Maine Eats

Mr. H and I just escaped for a four-day weekend in Maine. He had stumbled upon an article on Yahoo a few months ago about "10 Themed Festivals that you should do before you die." One of them was the annual Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. Both huge seafood lovers, and Maine on our travel bucket list, we decided right then and there to book the trip.

We flew into Boston, rented a car, and drove up to Portland, Maine. We stayed there for two days, feasting on memorable meals at Fore Street and Eventide Oyster Company. The Eventide Lobster Roll with brown butter vinaigrette on a steamed bun quickly became one of the best bites of food that I've had in my life. And, let's face it, I've had A LOT of good food in my life. Seriously, if you find yourself in Portland, don't miss this.

I soaked up the smell of sea in the air, and gorged myself with lobster and oysters at almost every meal. We also did some shopping, picking up some Maine treats to use in the kitchen, and took a tour on the Downeast Duck Adventures to get a lay of the land and Portland's history.

We also managed to find a lobster roll at every turn during the trip. Fine dining, bars, shacks on the side of the road...

I thought that I may actually TURN INTO a lobster roll at one point, but, boy was I happy. My favorite was from the Fisherman's Grill on the side of the road in Portland.

I didn't even know that there are multiple kinds of lobster rolls. It's decided, we both prefer the "Connecticut-style" when the lobster is warmed and in butter instead of chilled with mayo.

After two days in Portland, we headed up the coast to Camden.

We had found a cute, cheap place to rent on Airbnb. It was within walking distance of the town's center and the harbor, and we had a great time exploring this small town while we were there. That included a sailboat ride, with full bar. A Bloody Mary on a sailboat while gazing at views like this...

Life was not rough.

Friday evening, and it was time to get to the Festival. $16 got you a full lobster, ear of corn, roll, and butter for dipping. It's soft-shell lobster season, which means that they can't ship them. Hence the timing of the annual festival. You could literally crack open the lobster claws and tail with your bare hands.

We had a wonderful time feasting on whole lobsters that evening, but we hadn't had enough. Another day, another lobster t-shirt for Mr. H and a another lobster scarf for me. We took this theme seriously. We came back the next morning for the Parade, and lunch at the festival.

That evening, our last in Maine, we dined at Primo Restaurant in Rockland. I was surprised that this little town had a James Beard award-winning restaurant, but I guess that just goes to show you that excellent food has no boundaries.

We got on the road early the next morning to head back to Boston. From Camden, it was about a three and a half hour drive. We got to spend most of the day in Boston, taking a tour and visiting the New England Aquarium.

You can take the girl out of the East Coast, but you can't take the East Coast out of the girl. The smells, sights, history, and food felt like "home" and I loved every minute of it. Cleveland may have my heart now, but I left a piece of it in Maine.

Yes, yes you will.