Leaving Friday morning. Was considering stopping in new haven for some pizza but that would probably work better on the way back.
I love seafood so I should be good in that regard, just not sure where the best places to get it are.
Was thinking of taking the scenic route 1 from Portland to bar harbor, maybe stopping in Rockland for Home kitchen cafe on the advice of a friend. Will probably be going to Acadia national park, but not sure beyond that what to do.
If you stop for seafood for lunch. Just order the seafood chowder and nothing else because it is a meal to itself.
Any seafood place will do. There are simply no bad seafood restaurants in Maine
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LLBean is worth a stop.
Popham Beach State Park
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This place is great for a slice. Located in the back of the store. They only make it at a certain time and when it gone it's gone. Always a line waiting for it. Kind of reminds me of soap nazi from senfield.
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One of the landmarks is The Holy Donut. Awesome donuts. One location is downtown and another is a block or two from the highway.
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For beer definitely get to the new Bissell Brother spot, their beer is fantastic.
You'll thank me later...!!!
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I'll probably be starting another thread in the next day or so about Acadia as I'll be taking a second trip to go camping.
Thanks in advance for all the comments here.
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I've been there several times and was going to recommend it.
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The Lobster Shack Two Lights?
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I've been there several times and was going to recommend it.
Awesome. Thanks.
Bar Harbor is a great down, but none of the restaurants are special IMO.
Grab a lobster roll someplace. YELP or Trip Advisor is your friend.
Yes, it is a food truck. Yes, it is at a tourist attraction, but it is the best lobster roll I've ever had. And you can get it either with butter or lightly covered in mayo
They also can be found outside of Allagash at times, so if you'd rather have a beer instead of one of their tasty sodas - that will work too.
http://www.bissellbrothers.com/
In my experience Aligash is the only one to give out free samples. Maybe Shipyard, but the smaller ones who have a pour license usually don't and I always think they should, but that's another discussion.
Also if you do take the ride from Portland to Rockport/Camden and you take rte 1 stop at this place called the Seabasket in Wicasset and get the lobster stew. It was so good I had it shipped.
http://www.seabasket.com/
and one other thing if you like minor league baseball, the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox affiliate) have a nice friendly cheap stadium.
You still see the place loaded with Canadiens in Speedos but there are less and less heroin needles now - and good food, tourism all around it when it used to be mostly run down motels.
You still see the place loaded with Canadiens in Speedos but there are less and less heroin needles now - and good food, tourism all around it when it used to be mostly run down motels.
sorry Canadians, I doubt you see any Montreal hockey players there in Speedos.
And in my prior post Rockland was auto-corrected to Rockport
Allagash is fine if you want to check out how a brewery works and get some free samples, but there beer can't compete with the micro-breweries around them. Its worth going to since there are like 3 or 4 right there and you can hit them all in a couple of hours.
As mentioned try Holy Donut, donuts made with real maine potatoes... they are tremendous, but sometimes they run out of donuts on the weekends in latter hours.
You can throw a stone and hit dozens of 4-5 star restaurants everywhere you turn, it's just a matter of what your'e in the mood for.
For a sort of new america tapas place with great drink Central Provisions is a culinary experience, but get there early. Opens at 5 pm. Many restaurants in Portland do not take reservations, I was lucky a few weeks ago cause we jumped in line around 4:50 and got a table with my wife. 30 -45 min later, there was a 2.5 hour wait.
For a divey breakfast I recommend the Porthole, get the Lobster Benedict, it's great. But there's a million other possible places.
Streak & Co is excellent, more on seafood side
Fore Street is great, seafood and more
J's Oyster is another local dive right by the pier for seafood
Vena's Fizz Bar for a vintage and creative craft cocktail experience, you won't be disappointed if you enjoy that... some of the most unique well balanced drinks I've ever had.
People have mentioned the top breweries but if you want something a little different there is a place called the Urban Farm Fermentory where they wild brew Kombuchas, Meads, Ciders, etc... It's pretty awesome, and tasty.
Maine Mead Works is right around the Corner
Maine Craft Distillery
Liquid Riot
Man, so much more.
Enjoy!
Allagash is fine if you want to check out how a brewery works and get some free samples, but there beer can't compete with the micro-breweries around them. Its worth going to since there are like 3 or 4 right there and you can hit them all in a couple of hours.
I liked Austin Street and Foundation better than any of the Bissell beers, but I don't really like anything citrusy and they all taste cirtusy - the area Uconn is talking about is a small industrial park across from Aligash. there are three or four craft breweries there and people take bus tours with stops there.
Bissell is no longer there as Uconn said, but if you like craft beer it's worth it, they also usually have some food trucks out there.
Also, there are fireworks in Maine now. Like Pennsylvania fireworks - legit exploding fireworks, I know some people on here are soap boxy about fireworks especially with the JPP injury, but I love them, I could spend hours in the stores (and there is one - Phantom Fireworks - right in Scarborough, ME not far from Portland).
they have fire crackers, jumping jacks, roman candles, bottle rockets, all the stuff you grew up dreaming about as a kid.
Fore Street was great as usual, make a reservation, although they do save about 1/3 of the seats for walk ins, but you have to put your name on the list at 5:00.
Standard Baking is just below Fore Street, great place in the morning for coffee, and great baked stuff.
Allagash Brewing, excellent informative brewery tour, you get 4 3oz. samples on the tour.
I've always heard Eventide is a great place, but after 3 attempts to get in last week, I've given up. They don't take reservations, but even when they had visible seats available, at off hours, they told us there was an hour wait.
Duckfat is great, also small, and busy.
They had numerous specials of which I ordered one, cool small plates, great local craft beers and the most amazing bread!
Enjoy!
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probably around the same time, if Bissell was still in the Industrial park. My friends I was with are opening a brewery in Northbridge, MA and were on a "research" tour.
they'd go to all those in Portland, some VT ones, Treehouse, Trilium, etc.
I honestly think their White IPA is the best of all of them. Opening soon.
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Streak & Co is excellent, more on seafood side
Correction, Street & Co... darn auto correct monster got me.
When we airbnb'ed in Portland last year, we stayed in a spot owned by an Irish restauranteur named Johnny, just so happened he helped open some of the most famous restaurants in town, including Street & Co, Hugo's, and others. We weren't disappointed!
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