Yes, I’ll Have the Lobster

We went to Maine for a very much needed break at the end of September. I loved it! The weather was blustery, sunny most days and in the 60s. Glorious. While we were there I saw in my weather app that back home in Atlanta it was 96 degrees. *snorts* Sure glad we missed that.
(Above you see the ornaments I scored on the trip. A lobster, of course, plus a jolly Santa head with vintage charm.)

*Now entering Memory Lane* 20 years ago me and my Schmoop took a driving tour through New England to leaf peep and briefly looked in on Maine. Ah, look at us two below. Such young’ns. I was pregnant with our youngest and remember feeling hungry the whole trip.

*Zoom* back to 2024. This time we took a longer look at Maine with a big, fun family group. We stayed a week in picturesque York Beach and made day trips all around. Lovely lovely lovely scenes of clapboard houses with color pop doors and pumpkins everywhere, immaculate landscaping with flowers and hostas galore, and rocky splashy coastal vistas with historic light houses perched everywhere you looked (pardon me head lights because now I know). It was 100% charming and a balm for my soul.

I learned that I am very much a hot butter lobster roll person and not a cold mayonnaise lobster roll person. I ate lobster in every possible iteration. I adore it. Oh, except a whole lobster. I tried that 20 years ago and I concluded 1) too much work, and 2) high risk of losing appetite by accidentally exposing a green snotty substance.

We even took a little lobster boat tour near Walker Point and I learned all about my favorite delicious sea creature. I myself temporarily banded the claws of a hapless lobster who I shall call Briny. He did not seem thrilled, but I shall treasure our brief friendship always. Hello to wherever you are in the bay waters, Briny. *Briny swings at me*

I did manage to eat some things that were not lobsters. What luck to be traveling with folks who, like me, enjoy eating their way through a new place. May I recommend Maine Diner for a nice stack of blueberry pancakes and maple syrup? And the dark chocolate cinnamon sugar one at Holy Donuts. I can’t remember eating a more delectable burger than the one I scarfed down at Wild Willy’s, where I also tried poutine fries. Interesting. Southern folks don’t usually combine their fries with cheese curds and gravy. If you have the good fortune to be driving home from Acadia through Bangor, do yourself a huge gastric favor and devour anything at The Butcher The Baker. We had the beef carpaccio, chicken and waffles, and fennel sausage in puff pastry and kept exclaiming aloud to one another as we stuffed our faces. Every bite just so delicious. If you find yourself in Kennebunkport go to Alisson’s and have the vegan roasted veg bowl with salmon, then walk across the square and acquire an iced cafe Americano from the affable baristas at Dock Square Coffee House. Best coffee I had the whole week and it was $3.

Thank you, Maine, for your idyllic scenery and your delicious lobsters and blueberry pie. We are fans. Hold the mayo.