Tour de New England: A Photo Essay

As kind of a last hurrah before I head off to Europe James and I traveled to my family's house (aka Camp) in Maine for a few days. It turned into a little tour of New England since we then made our way to Boston and Rhode Island, managing to hit every New England state except Vermont. I swear it was an unintentional slight! 

After hitting the road late, we stopped for lunch in Portsmouth, NH which has become something of a tradition for us. If you've never been, Portsmouth is a wonderful seaside town with a ton of delicious restaurants. It reminds me of a smaller Portland. After walking around we decided to hit up an old favorite, The Friendly Toast. It kind of reminds me of the description of Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag because there's a bunch of crazy retro stuff everywhere. James was particularly enamored of a KFC bucket table light. Funnily enough, they have a location in Cambridge that I've never been to. That will be a question on Emily Jepordy.

That sign says Beer and Lunch, btw.

The Gentleman Scramble with cheddar-cayenne toast. When I see avocado as an ingredient, 9 times out of ten I order it. A week later and I am still dreaming of that toast. No, really. 

Finally made it to Maine! 

This is what adults do without cable or internet.

When I was a teenager I went to a giant barn of books somewhere in Maine. It was awesome. I couldn't remember where it was, so when I googled "Book Barn Maine" this place came up. It wasn't the same one, but just as good. 

I mean, come on.

Guess which ones are mine and which ones are James'! That's sexist! My love of Larry Bird rivals Leslie Knope's! (Just kidding about the sexist part. You were totally right.)

Even as I was taking this photo this song was running through my head. I am a walking cliche on so many levels. 

Shore dinner from The Portland Lobster Co.

Next stop: Beantown for a Sox game!

On the way home our cab driver talked about how our hotel was haunted. Subsequently, I woke up in the middle of the night convinced that a ghost was looking at me. It turned out to be the giant mirror in our room. 

I couldn't come to the city without stopping by to say hello!

On to Charlestown, Rhode Island for the 4th!

 My uncle roasted a whole pig, which was delicious but even still....I think I'm off meat for a while.

Aaaaand because I am the best house guest ever I brought Flour's famous sticky buns for breakfast!

Postcard From Maine: I Want To Go Back To There

Well, I'm back from a relaxing but much too short trip up north to Maine. As usual, I found that there wasn't enough vacation in my vacation. James and I just love exploring new places and Maine is, of course, full of wonderful parks and towns to visit.

This was a little deserted beach we found in Sebago Lake State Park. It almost felt like being on some tropical desert island, apart from the cold water and jet skiers nearby.

Then it was on to Two Lights State Park to take in the ocean air.

Despite several previous visits to the Lobster Shack in Two Lights, we had never explored the trails before. What a treat. The views were breathtaking...

 The trails were lovely as well. It almost reminded me of the grounds of an English country estate. 

This is as outdoorsy as I get.

There were these gorgeous stone staircases all over the park.

I may have gone a little overboard.

Towards the end of our trip we met up with some friends in Portland for the night and went on a tour of Shipyard Brewery. Despite my beer-snob friend Kevin's lament ("You're going to that brewery?") it was actually pretty fun and they are not stingy with the beer tasting.

Alicia and James learning about beer. Thrilling.

 It's coming...Pumpkinhead is COMING.

Sniffing the hops!

 We also may have gone a little overboard in the gift shop...

I then found my new favorite lobster roll at dinner courtesy of the Portland Lobster Co. Of course, as is the hallmark of all good vacations, we spent the rest of the evening talking about how we should all move to Portland and how great our lives would be if we did. Just imagine: Beer and lobster for everyone!

17 Hours in Portland

"I'd like the Grabmeat Benedict, please."

The Tom Kha soup didn't work as well as I'd hoped so I spent most of Friday in bed. But Saturday I rallied and took a bus up North to Portland, ME to visit my friend Elizabeth. Portland is fast becoming one of my favorite cities. It's fun, it's cheap, and there's plenty of young men dressed like lumberjacks to keep a gal like me entertained. We hit up a few bars downtown including Dewey's and good ol' Amigos, 'cause nothing says "Saturday night in Portland" like a pitcher of PBR and closing time at the latter.

The next morning we woke up feeling...well, just about how you'd expect to feel after a pitcher of PBR so naturally we needed to brunch it up. Bon Appetit says that Portland is known for its' diners, and obviously if it's in Bon Appetit it must be true. So, we headed to the Miss Portland diner, which is housed in an old train car, just like all good diners should be. I got the Crabmeat Eggs Benedict (not to be confused with Grabmeat) since it seemed appropriately "Maine-y". I always get the Hollandaise on the side, even though 9 times out of ten I end up using all of it anyways. Still, I like to be in control of my sauces.

It was quite a nice Benedict--perfectly poached eggs, flavorful Hollandaise, crispy homefries-- though not the best I've ever had (that distinction is saved for Katy's in Carmel, CA), but still a nice way to cap off a quick jaunt to Portland.

Postcard From Maine: Makin' Whoopie (Pies)

Isn't this the greatest picture you've ever seen???

In addition to the previously mentioned lobster rolls and ice cream, the great state of Maine is also known for their whoopie pies. It's not quite a cake, not quite a cookie, but man....they're good. My Aunt Maura, who headed north over twenty years ago and never looked back, told me that Chipman's in Windham, ME sold the best whoopie pies in the area made by the Bread and More Bakery out of McFalls, ME . Luckily, it also happened to be on the way back to CT, so naturally I stopped and picked one up.

My aunt also happens to be a great baker specializing in 'whoopie pies and cheesecakes', as she put it. I've yet to make a whoopie pie myself, but word on the internet is they're poised to become the next "It" dessert and will finally put cupcakes in their place. This makes sense though because whoopie pies are, in essence, a cupcake sandwich; and we all know how I feel about those....

Whoopie pies are also a fun cupcake alternative with just as much versitility. Red Velvet, Pumpkin, Peanut Butter, and Blueberry-Lemon are just a few of the twists my aunt has made. Here's a recipe for red velvet ones courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens, since that's the kind I would make if I had some free time right now. Instead, I'm too busy writing on this BLOG for YOU.

Postcard From Maine: Ice Cream Edition

One of the edible things I love about Maine is the plethora of in-state ice cream companies: Gifford's, Beal's, Shaine's--it's like no one gives a hoot about two old hippies from Vermont. Frozen custard is also a big deal here. Every other ice cream place seems to serve it. What makes frozen custard well, custard is a bit of egg added into the mixture. It's definitely not for everyone, as it has a distinct flavor and texture. I had some chocolate custard while driving back from the outlets in Freeport. I want to say it was gummy, which is a horrible word to use for something I actually enjoyed, but it definitely has a different consistency than hard ice cream or soft-serve. Taffy-esque? Eh. You get what I mean.

Anyways, in Portland, we indulged in a cherry flip hot fudge sundae from Beal's. The line was out the door even at 9:30, which is always a good sign. Beal's makes super-premium ice cream in all kinds of fun flavors (mmm grapenut). I also liked how they offer a "nut mixture" with their sundaes, not just boring old walnuts.


Then, while in Naples we had Shaine's of Maine. My brother's name is Shane which, when combined with a trip for ice cream, usually results in a bout of this. I had Maine Tracks, which is essentially giant crushed up peanut butter cups surrounded by some ice cream. Even the lady who scooped my cup was amazed: "There's a peanut butter cup in every scoop! It's incredible!" Now, when someone (especially a no-nonsense Mainer) refers to ice cream as incredible, you know you're in for something good. Shaine's of Maine does not disappoint, but cowboys named Shane--well, that's for another post.

Postcard from Maine: The Lobstah Roll Edition

Yeah, yeah, I haven't posted in a while. I was on vacation in Vacationland, also known as Maine, our most Northern state. (I think). Anyways, while I was there I partook in the many time-honored traditional Sullivan family vacation activities: I went to Freeport, home of L.L. Bean, visited Naples to play some pinball, tried desperately to find a Starbucks within 35 minutes of camp, and, of course, I ate a bunch of lobster rolls. You, dear reader, can now benefit from the knowledge and calories I have so selflessly acquired. Behold: The Three Best Lobster Rolls Ever (or, just the three best I had during this trip)...

The Lobster Shack at Two Lights Cape Elizabeth, ME.
Pros: Multi-year winner of "Best Lobster Roll in Portland",
fabulous view of ocean without the added cost.
Cons: Bit of a remote location, lack of indoor seating makes it
primarily a fair weather option.
Freedom Cafe & Public House, Naples, ME.
Pros: Generous portion of lobster and tasty spice combination,
buttery grilled roll, indoor and outdoor seating with nice view of Sebago Lake.
Cons: That piece of lettuce. Bleh.

Dry Dock Restaurant & Bar, Portland, ME
Pros: Nice atmosphere, indoor and porch seating,
good portion for the $$
Cons: Only offers cold lobster roll with lemon...

Now, this list is by no means exhaustive--money for lobster rolls doesn't grow on trees--but, if I had to pick a standout, I'd go with The Lobster Shack. The food is top-notch and you really can't beat the view....