The Inn At Ocean's Edge blog

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.

After arriving on a sunny Sunday morning at 7:55am for an 8am opening  at the Home Kitchen Cafe in Rockland, and finding over a dozen people in line at the door, I realized it’s a must for this series. Home Kitchen Cafe opened less than 3 years ago and skyrocketed to popularity for one simple reason. It is excellent.

Lobster tacos? Check. “Sinny” sticky buns? Check. Awesome local coffee from Rock City Roasters down the street? Check. Lovely, vibrant decor and friendly staff? Check!

The menu is long and varied and the only thing the dishes have in common is that they are all really delicious. Between my partner in crime and me, we have tried everything on the menu since Home Kitchen opened in 2009. The gyro, the ruben, the Home Schooled fish tacos, the Last Bohemian salad – ah, I can’t even write anymore. Must. Drive. To Rockland. Now.

But don’t go on Tuesday. They’re closed. You will be incredibly sad to show up on a Tuesday forgetting this fact, trust me. Open Wed – Mon, 7am – 3pm, 8-2 on Sunday.

PS If you sit at the counter, you can watch them hand press the corn tortillas.

A lovely new bistro opened in Camden last year and has continued to evolve into a great dining option. Outdoor seating, live music and a fantastic menu – what’s not to love? Tucked away at Bay View Landing, Fresh is right in the heart of Camden. A couple of other restaurants have tried their hand in this location over the last several years, but Fresh is poised to stay. They’ve done a beautiful renovation job, creating a pleasant, beautiful atmosphere: flowery curtains, white tablecloths, granite bar and a superb staff. Happy Hour is “open to 6pm” with $3 beer, $5 cocktails and $1.50 oysters. The seasonally changing menu is both familiar and innovative, a Mediterranean twist on New England cuisine, served Thursday – Monday and features items like glazed and grilled rack of lamb, bouillabaisse, and Maine lobster ravioli.

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.”

A beautiful clear, mild day arrived this morning over the Inn.  Penobscot Bay is sparkling in the morning light.  The smell of fresh malted waffles wafts through the halls at the in this morning.  In the pub there is the steady hum of breakfast activity.

Thus marks the closing of a fantastic destination wedding.  Last night, right in the living room Dominik and Samantha exchanged their vows!

The couple hosted their reception in the pub and the festivities rolled right into the new year!

Congratulations Dom and Sam!

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The Camden International Film Festival returns for its sixth season in October 2010. The festival will once again shine the spotlight on works that show dedication to craft and a unique and artistic approach to telling a darn good story. All films are selected because of their ability to arouse discussion on documentary film as an art form, a catalyst for change and as an outlet for the independent voice.

Each year CIFF takes over multiple venues throughout three coastal towns in Maine. Nestled against the mighty Atlantic during fall’s explosion of color, the festival becomes a unique setting to experience the very best in international documentary film. Accompanying the screening of nearly fifty features and shorts are Q&A’s with directors and producers, the Points North Documentary Film Forum, musical concerts, interactive and video art installations, parties, panels and an opportunity to connect with eager audiences and industry leaders in an extremely intimate setting.

The third annual Lincolnville Fall Festival will return to
Lincolnville Beach on Saturday, October 2nd from 9am to 3pm. This
year’s main attractions will be two giant inflatable slides that will
be ready for children’s play from 9am to 3pm. One slide is a 35’ tall
sabretooth tiger slide, and the other is a 30’ by 60’ obstacle course
called Rat Race. Both inflatables are sure to be crowd pleasers. At
10:30am, a  scarecrow-themed parade will roll down Route One featuring
the Lincolnville Band, the Anah Shrine Go-Karts, life-size Shoestring
Theater Puppets, as well as antique autos, floats, lawn tractors,
bikes, fire trucks and more. All are welcome to participate! Starting
at 11am, there will be a treasure hunt on the beach, a cake walk, and
an amazing balloon artist, plus bake sales, food concessions, and more
throughout the day. It truly is a fall celebration for the whole
family! Cellardoor Winery’s Vinfest – Vinfest 2010, our annual fall harvest celebration takes place Saturday, October 2 and includes a full day of a stellar array of food, wine, music and activities. Enjoy grape stomping, a homemade wine competition (call for details and registration), volunteer grape harvesting adventure in the vineyard, grape crush demonstration, face painting, live animals, hula hooping demonstrations, scarecrow decorating contest, wine tastings, lunch prepared and served by Riverfront Barbeque & Grille of Augusta, live music all day, farm stands, hot air balloon rides, ferris wheel rides, cooking demonstrations, model T rides, antique tractor display, puppets by the Shoestring Theater, Local artisan fair,  and many other great activities.

Artists and craftspeople representing several states and media display and sell their work in this 24th annual juried show. Peak fall foliage provides a breathtaking backdrop! Presented by the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce.

Just a few more days to get your Kitchen Tour ticket for the pre-sale price of $25. A day of touring beautiful kitchens and dining on delictable treats for $25, what a deal!

Stop in at any one of these local shops to buy your ticket: CAMDEN: Once a Tree, Party Fundamentals, Stonewall Kitchen; ROCKPORT: The Market Basket; ROCKLAND: Atlantic Baking Company; LINCOLNVILLE: Dot’s Market; BELFAST: The Good Table; WALDOBORO: The Well Tempered Kitchen.

You can also call the Merryspring office, (207) 236-2239, to reserve a pre-sale priced ticket to be picked up on the day of the tour.