When you hear “Maine,” what’s the first type of food you think of?
I’m willing to bet it isn’t blueberries.
Based on my experiences, seafood restaurants are among the most difficult places to find vegetarian options. And, in Maine, where seafood dominates, that makes things pretty tricky.
You guys, the state is so lobster-obsessed there is real lobster ice cream!
(My dad was brave enough to try it and he said it was “interesting.” Apparently it’s the most requested sample, but the least requested scoop!)
With all the seafood, it was a pleasant surprise when I was able to not only eat, but actually eat some new-to-me, delicious foods!
Here were some of my favorites from the week…
Traditional Popovers
The Jordan Pond House is the only restaurant located inside of Acadia National Park. As such, there was a long waiting list. It was worth it, though, for the views and food. I could have made a full meal of the popovers!
Any kind of popover I’ve had in the past is just a distant cousin of these true, traditional rolls. Each one was light, doughy and delicious when smeared with butter and jam.
Wild Blueberries
After a simple salad for lunch at Jordan Pond House, we wandered closer to the water to hand-pick our dessert: wild blueberries.
Fresh from the bush, they were perfectly sweet.
Fun fact: Maine produces 99 percent of blueberries in the United States!
Fantastic Fresh Ingredients
Even though many of my meals were ordinary by most measures — basic combinations, standard preparations — they transformed into memorable meals because of high-quality, fresh ingredients.
Everywhere we went, there seemed to be signs for organic farms or local products. There was even a stand just down the street for us that sold homemade jams, fresh bread and vegetables.
Because of all the great ingredients, I didn’t mind having sandwiches most days of the week. I actually craved them!
My very favorite sandwich came at the end of the week: tempheh with sweet mustard and cucumber relish on rye bread.
I want to recreate it at home — even though the view won’t be as great.
The Desserts
Even though the wild blueberries were sweet enough on their own, I had no problem with sampling some blueberry cobbler, apple pie and other treats… On a daily basis.
Just about every restaurant had some version of a blueberry dessert. My dad loved the blueberry pie from the Quietside Cafe.
Meanwhile, my sister enjoyed the blueberry crepes from another local restaurant. (<<The blueberry sauce was amazing!)
My favorite blueberry dessert of the week was a crisp à la mode from a restaurant in Southwest Harbor.
In between all the blueberry desserts, there were plenty of other treats…
The nerd in me probably liked dessert from Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream the best. President Obama visited the shop while he was in town and it’s consistently listed among the best in the country.
The POTUS went with coconut. I opted for chocolate and raspberry crumble.
Still, my favorite dessert of the week was from the Quietside Cafe, where my dad got the blueberry pie. I just couldn’t resist the caramel- and nut-topped apple pie.
It may be the best I’ve ever had — and I take my apple pie very seriously.
For the record, my family enjoyed a couple of lobster dinners. There’s a boom right now, so the per-pound price is the lowest it’s been in years.
All in all, it was a delicious trip!
