Hey there BA's. Headed up this way for a family vacation soon. Wanted recommendations on good food and beer in the area as well as places to stay and visit. I understand Cadillac Mountain and the Arcadia Park are must visits! I saw some threads on this but I find a new thread almost always gets some good updates. thanks in advance!
If you don't already have a place to stay, you're probably going to have a bad time. Tends to book up quickly up there. When I was up there we ate breakfast 4 or 5 times at a place called 2 Cats, super great biscuits and strawberry butter. I can't remember anything else but everything was good. Mostly grilled for dinner. The Jordan Pond house was excellent though, it's in the Park. They make handmade ice cream and they have popovers, which frankly i cannot describe to you without getting Banned. I highly recommend. Beers: Thunder Hole Ale and Cadillac Mtn Stout were my favorites. As per usual, your experience may vary. One last thing, totally serious on this, DO NOT GO on the whale watch.
Check out Blaze in BH, best selection of craft beer and great wood-fired food. They had RuinTen and Bigfoot on tap about a week ago. For bottles hit Global Beverage in Ellsworth on the way in, you might even find some Cantillon on the shelves. For breakfast I'm partial to the "this way cafe" and they have beer too (can't speak for the selection) *a note of caution, don't leave anything in your car you don't want stolen anywhere on MDI, or even an empty mount for GPS on your windshield. A smashed window and stolen personal items really sucks the life out of a vacation.
I did the Atlantic Brewing tour in Bar Harbor, which was worthwhile, but I was staying in Southwest Harbor so for a bottle shop I relied upon the Liquor Locker: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/11640
Skip Atlantic Brewing tour - bad beer, mess you up. ... Havana has great food, but you might spend a few extra bucks there. ... Definitely swing by Belfast to Marshall Wharf for beer.
If you're looking for a nice dinner, I'd recommend McKay's Public House - great food, and a solid (mainly local) beer list, which included Lunch when I went last summer. If you head to the quiet side at all, I'd second the Liquor Locker recommendation for a bottle shop, and would recommend Thurston's Lobster Pound as well - a bit off the beaten track, but a welcome break from the more crowded parts of Mt. Desert. Have a great trip!
Commute: If you're taking Route 1 (rather than I95 to Bangor), Oxbow is only 15min out of your way... A must-hit if you're taking the coastal/scenic route - Just break off in Wiscasset. And can't agree more with the Marshall Wharf suggestions... Tasting room open all afternoon for samples/growlers, but bar doesn't open until 4pm. On the Island: If you're over in Southwest Harbor at all, I actually like a place called "Sips" (http://www.sipsmdi.com/) - Definitely more of a wine bar, but there's always some solid beers available. Breakfast: We always do Jordans in Bar Harbor (http://www.jordanswildblueberry.com/ordereze/default.aspx). Great Diner full of locals and tourists, and they open EARLY for after your sunrise on Cadillac... Get the blueberry anything. Camping: We've never had a problem with theft - I'd recommend locking valuables in your car when you're not around (as I would for camping anywhere), but it's never been an issue.
It was for us, in Southwest Harbor even. Fernald Rd near the Flying mtn trailhead. The cheif of police said they come to MDI just to prey on tourists, then the goods wind up in pawn shops in Bangor and even Portland. Luckily all the beer was back at the campground.
I second, McKay's Public House, I go there almost every year. Great food and awesome beer list. In July they had Allagash FV13 on draft which was awesome. They also had Marshall Wharf cans on the menu but had sold out when I tried to order. Right next door to McKay's is House Wines which is a wine/beer store and they have a small beer selection but included cans of Marshall Wharf, Maine Beer Co Lunch and other good stuff. Enjoy the trip!
I had an incredible lobster at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound.. they have various mundane NE brews.. but the lobster is stellar!
If you like small soft shell lobsters, no need to trek around the island for a lobster pound, just pick one of the restaurants in town that has a twin lobster special - kind of hard to f up boiled lobster (plus soft shells are already f'ed up to begin with imo. lol). But for bigger lobsters seek out a lobster pound - again, pretty much just pick one of the popular ones and get there early to avoid lines. Steamers are totally delicious in ME too - I'm starting to prefer those over lobster these days. If its your first time on MDI, go check out all the sites and the sunrise at Cadillac mountain. Pay the fee to drive that section of park road or grab the island explorer bus. I always had a good time at Rupununi - sit outside and people watch or at the bar. Never had dinner, but we usually get apps and salads before heading somewhere else for a meal and its been good. Always something on tap or in the bottle that I wanted to drink and last time I was there JW Lees was still ridiculously cheap (less than retail). Used to have the widest/best selection of craft beers to pick from, appropriate glassware, and somewhat knowledgeable bartenders - don't know if that is still the case. For breakfast Jordan's is good for basic diner style local flavor and open early in the morning. 2 cats is a bit nicer and the biscuits with that strawberry butter is really good. Cafe this way is a good alternative too if 2 cats wait time is too long for you. I always enjoyed spending a few hours on a Saturday afternoon at Atlantic grazing on bbq (won't win any competitions, but still pretty tasty) and I always enjoy the Real Ale and Coal Porter. I've been to BH maybe a dozen times or so but haven't been since my first child was born, when the second can sit in the car for a few hours, I'll get back up there.
