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After our delightfully boozy lunch at the Boathouse we took a scenic drive along the coast of Kennebunkport.
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It’s a beautiful area…
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Wild and windswept.
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With some seriously gorgeous waterfront homes.
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Needless to say it’s a little out of our tax bracket.
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But with President Bush’s summer home at Walker’s Point for neighbors….
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That’s not the least bit surprising.
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I love randomly exploring an area we’ve visited often and stumbling on a new place. Last week it was the Boathouse Hotel and Marina in Kennebunkport.
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The perfect location for a leisurely spring afternoon lunch.
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And in true River style I worked my way down the cocktail menu.
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The Watermelon Sugar to start….
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A Walk of Shame with appetizers. Crab cakes for me, lemongrass ginger mussels for the husband.
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White Lemonade Sangria with a chicken Caesar salad for me, sherry baked haddock for my other half. It was a wonderful meal in a pleasant spot made even better by the friendly couple we met at the bar.
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They were visiting from Wisconsin for a college graduation so we happily gave them some local destination suggestions. Turns out they run a pub of their own in Wisconsin with the same town name as one in Maine.
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The Presque Isle Pub. If you’re ever in the area, stop by and tell them the boozy couple from Maine say hello.
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After a long leisurely stroll around town…
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And along the waterfront…
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It was time for a long over due visit to our absolutely favorite place to eat… The Boat House Bistro. Contrary to its name, it doesn’t sit on the water. And while that might put some visitors off, you don’t go there for the view.
Even at 2:45 on a Saturday afternoon, on a late November day devoid of tourists, the place was packed. First floor dining was full so we climbed up to the bar on the second. (Third floor is only open for outdoor seating in the summer)
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Happily sipping a Cosmo in front of the wine taps (there are two of them, with a total of 8 wines available) I perused the menu and was overjoyed to find my two favorites were still there.
This place has fresh seafood down to an art and I have never had a bad meal.
My appetizer? Spicy Cajun shrimp on cheesy grits with garlic, scallions, tomato and smoky bacon.
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All my life I thought I hated grits. I lived down south for 18 years and never cooked nor ordered them. We moved back to Maine, discovered the Bistro and wham! I’m eating grits and am tempted to lick the bowl. Who knew?
To be honest that appetizer could serve as a meal, it’s pretty rich. But I will never pass up the chance to eat this:
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Perfectly pan seared giant sea scallops on a bed of creamy mushroom risotto with arugula, truffle oil and shaved Parmesan.
I hate to disappoint my husband, but damn.
It’s almost better than sex.
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And speaking of husbands, he ordered a lovely seafood scampi which was bursting with shrimp, sea scallops and lobster.
Meals here aren’t cheap (almost $200 including tip) but you get your money’s worth and I have yet to leave unsatisfied or without a doggie bag.
Dessert?
We didn’t even look.
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The day dawned cool, but clear and sunny so we decided to head for the coast.
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One of our favorite spots is a quaint old fishing village turned tourist mecca.
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Boothbay Harbor is filled with nice shops and galleries and restaurants….
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And off season is the perfect time to stroll across the historic footbridge that connects opposite sides of the harbor.
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The bridge house has long been a tourist favorite.
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And this year there are placards explaining history and points of interest scattered about the town.
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Ol’ Bill sounds like my kind of guy.
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Another new addition to the bridge are a collection of love locks. Boothbay Harbor isn’t Paris, France…but apparently they’re trying.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the vintage hardware store up the road is responsible for this and has laid in a giant selection of locks in anticipation of the trend.
Mainers are nothing if not practical.
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After a beer and hard cider filled morning and early afternoon…. and a less than stellar mid afternoon chowder house lunch with margaritas, I thought we were going home. But my husband realized we were driving up on a friend’s town and gave him a call.
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Enter the Bait Shed restaurant and bar in the Pine Point area of Scarborough…
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Where our friend was sitting and thoughtfully holding seats for us… complete with waiting cocktails.
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I’d never been nor even heard of this place, but a better spot to end the day would be hard to find.
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The ocean breeze was cool, the summer tourists were gone. We had good company, potent drinks, hearty laughs and fresh seafood.
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They don’t take themselves too seriously at the Bait Shed….
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Probably because their establishment really was a bait shed in a previous life.
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It’s the type of place Maine locals avoid like the plague during the season and visit frequently once the outta staters have left the state.
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It’s the type of place where you’ll get a dirty look if you order an espresso martini, but I saw a bowl of chowder go by and damned if it wasn’t the real thing.
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Consisting of 450 oceanfront acres , there are ample opportunities for strolling.
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The resort itself spreads out in various areas with various types of buildings… and gives you a feeling of stepping back in time.
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Individual cottages straight out the 1950’s are across the road from modern condos.
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And everywhere you look there’s something photo worthy.
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The rugged Maine coast is on full display. No wide sandy beaches in this neck of the woods.
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The resort has their own cruise boat and offers scenic tours of the area.
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And naturally my husband had to strike up an hour long conversation with the boat’s captain.
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Ever spent the night in a lighthouse inspired suite? You can here.
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And it’s right across from a moonlit dancing lobster. What more could you want?
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Low tide.
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Another cottage.
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The cove.
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Ahhh…. Maine.
It never fails to lower my blood pressure.
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You head for lunch on the coast.
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And this time we picked Sebasco Resort in Phippsburg.
There are two restaurants on site, but unfortunately the nicer one with the full menu was closed due to Covid era short staffing.
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So we made do with The Ledges pub.
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The outdoor patio area was filled with tourists so we had to sit inside… but the views were just as nice.
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As were the cocktails. Two basil refreshers later, it was time to order.
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We both started with the clam chowder which was good, but I’m a Mainer and quite picky about giving two thumbs up to chowder.
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Husband had a perfectly prepared baked haddock with white wine and butter…
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But my fried scallops were less than satisfactory. The batter was thick and way too crunchy… and Holy Hell, dripping in enough grease to lube two cars and a pick up truck. Blech.
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If I’d been able to open the window I would have fed them to this fellow.
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Thankfully the pub redeemed itself with a nice wild Maine blueberry pie a la mode.
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After our meal we attempted to walk off the pounds.
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To be continued….
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In life, mysteries abound.
And in my state? Sometimes they’re a little odd.
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The duck, as you may have heard, stands some 25 feet tall. It floats in the harbor off of Belfast, a tiny city midway up the Maine coast and south of Bangor, having apparently appeared bobbing in the water there under cover of darkness. As if to overemphasize the message of happy playfulness its creator clearly aims to project, it has the word “JOY” written in big block letters across its big yellow chest. Ropes attached to weights appear to be keeping it anchored in place, as gawkers in boats and along the shore stare at it in wonder. No one knows who put it there, and the mystery surrounding its sudden unannounced arrival has quickly been noticed by news outlets across the country.
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The yellow waterfowl emblazoned with the word “joy” appeared in Belfast Harbor over the weekend, and it’s a mystery who put it there.
Harbor Master Katherine Given told the Bangor Daily News that the 25-foot-tall duck doesn’t pose a navigational hazard, so there’s no rush to shoo it away. She added she heard rumors the duck floated from the town of Islesboro, south of Belfast.
“Everybody loves it,” Given said. “I have no idea who owns it, but it kind of fits Belfast. A lot of people want to keep it here.”
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I tried to get my husband to take a ride up there. But driving an hour and a half to take pictures of a giant rubber ducky was not high on his list of required weekend activities.
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But damn.
Talk about a missed opportunity.
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We took a drive out to Harpswell for a waterfront meal the other night.
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To a great restaurant at one of our favorite locations.
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Dolphin Marina.
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It’s an out of the way place…
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With wrap around coastal scenery.
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Unfortunately it was Saturday night, the tourists were thick and the wait for an outdoor or water view table was over an hour. And if you’ve ever gone out to dinner with my husband, you know that means forgoing the views and eating at the bar.
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I was disappointed, but a few Honey Gin Slippers later?
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Life was good.
Dolphin is famous for their epic blueberry muffins which are served with every meal.
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Luckily my other half didn’t eat his and I had it for breakfast the next morning.
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Dinner started with garlic and white wine mussels for hubby.
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And a lovely lemony Caesar salad for me.
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The husbands Parmesan crusted haddock was tasty but surprisingly thin.
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But my pan seared scallops with basil cream sauce and asparagus on homemade pasta was stellar.
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So if you’re ever in the area, drop in.
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But go off season…. when you can get decent seating and enjoy a better view than the bartender and a row of empty bottles.
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(Extra points for anyone who can name the movie from which I pilfered my post title.)
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It was a lovely drive along the coast…
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And though I would have loved to stop and snap some photos, the husband was hungry… so you’ll have to make do with a few quick shots from the car.
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Here’s the famous Cribstone Bridge.
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And as you’ve probably guessed, lobster reigns supreme.
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This was our destination, Cooks Lobster and Ale House.
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A local landmark built in 1955 on a long spit of land with panoramic water views. Popular with locals and tourists alike (although we locals don’t appreciate the tourist prices) it’s a no fuss, traditionally rustic waterfront restaurant.
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But what it lacks in decor? It makes up in scenic vistas. The view from our table was pretty sweet.
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The cocktails are potent.
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And two Cosmopolitans were all I could handle if I wanted to remain upright.
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Pardon the fuzzy pic, it was taken through a screen.
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The food is simple but delicious. Caesar salad (with the most amazing homemade herb butter croutons evah!) for me, a tasty French onion soup for my other half.
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Perfectly cooked lightly battered fried sea scallops for me….
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And lazy lobster for my rat bastard husband who ate it in front of me without feeling the least bit guilty. (I came up allergic 7 years ago and can no longer consume the delicious crustaceans without becoming seriously ill. 😩)
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Dessert? Of course it was blueberry pie. And as we waddled out to the car… we stopped for a moment to take in the beauty.
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And realized the husband might have backed up a bit too far upon arrival.
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Maine rocks. They’re unforgiving little devils.
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River's world..... 