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Having visited the Batson River in Portland, we took the advice of a stranger and tried the other one in Biddeford.
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It’s housed in a renovated mill complex, on the bottom floor below the Lincoln Hotel.
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Old paper mills abound in the state of Maine and if one has enough money, they make wonderful homes for restaurants, shops and offices.
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Batson River Biddeford clearly had enough green backs.
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The space was large, airy and festively decorated.
As was the cocktail menu.
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As we settled in at the bar, I sampled the Santa’s mule which was fabulously gingerly.
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I read that the Portland location considered it’s vibe “upscale hunting lodge” but it was this venue that had red hatted taxidermy.
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Personally I could do without the dead creatures on the walls…
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But overall it was an attractive place.
For an appetizer I had buttermilk biscuits with herbed butter, hot honey and prosciutto.
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Odd, but it totally worked.
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Husband had the P.E.I. mussels which he said were good, but overpowered by the spicy tomato sauce they were served with.
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Drink #2 was the Angry Elf because you can never go wrong with gin and elderflower.
Needing to visit the restroom, I stumbled on the game room…
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And I have to say the decorators outdid themselves with the unisex bathrooms.
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They were quite something.
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Although I did find the snake and butterfly wallpaper a bit much in the stalls…
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And no, it wasn’t the four cocktails I’d consumed that caused the photo to blur, just low lighting and an iPhone that had a hard time focusing.
Back at the bar, we decided we weren’t hungry enough for individual meals and chose to split the pan seared scallops with roasted vegetables.
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I thought it was lovely, the husband who hates crisp veggies did not.
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We walked around a bit downstairs before leaving…
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And had to chuckle at these two oddly hooded chairs.
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Shortly after these….
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We stumbled into what I’ve since learned was The Collective… an urban underground lounge of the hotel upstairs.
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If we’d had more time I would have gone upstairs and explored this hotel as it’s just been voted one of the best boutique stays in the country.
https://lincolnhotelmaine.com/
Maybe next time…
😉
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River's world..... 
Love those chairs (aka porter;s chairs – I looked it up) – NOT the upholstery of course – that’s just ugly as sin – but the shape? I want one…
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These are in a deserted corner.
Just sayin’….
😉
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😹
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Very cool
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I love the blurry photo… it conveys a nice trippy feel.
I’d love to explore that place IRL.
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It was a great location.
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If you were going to split something, it should have been the Yule Tai. I’d love to drink alcohol out of Santa’s boot!
And no, that is not a weird fetish…
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My husband is not a mixed drink guy.
Though I could have just finished it myself….
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Whoa! That’s a trippy place!
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It was!
👍
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Well look at that! Toilets in Maine are just like they are in Minnesota! We really ARE more alike than we are different.
I notice you “stumbled” on and into a lot. I’m not sure I believe you meant it so innocuously. I think you literally stumbled after all the delicious drinks. I know I would! 😉😂
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I have a pretty high tolerance before I stumble. It comes from years of practice.
😉
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Oh that cocktail menu intrigues me, especially the Kris Kringle! But that wallpaper is…..too psychedelic to be in bar toilets. It’s enough to make someone nauseated. The food looked good as well, and what do you mean the hubs doesn’t like crisp veggies? The man is an enigma I tell you.
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He likes his veggies softer, cooked more than most restaurants do these days. He’s old, what can I say?
🤣
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I like those chairs! Just checked out the link (Thanks) and the hotel rooms are really nice.
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They are. That hotel is worth exploring…
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I liked the look to begin with and preferred it to the other but then the taxidermy and toilets and what followed just seemed too overwhelming. And busy on the eye I’d still visit though.
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It was definitely busy. But interesting everywhere you looked…
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