Maine is a tourist state and while natives understand the economy’s need for visitor’s dollars, it doesn’t mean we enjoy all our favorite spots being too crowded to enjoy while they’re here.
Hence “shoulder season”.
That glorious month after summer but before leaf peeping when there’s not a tourist to be found.
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Case in point?
The Dockside Grill in Falmouth.
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You can’t squeeze your way in here during high season… but right now?
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A raspberry thyme Rickey and ocean view can be savored in peace.
I love a good craft show. People can be incredibly clever and creative and I like coming home with handmade treasure.
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So when I heard there was a show at Laudholm Farms on the Wells Estuary we took a drive down the coast even though it was overcast, drizzling rain and foggy.
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It was an amazing show and all the craftspeople were under cover, be it tents or barns.
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The problem?
I was expecting to find crafts and what I found was art that usually resides in galleries. There was amazing jewelry, fabulous paintings, unique pottery, intricate woodworking and stunning metalwork. Unfortunately I didn’t plan on spending $1,800 on a pair of silver earrings or $6,000 for some stained glass.
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The artists have a very strict no photography rule so these giant outdoor pieces were the only things I could sneak a shot of.
And while the items we saw were beautiful, the cost of the things I wanted reached $15,000 before we were halfway through.
Needless to say I left empty handed.
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No, I didn’t even consider pickle body lotion.
Our next stop was for a late lunch/early dinner at a local landmark, the Bull and Claw.
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This restaurant has been in operation since 1973 and to be honest I don’t think it’s been redecorated since the 1980’s.
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Plastic tablecloths, plastic duck decoys, artificial flowers … I wasn’t holding much hope.
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But my cranberry margarita was decent and cheap and the menu was large.
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Husband attacked the soup and salad bar with good results.
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And we were pleasantly surprised to find our meals flavorful, well prepared and more than amply sized. Medium rare prime rib and stuffed shrimp with baked potato and broccoli for me, turkey dinner with mashed potato, stuffing and broccoli for the husband.
Our bill was well under a hundred dollars and though the atmosphere was dated and more than a little kitschy, I honestly wouldn’t mind going back.
One of our mainstay restaurants when we drive up the coast to Damarriscotta is King Eider’s.
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A favorite of tourists and locals alike, it’s become a landmark.
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Located in an old, small brick building it’s tiny but mighty.
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Like its cocktails.
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I had the top listed selection, but are we really doing the second?
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Apparently, yes.
We are.
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I always order the crab cakes as they’re advertised… and always used to be… the best. This trip? Not so much. Hard, over cooked and over breaded. The husband’s giant mussels were the better choice.
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Husband’s broiled haddock? Huge, plentiful and perfectly prepared.
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My braised duck sandwich (when in Rome) with chopped apples, dried cranberries and melted cheddar? Dry and tasteless with barely a hint of the promised fruit.
Working up an appetite walking around the lighthouse made us more willing than usual to try an unassuming little local spot for lunch.
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Yes, it was called the Happy Clam.
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And to be honest, he did look happy … so we ducked inside.
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The raspberry frozen daiquiri? Awful.
Clearly the clam wasn’t drinking that.
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Seeing the German flag proudly displayed out front and learning that the owner’s wife hailed from there, I took a chance on the schnitzel fingers appetizer.
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And oh my…
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Was I ever glad I did. Perfectly cooked, light and flavorful with the most delicious mushroom and thyme sauce. I haven’t had any this good since my Austrian mother passed away.
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Husband went with a puréed lobster bisque which was equally as good.
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And though I felt like I should have ordered the aforementioned bivalves, I opted for a fabulous crabmeat roll instead.
Totally stuffed, we stepped out of there happy as the namesake clam.
Until my husband spotted a yard sale…
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And bought a fistful of old wooden hangers and rulers.
And since my husband was enjoying telling people about his treasures so much?
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We sold on Sunday as well.
The sale was a resounding success with many people complimenting us on its cleanliness, its organization and the diversity of items offered.
Yay us.
It was a massive amount of work, but it paid off.
And I mean that literally.
We made $2,249 over the course of three days!!
💰💰💰
Yes, you read that correctly. We raked in more than twenty two hundred dollars for… nothing! No expensive electronics, no gold jewelry and the only furniture we sold was a wicker chair for $20. To say I was astounded is an understatement. I was expecting maybe $400.
If there’s anything better than people coming to your home, paying you for things you no longer want and taking them away? I don’t know what it is.
Color me pleased.
❤️
Pockets stuffed with cash, we broke down the sale at 3:00pm. I filled the car with my unsold items that were destined for donation while the husband packed his unsold treasures in boxes and returned them to the cellar. No, he wouldn’t donate any of his things.
Miracles only go so far.
😉
We showered, dressed and headed to one of our favorite restaurants for a well deserved meal.
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Royal River Grille never disappoints.
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Best clam chowder around and I was so hungry I only photographed it when I was through. The husband had lobster bisque but I didn’t photograph that either.
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My cocktail was a blueberry lavender cooler – blueberry infused vodka, lavender simple syrup, lemon juice, lavender bitters and lemonade.
My dinner was a delightfully flavorful panko crusted haddock with crispy leek and charred scallion aioli on garlic Parmesan mashed red potatoes with honey truffle toum sauced green beans.
Heaven!
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The husband had a barrel cut filet mignon with the Parmesan mashed potatoes and a sinfully rich creamed spinach.
We rolled out of there stuffed and satisfied.
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Past the dead fish metal sculptures that flank the entry…
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And a weirdo Finnish half speedboat/half cabin cruiser. Top speed 48 knots. They go for about $450k if you’re interested.
There’s a restaurant under the black awning in this corner building in downtown Augusta.
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It’s a place my husband continually thinks he likes, but really doesn’t.
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I love that their beer is tapped in an old copper still.
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And while the pomegranate margarita was killer, I admit their version of hushpuppies was not.
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We’ve been here a few times and because I enjoy barbecue, I liked my meal.
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Half a dry rubbed chicken, sweet potato fries, slaw and jalapeño cornbread.
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My husband on the other hand complained his (very tender and flavorful) ribs didn’t have enough meat, his beans weren’t New England style, his slaw was too dry and his cornbread too spicy.
He doesn’t really like barbecue, but always thinks he does… no matter how many times I tell him he won’t be pleased.
Short memory, or stubbornness? Either way it will probably be another year before he suggests going out for barbecue again.
After we visited the delightfully quirky Calefs General Store in New Hampshire last week, we were hungry for lunch. Not being familiar with the area we asked the ladies who worked there for a recommendation.
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They directed us to Dante’s, an Italian restaurant we were assured was popular, crowded and always delicious.
Unassuming from the outside…
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And not at all crowded on the inside, I was beginning to doubt the review.
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The bar is always my husband’s preferred seating choice and since it was completely empty, we got started.
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I like arincini, but have never in my life been served any this large.
Seriously, they were the size of tennis balls.
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Almost as big as my blood orange and vodka spritz.
Shame they were cold in the middle and virtually tasteless. If they’d been tasty I could have eaten them as a meal.
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This was supposed to be ravioli carbonara, but instead of pancetta they used ham and instead of garlic there were large chunks of onion.
The portion was huge, but again… rather tasteless.
Vowing never to return to this disappointing place, we noticed a woman walking out of a doorway adjacent to the bar with a brush and a can of hair spray.
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Turns out it’s a hair salon.
Right there.
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And next to the hair salon? A fitness center.
It was a regular one stop shop!
You could work out, blow out and pig out all in the same building.
After walking around the clam festival for a few hours we were hungry, but not for fried clams. Seems counter intuitive, I know… but the stomach wants what the stomach wants.
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We drove to the next town, Falmouth… and found one of our favorite spots positively deserted.
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Having no problem finding a seat at the bar I sampled a Melano Fizz. This consisted of cucumber-infused vodka, melon liqueur, italicus apertivo, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice.
In a word? Yum.
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My go to appetizer here is the crab arancini.
Husband went with the lobster bisque …
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Which was lovely and loaded with lobster but served in one of those ridiculously small bowls made to look large.
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Toddy number two was the hibiscus berry sangria.
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Nice, but not nearly flavorful enough for me.
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My meal was a wonderful carbonara with fresh pasta and grilled chicken. It was so good I paid no attention to my husband’s meal and failed to photograph it. My bad.
On our drive home?
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Cow!
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Cow, on a rock…
Who didn’t appreciate her meal being interrupted by the paparazzi.
Did I mention Otto’s By The River was a funky little restaurant?
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I think their furniture proves it.
But aside from lovely cocktails and the owner trying to make my husband vomit (see previous Otto post), the reason we’ll go back is the food.
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My crab dip was literally one of the best I’ve ever had… and I love crab. I’ve had a few.
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The husband’s butternut squash soup? Thick, hearty and a meal unto itself.
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Butterfly pea tea lemonade? Tasty and pretty.
I forgot to photograph my chicken Caesar wrap but it was equally as good as the special my husband plowed through.
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A perfectly cooked venison filet with mushroom and caramelized onions, garlic mashed and green beans. To say we were too full for dessert is an understatement, we positively waddled out the door.
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Next to this fabulous building.
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It was a post office, then a state government admin site … but now it’s for sale. A developer is thinking of making it into condos that would go for $750k each.
Must be nice.
But hey, for that price at least you get a great view of the sturgeon.
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Though not all of them look thrilled at the prospect.
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🤣
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