01 Wells Reserve at Laudholm | Wells

Wells Reserve’s 2,250 acres span the coast of southern Maine and beckon explorers with coastal and forested trails. When you pull up to the property, the first landmark is the grand yellow farmhouse and accompanying barn. This history of the site dates back to 1643 and Henry Boade, a founder of Wells. The land has long been seen as a gem by the surrounding community. In 1978, when the fate of the land was uncertain, the town banded together to preserve the property. President Nik Charov says the surrounding community uses the land for hikes on seven miles of trails, but also for social gatherings such as concerts, events, and talks.

02 Bigelow Preserve | Stratton

On a clear day the trails of Sugarloaf Mountain have an expansive view that reveals miles of trees, mountains, and open land. The seven summits of Bigelow Range and Flagstaff Lake constitute the 36,000 acres of Bigelow Preserve. A ski resort was proposed in the region, but in 1976, the development was voted down. Today there are trails, canoe routes, and endless camping spots.

03 Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge | Wells

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction,” wrote Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring, which influenced conservation and environmental thinking in the 1960s and 1970s. In her honor, the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge has 50 miles of coastline and over 5,000 acres of forests, beach dunes, meadows, and salt marshes. The entire area protects plants and animals found only in this region of southern Maine.

04 Lane’s Island | Vinalhaven

Lane’s Island has 45 acres of protected land that can be explored from dawn to dusk. From the shore, spot seaducks, such as eiders, and shorebirds, and even the occasional puffin. Along the trails find bayberry, meadowsweet, raspberry, and blueberry bushes. The island is close to downtown Vinalhaven and connected to the mainland by a causeway.

05 Great Wass Island Preserve | Beals

There’s one bridge from Jonesport to Beals, then another that connects to Great Wass Island Preserve in downeast Maine. The five-mile-long island is remote and wild and has four different trails that wind through woods and open up to Cape Cove, Little Cape Point, and Mud Hole. Seals sunbathing on the smooth rocks are a common sight.

06 Hog Island | Bremen

In the early 1900s, Dr. David Todd and Mabel Loomis Todd realized that Hog Island’s forests and coasts were special, and they negotiated with landowners to purchase and conserve most of the island. When the couple’s daughter inherited the land in 1932, Millicent Todd Bingham partnered with National Audubon Society to save the land from further development and since it has been a site for ornithological studies. In 2010 the Puffin Project was established on the island, through which Dr. Stephen Kress successfully brought puffins and terns back to the islands of Maine.

07 Alewive Woods Preserve | Kennebunk

The Alewive Woods Preserve has colorful wildflowers blooming in the spring and ripe blueberries for picking in the summer. With 625 acres of land and a 45-acre pond, the land is beautiful to explore on the trails that run through its center. Visitors can also fish on the pond and, in the colder months, cross-country ski and snowshoe along the trails.

08 Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area | Phippsburg

The Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area has about 600 acres owned by the St. John family, Bates College, and the public. Each year students from regional schools as well as the college visit the land to learn about the surrounding environment, but also use the property for its natural backdrop with picnics and gatherings. About 20,000 people use the trail that leads to the sandy, pristine shores of Seawall Beach.

09 Wolfe’s Neck Farm and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park | Freeport

The Wolfe’s Neck Farm and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park make up over 800 acres of conservation land along the coast in Freeport. The land is not just reserved for open space; there is a working farm that produces organic dairy products, four acres of vegetables, and animals such as turkeys, chickens, lambs, pigs, and goats. “People walk along the trails here and they walk next to working farmland, so there are grazing animals on one side and open ocean on the other,” says executive director Dave Herring. Eleanor Houston Smith and Lawrence M.C. Smith of Philadelphia purchased the land in 1947. Today Herring invites the community to enjoy the coastal gem. “We put a lot of thought into how we can connect people to this land. Haywagon rides, summer programs, campgrounds—there is something for everyone at Wolfe’s Neck Farm.”

The post Conservation Land appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Bryan and Lauren became fast friends while working at a restaurant. “We always cared about supporting the best in each other and being really honest with each other,” says Lauren. When it came time for planning a wedding, their restaurant experience and connections within their community came in handy. Hugo’s and Eventide prepared the food, flowers were grown in Arundel and arranged by a friend, and the bride’s dress was designed and made locally at Angelrox in Biddeford. They held their celebration at Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm.

“We wanted something that was crafted by us and reflected the beauty and character of where we live and the talented people we know,” says Lauren.

DRESS: “I knew I wanted something nontraditional and not white,” says Lauren. Angelrox in Biddeford designed her comfortable, elegant gold and black dress. “I’ll definitely be wearing my wedding dress again.”

CEREMONY: Guests surrounded Lauren and Bryan in a circle broken into four sections, representing the cardinal directions. A close friend from each of the sections offered words of wisdom during the ceremony. “We wrote our own vows and didn’t share them until we spoke them during the ceremony—the result was lots of tears and laughter,” says Lauren.

DESSERT: Hugo’s baked four different kinds of pies—apple, pear, lemon meringue, and chocolate pecan.

Click for a full list of resources from the 2015 Wedding Issue.

The post Bryan + Lauren, Wells appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Thus were the humble beginnings of Joshua’s, one of southern Maine’s most pristine dining experiences that is slightly off the beaten path in Wells. Upon eating Mather’s food for the very first time, I will admit that my initial feelings were regret for not having done it sooner. On the evening prior to my visit, I was told that Joshua’s had celebrated their tenth anniversary of being in business, yet somehow I had waited until now to cross paths with the simple, delicious splendor of this restaurant situated in a colonial-style house from the 1700s.

Getting to know more about Mather himself explained a great deal about what makes his style of cooking so appealing. He grew up not far down the road from Joshua’s on Easter Orchard Farm, where his parents, Mort and Barbara, delivered fresh produce and eggs to local restaurants while also running an operation selling pies. For Mather, living off what the land provided was the only way of life, a point that he vividly illustrates when he explains that both he and his sister were born on a bartered transaction with the doctor for cords of firewood and sides of beef.

There is a calm confidence about Mather, which suggests that he not only recognizes how good his food tastes, but is also content knowing that he consistently creates something that he himself would happily eat on a daily basis. This is not in any way to be confused with showing off, it is far from it, but is more of a daily affirmation of his own obsession with all things epicurean.

After spending time abroad on the west coast in his early twenties, working in several high-volume kitchens and learning the ins and outs of what it takes to run and sustain a successful restaurant, Mather returned home to Maine with plans of starting an operation of his own. After extensive discussions with his parents, they agreed to make it a family venture and risked it all to purchase the building and perform major renovations. “They may have decided to do it just to shut me up, ” Mather says, “But I doubt it, because they love it as much as I do. ”

Their gamble paid off and now, even on a Monday night in October, the dining room is full. The rustic charm of the interior is accentuated with soft lighting from strings of origami lanterns, and tables are dressed in crisp, white linens.

As I enjoy my starter of delicate, crunchy tempura-fried artichoke hearts with a side of smoky chipotle aioli, I peruse the wine selection. First impressions lead me to assume that the focus is on big, vibrant New World producers, such as Hanzell of Sonoma and Cristom Vineyards of Oregon, but upon delving deeper I discover more refined selections from regions like French Chinon and Burgundy. There is also a big reds list, consisting entirely of flashy European winemakers such as Gaja of Italy, Chateau Beaucastel of France, and even, for those looking to show off, first growth Bordeaux.

Mather’s affinity for fresh food, simply prepared is brilliantly demonstrated when I first dig into a plate of wood-grilled mushrooms, enveloped in rich truffle butter and showered with ribbons of Parmesan. The umami-laden combination of the smoky mushrooms and cheese in the dish is intensely satisfying, especially combined with warm anadama bread baked with apricots, walnut, and molasses. Equally sumptuous is a healthy slab of their duck pâté, flecked with pistachio, roasted red pepper, and crystals of salt, and served alongside the prerequisite cornichons, olives, and Dijon mustard. The intensity of the garlic, balanced with the robust flavor of the liver is completely intoxicating.

Although it is common to find roasted haddock on the menu throughout Maine, rarely is it as simultaneously delicious and artful as the Joshua’s version. The golden brown, caramelized-onion crust imparts texture to the delicate, flaky fish, while a pool of vibrant-green chive oil coaxes out the flavor of the accompanying mushroom risotto and adds visual flair. Doing so, it retains the nostalgia of the classic, Ritz-cracker-baked version while jettisoning the elements that can potentially make it clunky.

There is approachability to Mather’s menu that I enjoy very much, and it serves to reinstate my interest in dishes like chicken saltimbocca and orange duck because I have a strong desire to taste his interpretations. His mustard-crusted rack of lamb stuffed with mushrooms and sweet basil is a reminder how that dish became a classic in the first place. Add to that the joy of velvety mashed potatoes and an impossibly silky, concentrated Burgundy reduction and you will understand my aforementioned statement about confidence.

Mather continues to draw on Easter Orchard Farm for an abundance of fresh ingredients year-round, and he sums up his approach to the family business as such:

“”Restaurants are more than just the food, every part of the experience is up for criticism. The margins are tight and at the end of the day it takes constant attention to every detail to be successful.”

And this is what separates a truly memorable meal from all the rest.

The post Joshua’s appeared first on The Maine Mag.

In summer’s late-afternoon light, the weekend warriors and sun worshippers arrive, emptying out of their cars onto Fortunes Rocks Beach. A nearly full moon is pulling the waves and raising the tides. Surfers and paddleboarders are in the water, glistening on their boards, and the whitecaps are rolling in on this stretch of Biddeford Pool, about 25 miles south of Portland. When the surfers duck-dive under the froth, they remind me of wild seals or otters.

We’re staying nearby for a few sunny days on the sheltered, south-facing Goose Rocks Beach, where water conditions are much gentler. The variety in the shoreline in this part of Maine is fascinating. Since arriving, all I’ve wanted to do is face the ocean. I’m not the only one. Most everyone seems to be gazing seaward, even when they’re holding a cocktail in one hand as the sun falls—say, from a deck at the houses we pass on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport. Boats and horizons remind me of seafarers like my bayman grandfather and clam-digging uncle. I breathe and wonder about life’s big, vague, vast questions. Or sometimes while standing on beaches, I recall lighter moments and teenage summers with sand and the ocean’s salt on my skin and in my hair—I always had crushes on surfers.

With the miles of oceanfront, the tidal KENNEBUNK RIVER and MOUSAM RIVER, sand spits, and coves, water is everywhere on the south coast of Maine. That the shoreline here isn’t always rocky, as it is along so much of New England’s natural oceanfront, adds to the captivation. Sandy coastline is a rarity in Maine, but here in the Kennebunks it’s possible to find soft beaches, where your toes can stretch into the sun-warmed sand. Such shores draw people (like me) almost magnetically, to bask, walk barefoot, and contemplate—maybe even settle into beach chairs and suntans.

Summer Seeking

The 21-room Tides Beach Club looks more like a large beach house than an inn. It sits in the lineup of family cottages at the nearly three-mile long GOOSE ROCKS BEACH. Inside, the rooms are airy and bright, with seagrass rugs, whitewashed walls, hallways hung with hip art, and a restaurant with a terrific bar and wine list. There’s plenty that’s good to sip, and simple, fresh dishes like tuna poke salad or a bowl of corn chowder. Bowdoin grad Hillary Peterson, 31, is an attorney who lives in Andover, Massachusetts. She tells me that the natural, mellow beachfront at Goose Rocks has been her favorite getaway for years. “This is my sliver of Maine,” she says. Her parents own a house here, and in 2010, her wedding to Bowdoin classmate Ben Peterson was held in her parents’ ocean-facing front yard, followed by a reception in Kennebunkport in the 130-year-old Nonantum Resort. During summers at Goose Rocks, she grew up going to the beach, teaching tennis lessons, and riding in the Fourth of July bicycle parade. She finds some pictures that she sends to me later by email; one is of her mom leading the annual Independence Day parade in her teal-blue 1970 Oldsmobile convertible with a Maine HPY4TH license plate.

Inspired by such Kennebunks tales, we seek more waterfront scenery and beaches. Cruising by car from Goose Rocks Beach, and sometimes by bicycle (parking for cars is at a premium in summer), we stick mostly to the two-lane Route 9 and less traveled, shoreline-hugging roads. Hopping from stop to stop in intervals of single-digit miles, even yards, I quickly begin to feel like we’re on a treasure hunt. Many of the beaches and waterside features are places I haven’t seen before, and some are tricky to locate on maps or have differing local nicknames or alternate spellings—depending on the source, it’s either Turbat’s or Turbot Creek; and Gooches or Gooch’s Beach, which is the same as Kennebunk Beach. That adds some fun to the challenge of finding them.

Next stop is the village of CAPE PORPOISE, which is known for its classic seafood places. There’s the red- and yellow-painted Nunan’s Lobster Hut that’s hung with buoys and nets inside and out; the cozy waterfront digs at the Ramp Bar and Grill under Pier 77 (watch fishing boats, slurp chowder); and the old-school Wayfarer, established in 1958 and reopened last summer. I’ve heard the new owners at the Wayfarer have hired Brendan Levin, a chef with New England ties who worked most recently in South Carolina kitchens and has a preference for locally sourced ingredients. At a sunny booth we order a tasty lunch of a native shrimp po’ boy with a New Orleans-style remoulade, cheeseburger, fries, and iced tea. Meanwhile, I overhear locals talking about how they’re happy the Wayfarer hasn’t changed too much, including that it’s still BYOB.

The hills and shade of WILDES DISTRICT ROAD between Cape Porpoise and Kennebunkport make for a scenic drive (or pedal, in this case), and we turn onto TURBAT’S CREEK ROAD and follow it to where it ends, unpaved, at salt water. A woman is sliding a kayak into the creek, and all around her is a cluster of small, wooden houses—some on stilts. These are the historic “fish houses,” the simple, shed-sized fishermen’s shacks that have been here for decades. The tide rises and falls underneath some of the cottages, and old dock pilings jut out of the mud in other places—the docks they once supported are long gone. Rustic and captivating, this lost-in-time scene looks to be the inspiration or subject of paintings that I’ve noticed in Kennebunkport galleries—the simple lines and angles of the houses juxtaposed against glimmering water or marsh grass and mud.

Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport

KENNEBUNKS BEACH-AROUND

In a car, I might have missed the diminutive Hazel’s Cove, but from my bicycle, I notice an ocean-facing bench on a rocky ledge. Not quite a half-mile south of the green lawn and oceanfront dining room of the Cape Arundel Inn, this little cove sits below Ocean Avenue and is maybe 100 yards wide. When the tide is low, a beach is revealed, deep with smooth stones, many no larger than gumballs. Rock walls rise on either side, and a set of concrete steps leads to the waterline at one end. It’s the kind of place you can feel is all your own, for a time. I’m the sole visitor to this compact cove for several minutes, and I sit quietly and watch a schooner pass by.

This is also a good preview for a visit to the stone marvel next door that’s St. Ann’s Episcopal Church. Perched on the shore like a lighthouse, the chapel is cool and quiet inside, with doors open for visitors. A few years ago, a restoration of the steeple and bells was dedicated to the memory of Dorothy Walker Bush, mother of President George H. W. Bush. We’re just minutes from the presidential-level security and secrecy of the Bush compound, Walker’s Point. It’s situated on a narrow peninsula that connects to Ocean Avenue. Parking and benches draw onlookers and offer surprisingly easy vantage points, but on this beach getaway, our closest brush with the Bush family is to see them in snapshots posted on the walls at the Ramp.

Later I talk with Lisa Brodar, who moved to Maine from New York City to live at first in Portland’s East End, and now in Kennebunkport. She and her partner, Troy Tyler, are founders of the Portland General Store skincare line. Proximity to the water is what drew them here. “The long coastline is so accessible and beautiful,” she says. “We can almost always hear the waves.” Most often, the seaside playground and shorefront at Mother’s Beach is the family destination. This summer, her five-year-old son wants to try the surfing lessons taught by a neighborhood teenager. They also like to wander the shore at Colony Beach (also called Arundel Beach), where the white-columned Colony Hotel towers above beachgoers. For the past century, this Kennebunkport retreat has stood on the Kennebunk River. Locals seem to congregate there, Brodar tells me, particularly at the sunset golden hour, some unfolding chairs to sit for a while.

It’s KENNEBUNK BEACH (Gooch’s Beach, or Point Beach), though, that draws the most seaside crowds. People are on foot, with dogs, on bicycles, and lounging around blankets or benches—gathered to see the ocean and each other. Water hangs on top of the sand as waves recede; the beach looks like a shelf of glass at low tide. I don’t see anyone on skim boards, but the conditions look good for gliding across the wet sand. Several people are in the water in wetsuits on boogie boards. One 50-something man dressed only in swim trunks and without a board emerges from the water and walks briskly up the beach to his sun-warmed car. He’s from the Netherlands. I swim there, so I’m used to the cold water, he explains, smiling. Going for a chilled dip is simply part of Maine in summertime. At the Kennebunk beaches, June to August ocean temperatures are often in the upper 50s and low 60s. Hillary Peterson says she developed some cold ocean swimming techniques growing up at Goose Rocks Beach. “There’s this whole system,” she says. “You wait until the sun beats down for a period of hours and then jump in all the way up to your chin, get numb, and enjoy the swimming.”

Next we go looking for STRAWBERRY ISLAND (Libby’s Point). We find a sign marker on the ocean side of Great Hill Road in Kennebunk, a residential road off of Sea Road, not far from Lord’s Point and Mother’s Beach. The “island” is connected to land, a ridge of rock and smooth stones jutting into the water. It was acquired by the Kennebunk Land Trust in the early 1970s. I quickly realize I won’t be bare-footing it here. I walk (and hop) carefully over the smooth stones. This is a long, mounding spit, and after five minutes of walking, I’m not even halfway to the end. Meanwhile, a few people in skiffs are cruising near, exploring the sheltered pools that look like perfect spots for swimming.

Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve in Wells

THE EDGE OF THE SEA

South of Kennebunk, toward Wells, is the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, where we walk along a looping woodland trail and boardwalk and learn some of the science and ecology of the coastal landscape we’ve been exploring, from maritime forests to marshes and beaches. The refuge is named for the 20th-century marine biologist and environmentalist who had an affinity for Maine and built a cottage farther up the coast. I have a copy of her classic 1956 guide, The Edge of the Sea, which is a scientific and poetic read for a Kennebunk beach trip, giving clues to the origins of Maine’s rare, sandy beaches. The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place,” Carson wrote. “Here and there on the predominantly rocky coast of northern New England there are small beaches—some came from the glacial debris that covered the rocky surface when the land tilted and the sea came in.”

On a hunt for one more seaside stop, we follow maps and directions to PARSONS BEACH. I’ve heard it’s private and beautiful, and the anticipation builds. Just south of the Mousam River, we turn from Route 9 onto Parsons Beach Road, where we can see horses grazing in the distance. The road continues beneath the tall trees that line the road on both sides and then traverses a causeway across Back Creek. To one side, I spot long-legged herons fishing in the grasses and shallow water. We park at the end of a line of cars and take the beach path that’s ahead. I’m barefoot now in the deep, soft sand. On the ocean side of tall dunes, the scene strikes me as very similar to a Carolinas beach. Groups of sunbathers and lone driftwood logs dot the beachfront. In the sunlight and steady breeze, I follow the water’s edge to the northern end of this sandy spit and watch the currents of a tidal inlet sliding past.

Hello, summer. 

The post Beaches of Maine’s Southern Shore appeared first on The Maine Mag.

01 Pineland Farms Outdoor Center
New Gloucester
pinelandfarms.org
Pineland is a 5,000 acre farm, business campus, and recreational center. With a mission “to provide a productive and educational venue that enriches the community,” it’s an ideal location for cross-country skiing. The farm’s Welcome Center houses an Outdoor Center offering equipment for rent or sale. Make a weekend out

02 Nordic Ski + Snowshoe Center at The Bethel Inn Resort
Bethel
bethelinn.com
Located directly behind the turn-of-the-century resort are 35 kilometers of trails for cross-country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts. Additionally, the Nordic Ski Center recently partnered with the Outdoor Center at the Sunday River Inn. Enjoy an additional 40 kilometers of trails just ten minutes away from the resort at no extra cost. Both Centers feature equipment rentals and lessons. At night, relax in the resort’s outdoor heated pool.

03 Nordic Heritage Center
Presque Isle
nordicheritagecenter.org
The Nordic Heritage Center consists of a 6,500 square foot lodge, 20 kilometers of ski trails, a state-of-the-art wax building, and a terrain park for cross-country skiing. Trail usage is free of charge, and there’s a rental center should you need equipment. Lodge hours are 6 a.m. through 10 p.m. and the trails are lit from 4:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. daily to allow for nighttime skiing.

04 10th Mountain Ski Center
Fort Kent
10thmtskiclub.org
A nonprofit organization, the 10th Mountain Ski Club promotes healthy lifestyles and economic growth through its facilities, trails, and events. The center acts as both a biathlon facility and cross-country ski center. There are 25 kilometers of ski trails, with three kilometers lit for night skiing. Enjoy the sauna or the fieldstone fireplace in the center’s Mountain Lodge after a long day outside.

05 Maine Huts + Trails
Kingfield
mainehuts.org
The nonprofit Maine Huts and Trails seeks to promote ecotourism in the Western Mountain region. The program currently features four huts—Stratton Brook, Poplar, Flagstaff, and Grand Falls—connected by a network of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails. Ski rentals are available at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center.

06 Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm
Wells
wellsreserve.org
A National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wells Reserve at Laudholm offers year-round activities. Visit their site to learn about recommended routes throughout the reserve’s seven miles of easy to moderate skiing and snowshoeing trails. There are three recommended routes—the Salt Marsh Loop, the Forest Interpretive Trail, and Laudholm Beach—each of which focuses on a different aspect of the Reserve’s mission.

The post Cross-country Skiing appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Courtney and Jesse met in boarding school, but didn’t get to know each other until they reconnected three years out of college. They knew within weeks of dating that they had found someone special. With strong connections to the east coast and Maine in particular, the couple enlisted the help of Maine wedding designer and planner Kate Martin of Beautiful Days, who helped them bring the barn and beautiful setting of Laudholm Farm to life. Autumn is Courtney’s favorite time of year, and while the season inspired the decor and color scheme, the end result was far from a typical fall wedding. On the rolling lawn, the couple was married by a woman who had been a mentor to both of them at Phillips Academy Andover; she remains an important part of their lives to this day. Their favorite wedding moment took place while the reception was in full swing, when they walked a few hundred feet to a perch where they could overlook the happy scene. “It was a surreal experience,” Courtney remembers.

“LAUDHOLM FARM IS THE PERFECT BLANK SLATE; WE NEEDED KATE TO PAINT THE REST.”

Why…

Maine?
“Maine has a vacation quality to it, and we really wanted our guests to step away from their everyday lives for a weekend. Maine provided the perfect atmosphere to make it happen,” says Courtney. Both of their families have connections to the northeast as well. Jesse grew up spending summers at his grandparents’ farm in Vermont andCourtney’s parents own a cottage in Kennebunkport.

that menu?
Courtney and Jesse had to accommodate a variety of palates, ranging from meat eaters from Chicago to many vegetarians. Plus, Courtney loves Asian food. To make everyone happy, they offered food stations: Chicago, Maine, and Pan Asia.

that seating arrangement?
A tight semicircle created an intimate setting during the ceremony.
the pumpkins? The bride loves pumpkins, and Kate Martin and Leslie Oster of Aurora Provisions found creative ways to incorporate the autumnal icon. Since the bridesmaids’ dresses were a deep orange color, Kate recommended white pumpkins for the tablescape and various displays. Leslie was responsible for a delicious roasted pumpkin bisque starter.

the colorful tablescape?
Courtney originally expressed interest in a white wedding, but found herself drawn to elements such as faux tortoise-shell silverware and green glasses with lovely etching. Courtney’s mother suggested throwing purple in the mix, and found that champagne glasses added just the right touch. White details throughout softened the overall look, which was warm and inviting—rustic, but not overly so.

that lighting?
Wanting to make the spacious barn feel cozier, Kate Martin wrapped seed lights in gauze.
the photographer David Murray? Courtney and Jesse say it was, “love at first sight with David Murray. Not only are his photos breathtaking, but he is also one of the warmest people we have ever met!”

Click for a full list of resources from the 2013 Wedding issue.

The post Courtney + Jesse appeared first on The Maine Mag.

01 Prouts Neck, Scarborough
It’s all there—the seaweed-crusted coast, the craggy cliffs, the frothy gray sea anxious to spray your boots and cheeks. To walk along Prouts Neck is to walk through a Winslow Homer painting. This splinter of coast offers a palpable sense of Homer’s work and the inspiration behind his iconic seascapes. His studio, visible from the trail, will be open to the public for the first time this fall.

02 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells
Silent Spring changed everything. Groundbreaking and inspiring—the book was America’s environmental awakening. This April marks its 50th anniversary, and to celebrate, a walk along the Carson Trail is in order. The trail, named for the book’s author, traces a sheltered bay where the tides murmur and the marsh grasses grow. This one-mile loop offers beautiful vistas and close-up views of the refuge’s protected wildlife.

03 Mackworth Island, Falmouth
A wooded trail of spruce and pine, this island tour descends to rocky shores, tide pools, and pocket beaches. The island’s north end features quirky landmarks, including an elaborate fairy village and a pet cemetery built for the companions of Maine’s former governor Percival Baxter. Just over a mile long, this stroll fills a leisurely hour and is accessible by a causeway off Route 1.

04 Morse Mountain, Phippsburg
Redolent of Maine, this walk begins with a bouquet of balsam. As the wooded trail winds into an open salt marsh, trees veil mudflats and an unhurried river. Alongside a bedrock cliff overgrown with moss and saplings, the path leads up a hill to monumental views—scenes of Seguin Island, Casco Bay, and on clear days, Mount Washington. The trail ends at the shell-laden Sewall Beach, a perfect place to take a dip in warmer months.

05 Bar Island, Bar Harbor
When low tide approaches, a sand bar cleaves the bay, making the forested Bar Island accessible by foot. The natural bridge crosses the path of gulls, boats, and buoys all bobbing on the swell. On the island, a trail follows a gradual climb and ends with commanding views of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. A tide chart and waterproof shoes are key to staying dry on this walk.

06 The Mountain, Rome
For those nostalgic about E.B. White’s “Once More to the Lake,” this trail boasts the timeless allure of Old Maine. Skirting between the Great and Long ponds of Belgrade Lakes, the walk follows an old logging road. Dense woods and glacial boulder fields give way to stunning views of the Kennebec Highlands. In the summer, look for the Great Pond mail boat making deliveries between docks—it’s one of the last of its kind in the country.

The post Walks appeared first on The Maine Mag.

In the October 2009 issue of Bon Appétit magazine, restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton gave Portland the prized title “America’s Foodiest Small Town.” He wrote, “My scouting (aka eating) trips to Portland, Maine, resulted in some of the best meals of my life.” The New York Times also took notice. Author Julia Moskin wrote in her 2009 story for the Times, “In the last decade, Portland has undergone a controlled fermentation for culinary ideas—combining young chefs in a hard climate with few rules, no European tradition to answer to, and relatively low economic pressure—and has become one of the best places to eat in the Northeast.” And last April the Travel Channel aired Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Maine, where he feasted from Portland to Rockland to Milo. The significant attention being paid to food in our state is due largely, if not wholly, to the remarkable chefs who have chosen to do what they do here—working alongside our farmers, fishermen, artisans, and purveyors to make food that the world has taken notice of.

Guy Hernandez
Bar Lola
“Bar Lola is hard to put in one category. We serve small plates of food, but we are not a tapas bar. We are not a Mediterranean restaurant, but we cook food inspired by Spain and Italy. We love French techniques, both rustic and refined, but we are not a bistro. We play with juxtaposing flavor profiles, but do not consider ourselves fusion. We look at each dish and try and strip it down to its bare essentials then execute each one of its components to the best of our ability. We want every element to play an integral role in the final dish. I like to think a dish is done not when you can’t add anything else to it, but when you can’t take anything else away. Then to take fourteen of these stripped-down dishes and compose them into two seven-course meals for a pair of diners and have them respond to the arc of the meal is extremely rewarding.”

LOOKOUT FOR the five-course prix fixe tasting menu-For $39 select one option from each of the menu’s five sections or pay another $5 and have the chef select seven courses for you.

Bar Lola  | 100 Congress St. | Portland  | 207.775.5652 | barlola.net

 Sam Hayward
Fore Street
“One thing that keeps me excited is how our audience has enthusiastically accepted so many of the foods we offer, from less-familiar seafood species to whole-beast meat cooking. That contrasts with my experience first working in Maine restaurants in the late seventies. At the time, I found my audience to be fairly conservative, squeamish even. In the eighties, I invited Maine diners to try urchins, monkfish, offal of all kinds, rabbit…and would end up serving just a few portions to a tiny fraction of the dining public. That has completely changed. We love to serve roasted or grilled fish that people often think of as bait: Atlantic herrings, small mackerels, Acadian rosefish. And some invertebrates folks may not have tried before–squids, cuttlefish, and razor clams, to name a few. And over the last two years, we’ve been able to add an expanding variety of chilled raw fish and shellfish to the menu, far beyond oysters and littleneck clams.”

Fore Street | 288 Fore St. | Portland | 207.775.2717 | forestreet.biz

 Melissa Kelly
Primo
“I’m especially excited about my pigs. We raise heritage breed pigs on our property. They are fed Primo scraps, garden scraps, and organic feed. They sleep under apple trees, and they forage in the woods. We raise them until the fall, when we harvest them for the table. We celebrate their life with a tradition we call  “Pig Day”—the entire staff and some of our staff from Orlando and Tucson make a delicious breakfast with our farm eggs and fresh sausage. Then we split into teams and prepare several recipes—mortadella, prosciutto,  guanciale—just to name a few. Lots of smoking, turning, brining, drying, and curing ensues. We then offer a nose-to-tail menu to our guests for the following couple of weeks.”

LOOKOUT FOR the ever-changing additions to the menu from Primo’s gardens, beehives, and farm. And don’t miss Primo’s dollar oyster nights (Thursdays and Sundays).

Primo | 2 South Main St. | Rockland | 207.596.0770 | primorestaurant.com

Brian Hill
Shepherd’s Pie + Francine Bistro
“At Shepherd’s Pie, I’ve charged ahead with the goal of having the best pub food north of New YorkÑusing the best ingredients and making everything very affordable. Our wood grill is my biggest inspiration here. I never suspected that wood-grilled scallops would be such a miracle of goodness. Apple-wood-grilled duck is breathtaking; the char on the skirt steak can’t be duplicated any other way. I am obsessed with foraged local seafood. New Meadows littleneck clams, wrinkled whelks, limpets, wild oysters, urchins, seaweeds. Hen clams for ceviche, grilled mackerel, smoked alewives for Caesar dressing, sculpin, sea raven, and cunners for perfect fish soup. And blueback herring for pickling.”

LOOKOUT FOR seasonal sides: morels and local asparagus, vinegary dandelions with garlic, and fried fiddleheads with chili and fish sauce.

Francine Bistro | 55 Chestnut St. | Camden | 207.230.0083 | francinebistro.com
Shepherd’s Pie | 18 Central St. | Rockport | 207.236.8500

Josh Potocki 
158 Pickett Street Cafe
“The idea for 158 began while working at Street and Co. A friend asked my former partner and me if we ever thought about making bagels. We gave it some thought, and he put numbers to it. A couple weeks later, I rode my bike past our current location. I peered in the window, and it struck me that the idea was beginning to take shape in my mind. Soon we were in the lawyer’s office incorporating. With minimal start-up capital, we began working nonstop to refine our recipe until we had the best bagel around. We added breakfast and lunch to our plan. The experience we were trying to create was the best food possible from scratch in a relaxed atmosphere that would feel something like grandma’s house. Our mission has evolved several times since then. We went on to open Scratch Baking Company and then Bar Lola. I ended up becoming a chef through a sincere love for food. I’ve tried to do a few other things, but food consistently calls me back.”

158 Pickett Street Cafe | 158 Benjamin W. Pickett St. | South Portland | 207.799.8998

Abby Harmon
Caiola’s
“I grew up in downeast Maine in a small fishing village. I love it here for the landscape, fishing, seasons, and especially the people. There is no better place to open a restaurant. At Caiola’s, we want the food to be both interesting and familiar. We create a menu that changes based on the local ingredients available seasonally. I ended up as a chef by chance, really. I answered an ad in the paper looking for a cook, no experience needed. After twenty-one years of hard work and dedication, I am still learning, teaching, and working with my hands. As an artist, what’s not to love? I am exactly where I want to be.”

LOOKOUT FOR private wine-cellar dining for parties up to thirty, and of course, Caiola’s renowned Sunday brunch.

Caiola’s | 58 Pine St. | Portland  207.772.1110 | caiolas.com

Rob Evans
Hugo’s + Duckfat
“I always enjoyed cooking, but it’s creativity that drives me as a chef. The primary idea when we first opened the restaurant was to serve local cuisine revisited with modern technique—to let people experience familiar flavors in new ways. Since then Hugo’s has evolved into the restaurant we hoped for—our current dinner is very adventurous. Many of our patrons order tastings, which is what we enjoy doing the most. In the kitchen we’re always excited about serving anything local, especially wild or foraged.”

LOOKOUT FOR the tasting-menu specials at Hugo’s.

Hugo’s | 88 Middle St. | Portland | 207.774.8538 | hugos.net 
Duckfat | 43 Middle St. | Portland | 207.774.8080 | duckfat.com

Kerry Altiero
Cafe Miranda
“Our vision for Cafe Miranda was not what was expected in Rockland in 1993—an open kitchen, wood oven, medium-rare pork chops…the idea of a constantly changing menu with multiple ethnic and classic influences was maybe far-fetched, but here we are eighteen years later, thanks in large part to the commitment of our staff. Now the focus in the restaurant world is farm to table. I have a farm, I have a table, and I have been sourcing locally since we opened. It was not the marketing tool it is now—it just was and is the right thing to do. I’m always looking for ethnic ingredients and styles while also serving familiar comfort foods: spaghetti and meatballs, meat and potatoes, burgers, sandwiches, and pizza are among the offerings on our ninety-plus–item menu.”

LOOKOUT FOR Kerry’s cooking classes: March 19—Traditional Hand-Shaped Pasta: traditional “hand-rolled” spaghetti, tagliatelle, and fettuccine. April 9—Flavorful Vegetarian Food: Discover intensely flavored menu items featuring European pastas, roasted vegetables and greens, Asian noodle bowls with local tofu, and spicy Thai coconut-curry dishes.

Cafe Miranda | 15 Oak St. | Rockland | 207.594.2034 | cafemiranda.com

Eloise Humphrey
El Camino + Flipside
“I woke up one morning in Maine and realized how much I missed Mexican food—to me it is like eating sunshine. There wasn’t a Mexican restaurant around, so my sister-in-law and I decided to open a restaurant that would bring the five senses alive—all while offering locally grown, affordable food. One of the highlights at the restaurant is having a connection with area farmers. We get beautiful greens from Six River Farm well into December. I always considered myself a chef. (I began cooking when I was thirteen.) I moved to San Francisco from New York City sight unseen—I knew if I didn’t like it I would move to Maine—and twelve years later I did. I found my soul in San Francisco. I came to Maine to use it.”

LOOKOUT FOR Flipside, the farm-to-table pizza place on Maine Street in Brunswick brought to you by Eloise, Daphne, and the El Camino gang.

El Camino | 15 Cushing St. | Brunswick | 207.725.8228 | elcaminomaine.com
Flipside | 111 Maine St. | Brunswick | 207.373.9448 | flipsidemaine.com

Eric Simeon
Grace
“After graduating with a degree in anthropology, I knew I wanted to do something more sensual with my life. Rather than studying culture, I wanted to participate in the creation of it. I actually began cooking as a volunteer in college, never thinking it would blossom into a career. My girlfriend is from Maine, and when we came to vacation in Portland from New York City I was seduced by the city’s charms. The pace is relaxed, but the city still pulses with a vibrant and artistic energy. I’ve found Mainers to be genuine and down to earth, yet savvy and knowledgeable, and this seems like a perfect fit for me. Grace is the kind of visually stunning restaurant that awes people the first time they walk in. I wanted to create a bold menu that would stand up to the grandiosity of the space—food that is refined and thoughtful without being too precious.”

LOOKOUT FOR the book-release dinner for chef Gabrielle Hamilton, of Prune in New York City. Also, after the successes of Grace’s Halloween and New Year’s Eve parties, the restaurant will be throwing a summer solstice celebration.

Grace | 15 Chestnut St. | Portland | 207.828.4422 | restaurantgrace.com

Joshua Mather
Joshua’s
“Originally, and still to this day, my objective at the restaurant is to serve traditional American food made from scratch. Food has become “fast” in every sense of the word. It used to be just burgers and fries; nowadays everything from precooked high-end cuts of meat to frozen oysters on the half shell are available in the marketplace. I wanted to create a restaurant that not only served food you would recognize, but food that was prepared from the heart. Vegetables are our primary focus year-round. In the summer, our farm (Easter Orchard) supplies us with almost everything we serve, and in the winter we work with the root vegetables that harvested in the fall. We feed about 800 people a week, and having plates full of fresh organic vegetables that were picked that day is hard to beat.”

LOOKOUT FOR Joshua’s seasonal recipes including strawberry cosmos, fresh pea ravioli with sage butter, stuffed squash blossoms, and a summer specialty: lobster pie.

Joshua’s | 1637 Post Rd. | Wells | 207.646.3355 | joshuas.biz

Scott Lee 
Bandaloop
“It’s a real challenge to describe the genre of cuisine at Bandaloop—I’d say it’s an eclectic mix of bold, worldly flavors. Something for everyone, from the carnivore to the vegan, the old and the young. We have learned that there are many people with food allergies or intolerances, so we have made the menu more flexible to accommodate those needs. I am not afraid to change menu items to suit people. You’re paying for it—I want you to have what you want. We offer many creative vegetarian options, something that was lacking in our community. Vegetarian food can be exciting, especially when it comes to soup. My soups are always vegetarian and most of the time vegan. Some things I’m especially excited about on our menu: I like spicy foods, so anything I can make with a little heat to it. I’ve been experimenting with my desserts a lot more lately and having fun with chocolate and pastry.”

LOOKOUT FOR Scott’s tuna dishes. He says, “I’m able to get beautiful Hawaiian yellowfin tuna. It’s my favorite to eat and my favorite to serve.”

Bandaloop | 2 Dock Sq. | Kennebunkport | 207.967.4994 | bandaloop.biz

Mitchell Kaldrovich 
Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea
“After cooking in Buenos Aires and Patagonia, I came to the United States to work at L’Orangerie Restaurant in West Hollywood, La Palme d’Or at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, and PlumpJack in Lake Tahoe. For Sea Glass menus, I try to source food locally and offer traditional favorites in a new light, such as sumptuous, pan-seared jumbo Maine scallops served with parsnip puree, gaufrettes, and beurre monté. The scallops are fresh from the sea year-round, and parsnips flourish even under a blanket of snow at neighboring Alewive’s Brook Farm. My favorite dish, gnocchi, is my soul food. I continue to make handmade gnocchi with the same wooden tool used by my grandmother in Argentina. One of my favorite dishes is lobster gnocchi—it’s a true amalgamation of cooking techniques learned in the past and in my new life in Maine.”

LOOKOUT FOR  the March 19 Chef’s Cooking Demonstration showcasing signature Sea Glass dishes (including techniques, tastings, and recipes) and the March 31 Blind Wine Tasting Educational Event exploring a variety of regions, varietals, and price points.

Sea Glass | 40 Bowery Beach Rd. | Cape Elizabeth | 207.799.3134 | innbythesea.com

Keiko Suzuki Steinberger
Suzuki
“When we opened, we served more or less the standard American sushi bar fare. Gradually, we moved from the ‘usual suspects’ to local, seasonal ingredients, and to making in-house more and more of what we serve. For example, we began with frozen shumai from a big supplier, but soon moved to making our own with local shrimp. The key to our ability to move from the ordinary to the extraordinary has been that our customers have been willing, even eager, to support it. We have friends now who are growing things and foraging for things just for us. Suzuki is as close to a traditional Japanese sushi bar as you can find outside of Japan. Not like a sushi bar in Tokyo, where fish from all over the world comes to the Tsukiji Market—we are like a sushi bar in a small town on the northeast coast of Japan (like the town I grew up in), where the fish comes directly from local fishermen.”

LOOKOUT FOR Keiko’s spring recipes with dandelion greens, fiddleheads, mizuna greens, glass eels, flounder, and local bluefin tuna and toro.

Suzuki | 419 Main St. | Rockland | 207.596.7447 | suzukisushi.com

Pete Morency
Pier 77 + The Ramp
“It’s both good fortune and a challenge to have two distinct menus for two dining rooms coming out of one kitchen. We cover dishes that entail a wide variety of preparations, from fish-and-chips to duck cassoulet, paella, and our Lamb Three Ways, not to mention our famous burger. It can get pretty crazy in the kitchen pumping out the volume we do, and it keeps us on our toes. We’re making some aesthetic changes to the dining room that we’ve wanted to do from the beginning. It’s nice to make changes not only to the menu but also to the design of the room. When we reopen in the spring, the dining room will have a completely fresh look.”

LOOKOUT FOR Pedro’s—the new Mexican restaurant in Kennebunkport Pete is opening with his wife and partner, Kate. Pedro’s will draw on Pete’s twenty years of experience cooking in San Francisco, where he learned about Mexican, Guatemalan, and El Salvadorian food.

Pier 77 + The Ramp | 77 Pier Rd. Cape Porpoise | 207.967.8500 | pier77restaurant.com
Pedro’s | 181 Port Rd. | Kennebunk | 207.967.5544

Lee Skawinski
Cinque Terre + Vignola
“We wanted to create an atmosphere where people could come and share plates of food and explore an Old World wine list with tasting portions as well as European craft-style beers. I wanted, specifically, to share the food experiences I had in central Italy, where the cuisine is driven by the many influences of location, fresh pastas, cured meats, dairy cows, and aged vinegars. I’m most excited by the seasonal menus that we create and incorporating foods like local rabbit, house-made duck sausage, lamb, and hand-crafted cheeses, which I’m especially interested in right now.”

LOOKOUT FOR the many food and wine and restaurant events at Vignola and Cinque Terre, including the Whole Hog Dinner in April, a Spanish wine tasting in June, the Harvest Dinner in September, and their annual Allagash Beer Dinner.

Cinque Terre | 36 Wharf St. | Portland | 207.347.6154 | cinqueterremaine.com 
Vignola | 10 Dana St | Portland | 207.772.1330 | vignolamaine.com

Krista Kern Desjarlais
Bresca
“When we first opened, Bresca was viewed as Italian in genre, and I offered food that fit that mold. Now I find myself wanting to just cook—not to fit into a specific cuisine, but to cook for the love of it. I have been consistently shrinking the menu and aiming to eventually have it change daily. My dream would be to write a small four- or five-course menu each day and present it, handwritten, with a few suggestions for wine or beer to accompany it. This year marks my thirtieth year in this industry. At this point in my career, I am most excited about revisiting the food I grew up with and that I prepared as a young cook. I am making gravlax and pickled vegetables, smoked meats, and fish. I also cooked from many of Julia Child’s, Richard Olney’s, and Elizabeth David’s books. Revisiting their recipes and modernizing them for a restaurant kitchen has been wonderfully rewarding.”

LOOKOUT FOR Krista’s daily small prix fixe menu (in addition to the a la carte menu) celebrating her three decades of cooking. The menus will be seasonal and based on a theme of time, place, event, or ingredient.

Bresca | 111 Middle St. | Portland | 207.772.1004 | restaurantbresca.com

Steve Corry
Five Fifty-Five
“Growing up, I worked in kitchens here and there to get me through school. After college, I brewed beer professionally, and while I thoroughly enjoyed this vocation, the job became very solitary. With advances in equipment, small-scale breweries were easily operated with one or two brewers, and I missed the back-and-forth banter that happens in the kitchen. After a short stint in Portland (now twelve or so years ago), I headed off to Vermont to attend the New England Culinary Institute. After spending time in Napa, the heart of the farm-to-table movement, I returned to New England and found that Portland had evolved into quite an interesting culinary destination. Inspired by my experience, I wanted to pay special attention to not only sourcing our ingredients locally but also supporting often unnoticed vendors as well.  Due to these relationships and others throughout the Portland food scene, we were, thankfully, welcomed into the community. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

LOOKOUT FOR Petite Jacqueline, the new casual French bistro Steve and his wife and partner Michelle will be opening this month at 190 State Street.

Five Fifty-Five | 555 Congress St. | Portland | 207.761.0555 | fivefifty-five.com

Clark Frasier + Mark Gaier
Arrows Restaurant, MC Perkins Cove + Summer Winter
“Our food is heavily influenced by our travel, what we read, and what’s out our back door. We frequently travel to Asia. We have traveled in the Middle East to several countries including Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel. And we enjoy traveling in Europe and around our own country. This coming year will be a very exciting year for us. On the heels of winning the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the Northeast award comes the spring publication of our long-awaited second book, Maine Classics. The thing that makes this most compelling for us is that it examines the thread of cooking going back to colonial times in this state and delves into how these traditions still shape the way we cook, farm, and create food.”

LOOKOUT FOR Arrows’s spring and fall Travel Dinners—discoveries of foods and flavors from the Far East to the Near East to the far South.

Arrows | 41 Berwick Rd. | Cape Neddick | 207.361.1100 | arrowsrestaurant.com
MC Perkins Cove | 111 Perkins Cove Rd. | Ogunquit | 207.646.6263 | mcperkinscove.com
Summer Winter | 1 Mall Rd. | Burlington, MA | 781.221.6600 | summerwinterrestaurant.com

Jonathan Cartwright
The White Barn Inn
“I was asked by the great hotelier Lawrence Bongiorno to come and work for him. Once I met him and saw the White Barn Inn, it quickly became a no-brainer for me to move my life to Maine. I was working in Switzerland at the time and was very fortunate because it was my last few days on a winter contract in a hotel. Laurie had contacted me because I worked in America before at a fellow Relais & Chateaux property. The manager there knew I wanted to come back to America and recommended that he call me. What I came to discover is that Maine is a wonderful and challenging place to work, especially in light of my passion for cooking tied to the seasons. I am sincerely excited about all the foods on our menu, but I have a partiality for creating and cooking fish dishes. At the moment, I am very pleased with our warm smoked lobster and halibut dish.”

LOOKOUT FOR the 2011 International Guest Chef Program, which brings guest chefs from around the world to the White Barn Inn.

The White Barn Inn | 37 Beach Ave. | Kennebunk | 207.967.2321 whitebarninn.com

Melissa Chaiken 
The Fiddlehead Restaurant
“One of our customers just brought us some Icelandic lamb. I’m not familiar with this meat, but he shared some instructions on the best way to prepare it, and I cooked it up. It’s exciting to try and ‘guess’ how something will turn out or how it will taste—when it turns out that I’m dead-on, it gets me super excited. It’s like spelling a word right at the spelling bee! Everyone has a comfort food that they like—something that is specific to each person. I wanted to put things on the menu that would be comforting to all people: Bulgogi-style marinated Korean beef with white rice and house-made pickles. Lobster pot pie. Spaghetti squash latkes with apple chutney. Pickled fiddleheads and a Thousand-Island-dressing-topped burger. Nonsterile foods, so that people can look at the menu and find something they like, whatever their background is or wherever they’re from.”

LOOKOUT FOR Fiddlehead Fest. During fiddlehead season, the restaurant offers daily additions to the menu. And the house-made sangria in the summer months, cocktail-inspired food tastings, and wine- and beer-pairing dinners are not to be missed.

The Fiddlehead Restaurant 84 Hammond St. | Bangor 207.942.3336 | thefiddleheadrestaurant.com

Michael Salmon
Hartstone Inn
“My goal for the Inn was to have a menu that changed nightly, incorporating the freshest local ingredients and adding an ever-changing international flair. Our small dining room caters to twenty diners each evening, which offers a really nice environment for an intimate dining experience. I’m especially passionate about cooking Maine seafood with a Caribbean influence—it’s a favorite of mine. The flavors of the Caribbean work so well with Maine seafood. And soufflé is my signature dessert—we offer over thirty-five flavors. Mary Jo (my wife) and I run the restaurant ourselves; I am the chef, and she greets guests and provides them with personal service. After twelve years of experience in the luxury hotel industry, we chose to keep the restaurant small enough to provide a consistently high level of guest service and food quality.”

LOOKOUT FOR the Inn’s cooking classes. Groups or individuals can become “Chef for the Day” and work alongside Michael in the kitchen from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., as he creates the evening meal. The upcoming In the Spring Garden class uses a variety of herbs and vegetables from the grounds and includes a garden tour and gardening tips.

Hartstone Inn | 41 Elm St. | Camden | 207.236.4259 | hartstoneinn.com

Jay Villani
Local 188 + Sonny’s
“I became a chef because pre-med was just way too hard. But here’s an alternate beginning: what started as an art gallery serving beer and wine developed into Local 188, a restaurant inspired by classic Old World cuisine—tapas, paella—and a very laid-back atmosphere. At Sonny’s, we wanted to bring that same casual mood downtown and bring the food emphasis to a New World Latin approach. Even our wine lists reflect this tack: Local 188’s wine list is made up of Old World wines, while Sonny’s wine list focuses on wines from this side of the globe. I want there to be a synergy between the two—same flavors, different takes. Now our challenge is creating awareness among the dining public. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma when it comes to Latin American food. It can be quite complex and adventurous, not just your typical margaritas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…”

LOOKOUT FOR house beers at Local 188 and Sonny’s. Jay has filed for a brewer’s notice and hopes to be brewing by late spring or early summer.

Local 188 | 685 Congress St. | Portland | 207.761.7909 | local188.com
Sonny’s | 83 Exchange St. | Portland | 207.772.7774 | sonnysportland.com

Harding Lee Smith
The Grill Room, The Front Room + The Corner Room
“After opening the three ‘Rooms,’ our evolution has mainly been my working to be a better chef—better at providing consistently solid food and not trying to be something that I am not. There are many great chefs in the area. I have learned to be myself. One of the very cool things we have going on now is our two-acre farm in Windham where we grow some of our produce. We have 700 chickens that provide the fresh eggs for our Front Room breakfast. And we raised four pigs this year and produced incredible things with them. We are curing our own prosciutti and other cured products that let us stretch the pleasure of the harvest throughout the year.”

LOOKOUT FOR the Italian Wine Dinner at the Corner Room this month.

The Grill Room | 84 Exchange St. Portland | 207.774.2333
The Front Room | 73 Congress St. Portland | 207.773.3366
The Corner Room | 110 Exchange St. | Portland | 207.879.4747
thefrontroomrestaurant.com

Justin Oliver
Fuel + Marché
“Our intent for Fuel was to deliver a French-bistro experience with a twist. So, although our food is mostly classic French bistro, we offer a four-course tasting menu that is totally off the cuff, every night. Our approach to food is really, really simple. Country French, classically prepared. Pure and simple. Steak Diane, braised pork shank, tuna nicoise, charcrute. Simple, classic country French. Everything from scratch. We’re most excited right now about sous vide [a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags submerged in a water bath for an extended period of time]. We have two immersion circulators, and both of them are running all the time. Sous vide has a huge role in our kitchen at this point and this will continue to grow.”

LOOKOUT FOR Fuel’s Fifth Annual Kentucky Derby Party on the first Saturday in May, which includes a five-course, Southern-influenced dinner and live bluegrass music.

Fuel | 49 Lisbon St. | Lewiston 207.333.3835 | fuelmaine.com
Marché | 40 Lisbon St. | Lewiston | 207.333.3836

Masa Miyake
Miyake + Pai Men Miyake
“I was going to be an artist, clothing designer, or cook. Kitchen work allowed me to be creative and explore my interest in food and eating. I enjoy when people say, ‘Wow I didn’t think I would like that.’ Some of our more unique products like local welks, cod sperm, or monkfish liver may be unappealing to many people, but if I can open up our patrons’ sense of adventure, and they are able to enjoy delicacies that are new to them, that is extremely exciting to me. My family and I came up to Acadia National Park for vacation when we lived in New York. It is very beautiful and similar to the area of Japan that I grew up in. It just made sense to open a fish-focused restaurant on the Maine coast.”

LOOKOUT FOR Miyake’s new location: the restaurant is moving to 470 Fore Street. “Sadly, we will not be BYOB anymore, but we will have many interesting additions,” Masa says.

Miyake | 129 Spring St. | Portland | 207.871.9170
Pai Men Miyake | 188 State St. Portland | 207.541.9204

Dana Robicheaw
Clementine Restaurant
“I became a chef by accident really. The two years I spent at Johnson & Wales was lost on me. I really didn’t get it until I started working at the former Snow Squall Restaurant in South Portland in 1998. My first week there, I was so amazed by the food, the systems, the environment, and the lifestyle that I immediately realized I was where I wanted to be. All the food we work with is really exciting to me. Offal is fun, and so are premier cuts of meat, but if I had to choose, it is probably desserts. I have always gravitated to the sweet side of the kitchen. It’s the last course of the dining experience, therefore the last thing the customer sees, and it is an opportunity to leave a ‘wow’ impression with them. Desserts can also be much more artistic than the savory items, and having a love for art my entire life, it gives me a chance to create and satiate my artistic hunger. And who doesn’t like dessert?”

LOOKOUT FOR the $25 three-course prix fixe menu—it’s what Clementine is all about.

Clementine Restaurant | 44 Maine St. | Brunswick | 207.721.9800 | clementinemaine.com

Larry Matthews
Back Bay Grill
“I ended up as a chef I think the same way many do. I grew up in Kennebunkport, working in the local restaurants there and just fell in love with the industry. The kitchen environment’s similarity to athletics is what hooked me at first. When I first came to the Back Bay Grill as a young chef in 1995, I was full of big ideas. I had worked at high-end restaurants, and I wanted to just plug in that style here. I learned quickly that, for me to be successful, I had to adapt to customers’ desires. I did not want to be a ‘flash in the pan’ chef; I wanted to build trust. So at first it was a bit of a struggle to find a way to cook what I wanted to cook and also appeal to what guests had come to know of the Back Bay Grill. Having worked here for many years, I have been able to develop a confidence level with our clientele. I can be far more adventurous than I ever thought possible.”

LOOKOUT FOR Larry prepares a seasonal multicourse feast at the Maine Botanical Gardens’s Kitchen Garden Dinner on April 13.

Back Bay Grill | 65 Portland St. | Portland | 207.772.8833 | backbaygrill.com

Allison Martin + Elmer Beal Jr.
The Burning Tree
“Twenty-five years ago, very few people were serving local fish in the area. Using the seafood that was plentiful and at our fingertips became our identity—cod, sand dabs, monkfish, gray sole, halibut, haddock, hake, pollock, and the occasional ocean perch, skate, or wolf fish. We decided to avoid other meats, except as accompaniments, so that we would always keep our inventory moving and impeccably fresh. I used to feel apologetic about not being formally trained—in fact, it took me probably fifteen years to finally recognize myself as a chef. I was free to experiment and make mistakes, and in most ways I feel lucky to be free of the rigidity and indoctrination of some culinary education styles. I have come to understand the raw ingredients, learning the nature of each species of fish and trying, as most good chefs do, to let the flavors speak for themselves.”

LOOKOUT FOR Burning Tree’s whole salt-coated, stuffed fish or smoked fillets served with spicy crab and cabbage in a pressed sushi. In addition to fresh fish, they serve scallops, crab, clams, mussels, northern shrimp, and of course, lobster.

The Burning Tree | 69 Otter Creek Dr. | Otter Creek | 207.288.9331

David Turin
David’s + David’s 388
“My two restaurants have developed from different ideas. Monument Square came from a desire to turn away from formality and to offer a broader choice of dishes without culinary borders, ranging from pretty simple presentations to intricate and complex flavors. I wanted people to be able to eat great food and wear jeans while drinking great wine without dropping a ton of cash. With David’s 388, I wanted to provide a neighborhood meeting place and offer smaller portions at smaller prices so patrons can eat many different flavors without eating too much. We are all about blending a traditional idea with a twist, and often those twists come from blending culinary cultures for exciting and unexpected results—for instance, combining fresh stuff from the farmer’s market with things from all over the world that we keep as staple stocks in our pantry.”

LOOKOUT FOR  A seven-course food and wine pairing in collaboration with Cellardoor Winery, featuring a sneak peek of Cellardoor’s new artist series wines, on May 19.

David’s | 22 Monument Sq. | Portland | 207.773.4340 | davidsrestaurant.com
David’s 388 | 388 Cottage Rd. | South Portland | 207.347.7388 | davids388.com

Richard Hanson
Cleonice + Table
“My wife Cary and I immediately thought tapas bar when we first saw the space that would become Cleonice, inspired by the thirty-foot mahogany bar that dominates the room. For our other restaurant, Table, we found another beautiful restaurant—this one on a millstream facing Blue Hill Bay. We conceived of Table as a meeting place for farmers, fishermen, and artisans to dine with other community members and visitors. The cuisine was imagined as sort of a fusion of French country dining and old-timey Maine flavors. The Blue Hill Peninsula is rich with farmers, fishermen, and cheesemakers, and we are continually challenged with how best to use this bounty. I get a call from a fisherman announcing a just-caught halibut, or a scallop diver shows up with glistening scallops and still-alive urchins. A farmer comes to tell me of a heritage breed of turkey or pig they want me to try. A forager comes with chanterelles, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, fiddleheads, blackberries, or sea beans. In August, the farms are bursting with tomatoes and peppers and corn and all the great bounty of our growing season.”

LOOKOUT FOR Table’s seasonal reopening on April 1.

Cleonice | 112 Main St. | Ellsworth | 207.664.7554 | cleonice.com
Table | 66 Main St. | Blue Hill | 207.374.5677 | farmkitchentable.com

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01 A1 Diner
Though I decided to keep it simple and get the burger made with beef from a local farm, the options here are more diverse than those at a typical diner. What excited me the most was the beer selection—because who needs coffee when you’ve got Unibroue Maudite?
3 Bridge St. | Gardiner | 207.582.4804

02 Maine Diner
After working in the restaurant business my whole life, I honestly have no idea how the servers here stay so friendly and professional while dealing with the constant hordes of customers that mob the place every single day. While pondering this over a delicious bowl of mac and cheese with kielbasa and a Michelob Light, I came to the realization that maybe not everyone is as much of jerk as I am…
2265 Post Rd. | Wells | 207.646.4441

03 Marcy’s Breakfast & Lunch
I’ve been going to this biker-themed Portland breakfast institution for years. Sure it’s small, cash only, and I don’t always fit that well into the booth, but the food is consistently good and the atmosphere is everything I want in a diner.
47 Oak St. | Portland | 207.774.9713

04 Moody’s Diner
Anywhere you rest your arms in Moody’s, the Formica is worn down by generations of others who have come before you. This iconic Maine diner has become something of a legend, and yet it still caters to the locals with items such as fresh smelts (when in season), beef liver, and fried tripe. Plus they’ve got a motel, so bring a change of clothes and a stack of trashy magazines and stay for a few days to sample the whole menu.
1885 Atlantic Highway | Waldoboro | 207.832.7785

05 Ricky’s Diner
There’s something about 1950s-style decor that reminds me of really bad dreams, but when I randomly stumbled upon Ricky’s, I had a feeling that I was in for something good. I proceeded to eat one of the best bowls of clam chowder I’ve had, and I’ve had a lot, followed by a delicious patty melt that made the fact that I was lost someplace in Bridgton seem not so bad.
138 Main St. | Bridgton | 207.647.2499

06 Q Street Diner
While chatting with one of the regulars about “back when jogging was trendy, you know, in the seventies,” I watched the waitress skillfully handle the packed dining room completely on her own. In addition to the fact that they serve great breakfast, I also enjoy the option of hash browns, which I’ll take over home fries any day.
9 Q St. | South Portland | 207.767.0299

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01 The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
Sure, this staple in Cape Elizabeth is a little touristy at times, but you’re right next to the ocean, on a stunning stretch of coastline, and you can bring your own booze. So you’ll be too tipsy to care when the seagulls descend and take your onion rings, whoopie pies, and/or children away.
225 Two Lights Rd. | Cape Elizabeth  | 207.799.1677

02 Miyake
Every time I eat the lobster roll at Miyake, I wonder why we use American-style mayonnaise when the Japanese stuff is so much better. It’s not the traditional approach, or served in a shack covered with lobster traps and fisherman’s nets, but I think this lobster roll is one of the best things you’ll ever eat.
129 Spring St. | Portland | 207.871.9170

03 Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster
Like the Lobster Shack, this spot’s appeal is as much about the setting as the food. Bring your friends from out of town to have a classic “Maine lobster experience.” And you can stare off into the distance and ponder why anyone would order a lobster roll from McDonald’s.
36 North Main St. | South Freeport |207.865.4888

04 Old Port Sea Grill
When Anthony Bourdain came to Maine he wanted one thing: a lobster roll. He was supposed to come here until a snowstorm cancelled his plans and left him unfulfilled for the duration of his visit. It’s probably my favorite of the bunch, and it’s even better if you have them add a little fresh tarragon (don’t tell them you heard that from me).
93 Commercial St. | Portland | 207.879.6100

05 Five Islands Lobster Co.
Continuing the traditional theme, you’ll find yourself kicking back on the docks, at yet another picnic table, watching more lobsterman come and go, and eating yet another delicious lobster roll. What? This is what you came for, right?
1447 Five Islands Rd. | Georgetown | 207.371.2990

06 Billy’s Chowder House
Sometimes you want to enjoy the view from the comfort of a nice bar stool. Not only is this lobster roll truly great, they have a cocktail called The Swamp Thing, which is perfect if you are comfortable drinking out of a large bucket in public.
216 Mile Rd. | Wells | 207.646.7558

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