The Inn At Ocean's Edge blog

Do any of these names ring a bell? The Wyeths, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, Louise Nevelson, George O’Keefe? Did you know they are all artists with ties to Maine?

The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland is one of seven in the Maine Art Museum Trail, a loosely associated group of art museums in Maine located within an easy drive of each other. Winslow Homer’s studio has recently been renovated and is now open to the public for tours on Prout’s Neck, a bit south of Portland. The Farnsworth Museum right here in Rockland features “a nationally recognized collection of American art, including works by Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, Thomas Eakins, Eastman Johnson, Fitz Henry Lane, Frank Benson, Childe Hassam, and Maurice Prendergast. Highlights include an extensive collection of Louise Nevelson sculpture. The Museum’s Wyeth Center exclusively features works by Andrew, N.C., and Jamie Wyeth. Two historic buildings—the Farnsworth Homestead and the Olson House—complete the museum complex.”

The museums are open year round.

The bi-annual Harbor Arts and Crafts Show is coming up this weekend, 9/29-9/30. The vendors will set up in beautiful Camden Harbor Park and the library’s amphitheatre for the weekend event. Camden Public Library will also be holding an outdoor book sale.

Maine Made 2012 is a celebration of Maine’s food producers, furniture makers, small manufacturers, artists, artisans, and more, Saturday September 8th 2012 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

This one-day extravaganza is designed to connect consumers directly with producers, showcasing the wide variety and incredible quality of the products Maine entrepreneurs bring to market every day. This will be the largest showcase of Maine-made products in the Midcoast this year!

This event is sponsored by Down East, the Magazine of Maine and organized and promoted through the combined expertise of the Maine Food Producers Alliance and the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Cellardoor Winery of Lincolnville, teams up with local Chef Lani Temple of Megunticook Market to offer a Lobster Lovers Cooking Class on August 31st at 5:30pm.

Learn how to prepare a four-course dinner while incorporating Maine lobster in unique and inspiring ways. Dinner and wine pairings to follow. $75 per person. Advance purchase is required. Please call 207-763-4478 to reserve your space.

And speaking of Lobster Lovers, I recently came across this article in Downeast Magazine about the lovers that lobster actually are. Fascinating read akin to “The Secret Life of Lobsters” by Maine native Trevor Corson.

From EnchantedLearning.com

CAMDEN – To describe the drink menu at 40 Paper as elaborate is to hit the nail on the head. Have a cocktail,a glass of wine, one of a variety of draft beers, or take a flight – a sampling of 3 or 6. Peruse the menu featuring modern Italian cuisine and you won’t be disappointed. The atmosphere is fun and cozy (and not in a real estate sense!), with beautiful decor, lighting and furniture, including couches. The food is genuine, the service is prompt and hardly anything is left to wish for at this relative newcomer in town.

Located just off the busy Route 1, 40 paper is nicely set back, yet still extremely easily accessible on foot on Washington Street, in the Knox Mill. Its irregular awning and patio tables are easy to spot on approach as you turn the corner from Mechanic St, or Tannery Ln onto Washington.

An annual fundraiser for the Camden – Rockport Historical Society, the Camden Cake Walk took place this past weekend. Combining two of my favorite pastimes – walking and eating cake – there was no chance I was going to miss this one. For $20, the participants are invited in to 15 local restaurants and hotels for some tasty treats.
My top highlights – chocolate cheesecake at Abigail’s Inn B&B, a lovely little place with 4 rooms run by a lovely little family.

Mini cupcakes galore by the Camden Cake Lady, Hillary Bousum, at Peter Ott’s Tavern & Steakhouse.

Brownie Toffee Torte with Espresso Mascarpone at Fresh.

The first time I ever walked into Cafe Miranda, the only spot available was at the 4 seat counter. I didn’t know then that they are the best seats in the house.

Kerry Alteiro, owner and chef, keeps a lively conversation with counter diners as he assembles dishes, spins around and sends them into the wood-fired oven. He asks me if I think he should add some more cheese to the dish he’s working on. Who needs dinner and a show when the show is right in front of you? Next to me is a set of Elvis salt and pepper shakers, one of many features of the funky decor in this amazing, eclectic place. Diners come and go, but the place is almost always hopping, and that is no accident.

Kerry grows quite a bit of the produce he uses on his own farm and sources many other ingredients locally. The menu, its diversity and layout, is a big draw. Several pages with names like “Lamb Wowie” and “I Dreamn’t of Jerry” really call for concentration lest you are a regular and know exactly what you’re getting. There’s a story behind every dish – make sure to ask!

It’s fun, entertaining, delicious and memorable. I recommend it with no reservations. Although we do recommend making one ahead of time. Open at 5pm year round. Inquire about special occasions Sunday brunch.

Photo by http://coastalkitchens.blogspot.com/

Francine Bistro – 55 Chestnut St., Camden

It’s not on Elm St (Route 1 through town), so you have to know it’s there. And you have to know it’s there well in advance as it’s often hard to make a last minute reservation. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 – 9. Semi-finalist for the 2012 James Beard Award for Best Chef Northeast and restaurant owner Brian Hill describes the fare, “We try to be really unpretentious. I love to just take these little tricks and apply them to simple, comforting food, and hopefully that comes across as providing a really extraordinary experience.” The menu changes daily and is available only on their website.

Here’s a Frommer’s review that does Francine’s justice: “This place feels more like a French brasserie in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District than a coastal seafood joint — and that’s a good thing. A meal from chef Brian Hill might begin with fish, onion, or lentil soup; a sevicheof halibut, Serrano chiles, and red onions; mussels in Bordeaux and shallots; or skewers of grilled lamb served with white pesto, orange, and endive. What a refreshing wakeup call in a section of coast dominated by fried/baked cod/haddock and lobsters. The night’s entrees might run to roast chicken with a chèvre gratin or a cauliflower-cheese hash; duck a l’orange; a crispy skate wing with Jerusalem artichokes; a roasted sea bass in caramelized garlic sauce; seared halibut with shrimp; a haddock stuffed with scallops; or reliable steak frites. Eat at simple tables from church-pew-like seating.”

April is Maritime History Month, which, of course, is a big deal here in coastal Maine. Maritime industries have long been the essence of life, and while celebrate our history, we can note just how much boatbuilding, fishing and marine transportation are still a big part of our lives.

Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport (about 25 minutes north of here on Route 1) is home to one of the largest archives of historical photographs in Maine, counting more than 100,000 in its collections. Glass plates, negatives, photographs and other media have been professionally assembled into one place. Not only can you view the archives online, in your home and at your leisure, but the museum has made it possible to search the database with keywords.

From the Elmer Montgomery Collection at Penobscot Marine Museum

The Museum houses small crafts, ship models, furniture, tools, art, scrimshaw and photography. The Museum is just a short drive and makes for a great day trip in the summer, when it’s open 7 days a week (Mon-Sat 10-5 and Sun 12-5 at the time of publication).

We didn’t even realize just how many lighthouses are participating in this. The Maine Office of Tourism website did a terrific job showing the lighthouses on a map and providing information on when each is open and its exact location. Here in Lincolnville, we are happily located within 15 minutes of 4 lighthouses (2 are open and reachable). Indian Light in Rockport and Curtis Light in Camden are not open, but still beautiful when viewed from the deck of a boat. The Grindle Point Lighthouse in Islesboro and the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland are open for visitors. It’s a gorgeous 62 degree day and sunny – go and enjoy if you can!

Open Lighthouse Day in Maine 2010