nice selection of local brews on tap and you can't beat the view.

The Tan Turtle is back in a new location in the Kimball Terrace Inn, and is just as bad as it was when it was at 151 main street. Unmitigated disaster.

The Colonel's continues to have the best donuts and is solid if unspectacular.

Islesford:

The Islesford Dock Restaurant is closing after 24 years and Cynthia and Dan are going out in style. Best meal I have ever had there, even back when I worked there (my first job was 24 summers ago in their snack bar), so if you are in the area get there before labor day. Highlights included paccheri pasta with a spicy lobster sauce (had to be 3/4 lb of lobster in there) and a great chicken dish with creamed corn and a pesto sauce that would not have been out of place at the Ashby Inn. I will miss this place like the dickens.

Southwest Harbor:

Red Sky continues to be the best restaurant in SW Harbor. Just a great spot.

Claremont continues to coast, although a nice setting for dressier dinner - great arctic char and grilled halibut. Less interesting appetizers though.

Bar Harbor:

Went to sweet peas only to find that they are no longer open for lunch. Total bummer, although my parents could have done me a solid and pointed that out or I could have checked online so no big deal and totally my fault, although would have been great to get there as I have heard great things from this season...

[Marty L.]

Some friends report that they went about a month ago, were informed by the owner that Edan and Thea were no longer working there, and then they had one of the worst meals ever, the polar opposite of what they (and we) had last summer.  Not sure what happened--whether it's true that they're gone for good; whether perhaps they were on vacation . . . .??

[Keithstg]

Stopped updating this thread, but here are some thoughts over the past month:

Bar Harbor:

Masks, masks, everywhere. Awesome display by local government and restaurants to mandate masks and compliance is around 99%.

Mt. Desert Ice Cream: Open on Firefly lane, across from the green - location on Main Street is closed. Takeout only, same as it ever was.

Blaze: Best restaurant in Bar Harbor, for what that's worth. Wood oven/ hearth and a wide menu encompassing sandwiches, etc through composed dishes. No beer brewed on site, but Blaze beers are brought in from their brewery in Bangor, ME. On Main Street. Dine in (or outside) or takeout.

Galyn's Galley: Still fighting the good fight 25 years later (at least). Dine-in or takeout. Menu hasn't changed a bit, but well-executed seafood and good wine prices (though pay attention to vintages).

Burning Tree: Open for takeout only - plus selling off their wine list.

Northeast Harbor: Most restaurants only open Wed-Sun unless otherwise noted.

Abel's: New management, which will surely please those who didn't "get it" before. Friendly, efficient service for all and not just the multi-generational summer contingent, which was not a hallmark of Abel's of old. Take out or delivery.

Nor'Easter: Fantastic new edition to town. In the "old" tan turtle space, and the "even older" Mast & Rudder space. Full service seafood market alongside a large restaurant and bar turning out excellent lobster rolls, local mussels, etc. Take out, dine in, dine outside. Open seven days.

Colonel's: Same as it ever was. Worth it for the baked goods.

Southwest Harbor:

Claremont Hotel: Closed and for sale. Terribly sad.

Red Sky: Still fantastic. Dine outside only.

Coda: Four course prix fixe each Thursday/ Friday night. Excellent, varied menu and spacious outdoor space. Weather permitting, no take out. HIGHLY recommend.

Come on up here - weather's great and there are alarmingly few tourists.

 

[Keithstg]

On 9/17/2015 at 11:53 AM, porcupine said:

 

Mache Bistro offers creative modern American food. I ate there twice, once at the bar where I ended up conversing with the owners of Tea House 278 for most of the meal; the second time my husband was sick so I ordered little and ate fast. As a result I'm not sure I can offer details, but everything I tried was distinctive, flavorful, and well-prepared.  It deserves better treatment than I'm giving it here.

FYI, the Mache Bistro team now operates CIAO, which was very good, but will now do an occasional pop-up throughout late summer/ fall. They are on a kind of hiatus.

Tea House 278 is closed now, sadly, and the building is for sale.

[KeithA]

Anyone have any current recommendations? We are headed up in a few weeks. Thanks.

[KeithA]

Just got back from a long weekend in Acadia National Park/Mt. Desert Island - cold but beautiful. We only ate out at a few places:

Bar Harbor

Fudge at Acadia Country Store on main street in Bar Harbor was rather good. Lots and lots of choices and they'll let you buy however much you want in whatever flavors. We tried 6 or so different ones and liked them all.

Havana - very nice and delicious but pricey. Warm, quiet and good service. The amuse bouche was bland but luckily that was the only miss. The bread basket had good wheat bread and blueberry bread (sweeter but mellowed a bit by the cornbread?) with 3 good dips, very hot chili oil, cinnamon butter, and white bean dip.  Our entrees were really good - the adults got the halibut that was rich but lighter with nice accompaniments, one child got the filet mignon which was very nice (they offered to remove the coffee-rub for her too) and came with great potato side (crispy on outside and decadent, whipped inside) and other child got the roast chicken which was great with nice basil sauce and pineapple salsa. For dessert, my wife loved the blueberry bread pudding with Mt. Desert caramel ice cream scoop, kids got the same ice cream, and I enjoyed the good tres leches cake (big piece). Best meal we had on the trip. Worth making a reservation for in advance.

McKays Public House - loud, slow service and ok food. It was decent but nothing special. Better than the super touristy places or fast food but probably would look for other options instead of returning.

Bangor

Timber Restaurant and Bar - very nice setting which is probably better for drinks. We went for lunch after our plane landed before heading to Acadia. Service was sloooow and food was good to ok. Nice pizzas in the wood fired oven and very good, ample haddock fish and chips. The beet, goat cheese salad was so so. It is a surprisingly nice decor for a restaurant connected to a Residence Inn. Also bonus it is across the street from the Paul Bunyan statue.

Mason's Brewing Company across the river in Brewer was great. Big selection of food options, friendly staff, and nice view of the river (indoor and outdoor seating). I had a good footlong hot dog and great crispy brussel sprouts, kids' menu was good, and wife liked the mediterranean madness chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. Big cocktail and draft menus. Yes, I did try the blueberry cider and it was exactly what you think - a bit sweet and ok.