“Lobster, lighthouses, leaves” was a recurring theme as we drove from one quaint seaside city to the following in mid-October. Maine had all the time been a distant reminiscence as my Connecticut sailor mother and father introduced me to this premier summer time vacation spot across the age of six. To my mother and father’ shock, one steamed lobster was not sufficient. Maine is the place my love affair with the briny backside feeders started and the place I got here to rediscover the place the place I first fell in love with meals.

Whereas Maine is understood for its chilly lobster rolls tossed with mild mayo on a toasted hotdog bun, this Connecticut Yankee loves lobster rolls both manner — sizzling or chilly. As the biggest producer of lobsters within the nation, “now” all the time looks like the most effective time to get crackin’. In Maine’s coastal villages, it’s inconceivable to not tie up a lobster bib, slide out the plump meat, and dip it in heat butter. Nowadays, eating places make it simpler to devour the luscious lobsters as they arrive with cracked claws and tails.

Create your culinary tour with a few of our favourite sips and bites alongside the Maine coast. 

1. Fox’s Lobster Home 

York 

After viewing the Nubble Lighthouse situated simply offshore on a rocky island, make your manner subsequent door to this informal lobster restaurant in operation since 1966. Don’t miss the chilly heaping lobster roll with a lightweight quantity of mayo on a toasted bun. Subsequent to the crashing waves, devour Maine’s most interesting on a picnic desk or inside with views of the lighthouse. Wash it down with Marie’s Wild Blueberry Lemonade or add home made blueberry pie or ice cream to your order. An intriguing menu merchandise is the golden fried lobster tails with dipping sauces. Because the saying right here goes, “One Nibble on the Nubble and You’re Hooked!” The summer time season at Fox’s Lobster Home has prolonged to mid-October. 

2. Barnacle Billy’s

Ogunquit

After an thrilling narrated boat trip from Ogunquit with Most interesting Form Cruises both to peruse the lighthouses or watch a lobster captain haul his traps, mosey on over subsequent door for thick and chunky clam “chowdah” and lobster lunch at 60-year-old Barnacle Billy’s. Order a complete steamed lobster on the counter and take a look at to not scream as they often convey out a 4-pounder for visitors to admire. Whereas there may be sundeck seating to benefit from the harbor, we didn’t thoughts eating indoors on a chilly grey day. Share the steamed clams in a butter broth and take house a whoopie or blueberry pie slice in case your waist can’t deal with it multi function sitting.

Afterward, stroll off your lunch throughout the road with a one-mile paved coastal path (Marginal Manner) with panoramic views and meander by the buoy-laden boathouses and the native retailers within the cove. The famed Lobster Shack close by was closed in mid-October however the Footbridge Lobster Shack was promoting purchase one get one free 1-pound lobsters for $22.95. 

3. Alisson’s Restaurant And Pub

Kennebunkport

Whereas my husband and I’ll have been the youngest individuals eating on this fourth-generation institution, we had been drawn to the thick Maine lobster bisque loaded with lobster meat. Maine is the type of place the place ordering a second lobster of the day is commonplace apply, particularly for those who don’t know while you’ll be again. After a mug of the wealthy broth, a 1.25 pound of lobster was all too satisfying. So was their chilly lobster roll served with French fries, coleslaw, or unimaginable deviled egg potato salad. 

To amp your roll, order with lobster bisque drizzled over. The indulgent seafood risotto is a should at dinnertime as a result of the medley of caramelized shallot and asiago risotto is blended with mega chunks of lobster, shrimp, and scallops then topped with a lobster tail. Whereas they don’t take reservations, you may be part of the waitlist on-line. Consuming early or later at Alisson’s Restaurant appeared the most effective guess to get into this standard basic Kennebunkport restaurant and pub.

4. Batson River Brewing And Distilling

Kennebunk

Simply over the bridge from Dock Sq., sit exterior at this dog-friendly spot in Kennebunk’s charming city on a crisp fall day surrounded by pumpkins and fall leaves. Pattern craft beer from southern Maine like a guava IPA, a New England double hazy IPA with mango, passionfruit, and orange notes, or a bourbon barrel-aged hygge stout with a roasted chocolatey profile. Duckfat cornbread and Bavarian pretzels will assist take in your imbibing. It’s possible you’ll even want to sip a cocktail with one in every of their small batch craft spirits, like Batson River Amado 33 Agave spirit with 100% blue agave and Maine tourmaline spring water barrel aged within the Maine woods. Discover different Batson River places in Portland, Biddeford, and Wells.

5. H.B. Provisions

Kennebunk

This common retailer has every part you want with groceries, a deli, a bakery, wine, beer, and ice cream. Seize a specialty espresso with a slice of heat home made blueberry pie. Whereas the tiny wild Maine berry is smaller than its cultivated cousin, this candy and tart superfood may be doused with vanilla or blueberry soft-serve ice cream right here at H.B. Provisions. Take house a packaged moist whoopie pie subsequent to the counter. Maine’s different signature deal with is just like a cookie however made with chocolate cake and full of creamy fluffy vanilla icing. 

6. The Boathouse Restaurant

Kennebunkport

Whereas seafood shacks abound, America’s nice seafood dive, The Clam Shack, was closed in mid-October. Nonetheless, there are such a lot of eating choices on this walkable, pleasant city. The on-site waterfront restaurant situated at The Boathouse’s boutique resort is a chief location simply off Dock Sq. on the channel the place guests can dine on a wraparound deck and watch the boats dock over recent seafood with a sprinkling of Asian influences. Pricier than most choices, a full lobster bar serves Maine oysters, little neck clams, and scallop crudo. Test for completely happy hour occasions on the standard bar. 

7. Portland Lobster Firm

Portland

Whereas we heard Luke’s Lobster is one other stellar possibility, we took a lobster roll to-go from the counter at this Portland Lobster Firm shack. Voted among the finest spots for dwell music on the waterfront deck patio, we want we ordered one other after biting into the chilly one-pound lobster roll on a toasted buttered bun with lemon and heat butter on the aspect. Select from lobster dinners, steamers, Prince Edward Island mussels, complete stomach fried clams, varied seafood rolls, chowder, and extra. 

8. Flatbread Firm

Portland

Watch your pizza being made within the wood-fired clay oven a stone’s throw from the water. The skinny, crisp, and natural wheat pies include thrilling choices like “harvest” made with native butternut squash, maple fennel sausage, recent sage, McIntosh apples, pink onions, Cabot sharp cheddar, herbs, garlic oil, Parmesan, and complete milk mozzarella. Wash it down with one in every of their native craft beers at Flatbread Firm. Six East Coast places exist and one in Hawaii.

9. La Bella Vita 

Rockport

Sitting above a sprawling inexperienced peninsula on the bay, the Samoset Resort boasts a five-room spa, an 18-hole golf course, and fashionable newly renovated nautical-inspired rooms with decks to immerse oneself within the moody misty mornings and ethereal mild over the expansive Penobscot Bay and distant islands. The indoor and outside swimming pools, sizzling tubs, and firepits that overlook the breakwater make it onerous to even need to depart. The on-site fine-dining Italian restaurant La Bella Vita is open to anybody and boasts an in depth wine record and menu with native elements, seafood, and some lobster dishes. A brick oven pizza makes it nice for the children to tag alongside.

Dine with views of the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, far within the distance off a jetty constructed of huge granite blocks, constructed to protect the bay from ravaging storms within the late 1800s. Earlier than eating, meander down this lengthy stretch skimming over the water practically a mile the place generally the fog rolls in and causes your complete stony reef to fade.

10. Lengthy Grain

Camden

To our shock, the locals advised us their favourite restaurant in Camden was Thai/Asian consolation fare. This unassuming intimate eatery has acquired plenty of press and churns out every part from Vietnamese salads, Chiangmai curry noodle soup with rooster, Massaman curry with Maine farm beef and Amish potatoes, Bangkok road pork skewers, pomelo salad with wild shrimp, and garlic fried rice truffles. Share the spicy inexperienced papaya salad, pad Thai with rooster or tofu, the pad kee mao (spicy stir-fried rice noodles with pork stomach), and steamed Maine mussels in spicy coconut lemongrass broth. Name forward to order a desk at Lengthy Grain.

11. The Waterfront 

Camden

In Camden’s quaint downtown, discover 18th-century structure, boutique buying galore, and a fairly waterfall cascading into the harbor. Dine harborside at this 40-year-old native restaurant with a bowl of lobster stew, native crab and artichoke fondue, and Maine blue mussels in white wine, butter, and garlic. To vary up your lobster consuming, order The Waterfront’s lobster avocado salad with blue cheese or the lobster, bacon, and avocado soften. 

12. Freya’s Ice Cream

Rockport

We stumbled upon this pleasant place across the nook from the primary highway. Buckwheat dessert crepes are made to order and full of choices like wild blueberry, lemon, or chocolate doused with whipped cream and cinnamon. We had been tremendous impressed by the espresso from Rock Metropolis and the dairy-free sorbets (basil and blueberry) and creamy home made gelato in waffle cones with flavors like chilly brew, blueberry cream, “cake by the ocean,” and salted caramel. Take your treats to Freya’s wonderful little deck overlooking the harbor.