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Great Eats in Vacationland

A Food Lover's Tour of Central Maine

Since I was three and half years old—the age my daughter is now—I have traveled every summer to a remote part of Maine called The Belgrade Lakes. Being creatures of habit, my family has spent dozens of summers on Great Pond renting the same old-fashioned log cabin. The forest is so thick around the cabin that you can easily sleep in until late morning when the sun finally hits the dock. At night the only sounds are loons calling and the occasional drifting chants from Pine Island Boys' Camp. It is a place with no phone, no TV, no cellphone service. But fabulous food? It's never in short supply.

Last weekend we were vacationing in Maine, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite Northern food destinations. If you are visiting Maine this summer or planning a future trip, here are a few spots you won't want to miss.

The Green Spot
818 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Oakland, Maine, 203-465-2921

From the road, it looks just like a farm stand. But inside this specialty food market run by sisters Brenda and Tanya Athanus, you will encounter the most delectable homemade foods imaginable. Last Thursday we called Brenda at around 3 p.m. to see if she could prepare something for us for dinner. By 5, we were at the Green Spot picking up a giant platter of crusted salmon with a delicious creamy herb sauce on the side and fresh yellow beans, cauliflower and other vegetables trimming the fish. Honestly, It was the best salmon I've ever tasted.

The Athanus sisters make all varieties of homemade pickles (I picked up some pickled peppers), cilantro relish, jams made from the berries in their home garden as well as freshly baked pies and breads. They import sodas from England, stock an incredible selection of cheeses and also have a well-edited wine section. Brenda and Tanya spend winters in France and their wine choices reflect their travels. The homemade ice cream here is so phenomenal that a movie crew that had been filming in Maine one summer got hooked on it and had Brenda send pints on ice by FedEx to Los Angeles. Creme caramel, espresso and vanilla, all are outstanding. Brenda is also a writer and you can read about her culinary adventures at One for the Table.

Slates
167 Water Street, Hallowell, Maine, 203-622-9575

Set on Water Street in Hallowell—an old fashioned main street lined with antiques stores—Slates has a folksy, hippie appeal. It is the type of place that went organic long before it was trendy to do so and where there's always live music. The 30-year-old restaurant has a diverse menu with dishes that take advantage of the local seafood and produce, think Fresh Maine Mussels, Baked Stuffed Haddock and Lobster and Tomatoes served over pasta. The breads, pastas and pies are all made fresh in the adjacent Slates Bakery.

Young's Lobster Shore Pound
4 Mitchell Street, Belfast, Maine, 203-338-1160

I include Young's here because it was the first place I ever tasted lobster (at around age 8) and I will never forget it. This is a no-frills lobster pound and restaurant where you actually pick out your lobster from the tank. You can sit outside at a picnic table and have lobsters and corn on trays without any concern for making a mess. Personally, I think this is the best way to enjoy it. Young's also serves all varieties of seafood and classic chowders and stews. It's a perfect place for a casual family meal.

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