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Steve Corry was recently named one of the top ten best new chefs according to Food and Wine Magazine.  If you happen to live in Maine or New England for that matter you can check out his restaurant five fifty-five (I assuming it is named for it’s address 555 Congress Street, probably a good guess, right?).  The menu has many options for all palates.  I am hoping to get reservations soon and check it out.  I am really interested in trying the caramelized cauliflower-mascarpone soup and the winter vegetable “wellington”.  The prices aren’t too bad with the most expensive dish coming in at $27.95 (not including the caviar prices).  I can’t wait to give it a try.  Who doesn’t love going into Portland to get a good meal?  If you have never been to Portland, then I would say you should come and visit, especially in the summer.  If you want to go to the website and check it out, please click on the logo above.

I’ll admit it’s been a while since I have been to the Sunrise Grill in Kittery, Maine, but when I lived in the area I went there every weekend.  This tiny little place is easy to miss on your trip up Route 1, but definitely worth the stop.  It’s a cute little cafe that serves breakfast and lunch daily.  On the weekends you may have a little bit of a wait, but not too long. 

I loved the breakfasts that Sunrise Grill serves.  My favorite on was called “Tigger’s Breakfast”.  This breakfast combo came with free juice, a bowl of oatmeal, wheat toast, and a fruit cup for $7.00.  They also serve other breakfast combos (all come with free juice, coffee is extra), muffins, toast, eggs, pancakes, waffles, and all the usuals.  The atmosphere is typical Maine, funny and irreverent.  The wait staff is friendly and quick.  This is not a fancy place, but definitely worth a visit.  They serve freshly baked muffins and have daily specials.  They also serve lunch until 2 pm everyday.(Typical American fare with lots of sandwiches.)

182 State Rd. Kittery, Maine

Eggspectation is a restaurant with locations in the US, Canada, and India.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.  I have been to Eggspectation for breakfast and lunch.  Both meals were quite good.  The breakfast menu is extensive as one would expect from the name of the restaurant.  They serve really great breakfast smoothies, although be forewarned they are quite pricey.  The smoothies make a great treat every once and a while.  They are made with fresh fruits and fresh squeezed juices.  I highly recommend the tropical teaser, it has mango, pineapple and banana mixed with orange juice, yummy!  The breakfast goods are good.  They do everything from the usual eggs and bacon to fancy crepes and a number of different eggs benedict dishes.  They have something for every taste.  The lunch menu is quite extensive with burgers, sandwiches, and salads.  The lunch and dinner menus are sorely lacking in vegetarian options. 

On the weekend the lines can be quite long for breakfast.  Expect a wait, especially if you have a big party with you.  It is much less busy at lunch. 

The restaurant is large with a little bit a of a warehouse feel to it.  The seating is comfortable, if you can I would recommend sitting in one of the booths.  At the Eggspectation here in Maine you can sit outside during the summer months.

Serving: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

Vegetarian Options: Few on the lunch and dinner menus, more on the breakfast menu

My husband and I went to Boston a couple of years ago for Valentine’s Day. It was one of those bitter cold winters in New England and we ventured out into the -25° temperatures to find breakfast with only one pair of mittens between us.  I am not making this up, we lost one of the two pairs of mittens we had along the way, so we both put one mitten on and put our other hands in our pockets.  It was quite a visit, but we still enjoyed ourselves.  We were staying near Government Center, where Kinsale is located.  We were both happy to find a place open for brunch on that blustery Sunday.  We got lucky that the restaurant we found was great!  In fact, we went back the next day for breakfast again. 

Kinsale does a special Sunday brunch with the all the usuals including breakfast sandwiches, omelets, and french toast.  They also serve special drinks like mimosas.  The french toast was made with brioche bread and served with orange marmalade.  I really love marmalade, so this dish was great for me.  The french toast wasn’t too eggy, like it tends to be when you order it in restaurants.  The pancakes were also excellent with blueberries and ricotta cheese.  My husband really enjoyed the restaurant.  The pub was built in Ireland and brought stateside.  It is truly a beautiful place, warm and cozy with a nice atmosphere.  During the summer months you can eat outside at one of the sidewalk tables.  You can also catch some live music here. 

They serve lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast.  The prices are what you would expect in Boston, not really pricey, but not as cheap as you can find in the suburbs. 

Vegetarian Options: Yes, although not an extensive list

Serving: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

2 Center Plaza - Government Center - Boston

Web address - http://www.classicirish.com/kinsale_menu.html

If you ever have the chance to visit the White Mountain region in New Hampshire, then I highly suggest you do.  Fall is a particularly beautiful time of year, but all the seasons are great in this area.  There are a number of activities including hiking, biking, and skiing.  Many tourists visit this area and there are a number of restaurants that cater to them. 

Scarecrow Pub & Grill in Intervale is an inexpensive place to grab a bite to eat or a drink.  Scarecrow is not a fancy restaurant, hence the pub in the title.  This is not to say that the food is not good.  The prices are great.  They serve a bunch of options including Italian and American dishes.  I really enjoyed my baked manicotti’s and garlic bread.  The American foods include the typical choices like burgers and fries.  They also serve some good old fashioned desserts at a great price.  If you don’t want to have to pay the usually high prices in the White Mountains, then this is a good place to visit.  A word to the wise, the last time I visited they were only taking cash payments, although that may have changed.

Vegetarian Options: Yes

Serving: Lunch and Dinner

So let’s get back to Bar Harbor, I want to finish up yesterday’s post on eating in Bar Harbor.  One place I love to go and grab a breakfast is Cafe This Way.  They also do dinner, although I have to admit I have never been for dinner.  The breakfasts are fantastic. (If you have a vegan with you, then I highly recommend the breakfast aptly named, The Vegan)  The vegan breakfast is a great tofu scramble with mushrooms, onions, broccoli and potatoes served with unbuttered toast.  They also do oatmeal, granola, eggs benedict, monte cristos, pancakes, etc.  You can even get some of the usual breakfasts with vegetarian bacon or sausage.  The dinner menu, which I have not sampled is equally as eclectic.  They serve everything from lavish bread pizza to tofu scallops to surf and turf.  This is a great place to check out if you are mixed eating family, as your vegetarian and vegan party members won’t feel odd with plenty of choices for them to eat on the menu.  The breakfasts are relatively cheap at $4.95 to $7.25.  The dinners are priced like other local restaurants at $10 to $18 a plate. 

Vegetarian Options: Yes, many on both menus (even vegan options)

Serving: Breakfast and Dinner with extended summer hours

One of my favorite places to visit in the world is Bar Harbor, Maine.  I have had the chance to stop into many places on my visits to this quaint little town.  Here’s a rundown of some of my Bar Harbor favorites.  Like many coastal towns in New England, Bar Harbor has a number of little restaurants and shops to visit.  If you are ever lucky enough to stay at the Bar Harbor Inn, then I would suggest doing so.  This place is pricey, but it has wonderful views of Frenchman Bay.  Each season they offer packages that include room, breakfast, and dinner, and other add bonuses.  I got the opportunity to go there for one of these packages and it was one of the nicest places I have stayed.  So now on to the food.  The dinner at the Bar Harbor inn is formal, but the dress code is not.  When we visited we had the roasted red pepper raviolis in a cream sauce.  It was delicious.  The pasta was clearly handmade and the sauce was delicate and not too garlicky.  They also serve the classics that people have come to expect in New England, lobster, steak, scallops, etc.  The dinners come with a choice of appetizer, main course, dessert and drinks.  The dinner was excellent, but my favorite meal had to be the Sunday brunch.  It was so delicious.  They had the biggest display of fresh fruit I have ever seen.  They also had fresh baked goods, pancake, omelet, and waffle stations.  All the things you would usually expect with a brunch.  The staff is extremely friendly and the views of Frenchman’s Bay are stunning.  It looks like a pinkies up kind of place, but feel free to wear your blue jeans and a T-shirt, they don’t care.

One place I always visit on my trips to Bar Harbor is the Opera House Cafe.  This little hole in the wall cafe is a relaxing place to unwind.  The coffee bar serves the usual drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and espresso.  They also have tea and hot chocolate.  The thing that makes this place really unique is the atmosphere.  When you walk in the signs tell you that snacks are help yourself, it’s the only coffee shop I have ever been to that has an honor system.  You pay for everything when you leave.  It’s a really fun little place, there are board games everywhere.  It’s very clear that they want you to stay a while.  On my first visit there I accidentally left my purse at one of the tables, I called back the next day frantic.  They had placed it behind the counter, awaiting my call.   

There are lots more places to talk about and I don’t want to drag this piece on too long, so check back tomorrow for part two of my Bar Harbor eats posts.

Newburyport, Massachusetts is an adorable little town with quaint shops and this beautifully lit walkway on the waterfront (on the Atlantic Ocean).  My husband and I started going to Newburyport when we moved to Southern Maine years ago.  One of the places we enjoy visiting is Caffe di Siena.  Granted this cafe is not a restaurant, it is a coffeehouse, I thought I would review it anyway. 

This coffeehouse has a pretty good sized dessert case.  I love the way this place is decorated.  The walls have murals of Italian scenes and are decorated with arches.  The cafe is small, warm, and intimate.  It’s a nice place to crash after a busy day of wondering around Newburyport shops.  The coffee is very good, as are the desserts.  They carry some great Italian favorites, including cannoli and tiramisu.  It’s a great little place to stop and relax or just pop in and grab a quick drink to take down to the waterfront. 

My family is big on going out to breakfast.  I think we go to breakfast more than we go to lunch and dinner combined.  One of the places that my parents love most is the Coach House Restaurant in Brewer, Maine.  When my husband and I go up to visit my parents, we almost always wind up at Coach House for breakfast.  I really enjoy the place, they recently redid the restaurant and it turned out very nicely.  This is not a tea and crumpets kind of place, but a good old fashioned home cooking kind of place.  The prices are reasonable and the serving sizes are substantial.  They serve New England coffee, one of my two favorites, the other being Green Mountain.  The wait staff is friendly and they love to tease the regulars.(This is quite usual in Maine and can make your dining out experience a lot more fun). 

The serve a pretty extensive breakfast menu, as well as lunch and dinner.  The specials board changes daily and often includes good old fashioned dishes like corn chowder.  The breakfast menu includes everything from eggs and bacon to blueberry pancakes.  They also have a children’s menu for the little ones.  I have never been for dinner, but the lunches are quite good. 

Vegetarian Options: Yes, although more limited on the lunch and dinner menus

Serving: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

O’Naturals is a restaurant that prides itself in the use of organic and natural foods.  The menu includes sandwiches, salads, asian noodles, soups, breakfast and baked goods, and pizza.  They also have a kids menu with mac n’ cheese and some of the usuals that kids enjoy.  One of the best features of the menu is the create your own salad, where you pick your own greens, vegetables, toppings and dressing.  The soup is good, I recommend the carrot ginger soup.  The pizzas are only available after 4 pm on the dinner menu.  It is not a fancy place, you order your food in a cafeteria fashion, but the food is good and it is suppose to be “fast-food”. 

The story goes that the founders of the company were tried with the lack of healthy options for their kids when they traveled, so they created O’Naturals.   I think it’s a great idea and it works really well.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The hours are extended for summers.  They are located on Exchange street in Portland. 

The winter hours are:
Mon-Thurs 7:30am-7:30pm
Fri-Sat 7:30am-8:00pm
Sunday 10:00am-3:00pm

Vegetarian Options: Yes

Serving: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On the web at http://www.onaturals.com/