Bistro Newsletter

Michael and I went to Maine last Saturday. There is a direct flight to Portland, and we had never been, so I said let’s do it. In doing my research it seems most people head North, to Bar Harbor and Acadia but when I looked at hotels and lobster shacks most were not open until Memorial weekend… and it looked cold. So, we stayed in Biddeford. This town caught my eye for a few reasons, it was less than 30 minutes south of Portland, right on the coast, in between Cape Elizabeth (the most photographed lighthouse in America) and Kennebunkport (home of the Bush family), had a luxury hotel and a cool history much like Detroit’s. In the 1860’s it was a bustling Mill town where they fabricated textiles. Busy until the 1960s when manufacturing went overseas it became a ghost town, known more for junkies than anything else. In early 2000 someone decided to build a brewery in one of the old Mill Houses… it took off. Soon small cafes, bakeries, independent coffee shops, fine dining restaurants, bars and shops opened and then came the big money with expensive swanky loft living and The Lincoln (our Michelin starred hotel). Now there are artists, hipsters and entrepreneurs mixed with working class and, yes, still some street folks.​

We spent our first rainy afternoon in Portland dining on fresh oysters at Eventide and walked the shops, galleries and brick sidewalks of Old Port, stopping to see a great solo artist at the Thirsty Pig. We then headed into Biddeford, had a drink at Apero, a cozy cocktail & charcuterie bar owned by 2 young women. Moved down the street to Elements where they sell books, coffee and beer to watch another local musician. Dinner was at Magnus on the Water. Owned by a young bartender and his two friends, this Peruvian restaurant was tasty and hospitable. We sat at the bar and got the full story of the place and the people, which always makes a spot so much more charming.

Woke up to sunshine and a morning swim on the heated rooftop pool, walked to Catface Café for breakfast and headed out for a day of hiking the coastline starting at the Audubon Sanctuary, making our way through Biddeford Pools, Middle Beach and Fortunes Rock… stopping for a Watermelon Cosmo and a bowl of mussels at the beautiful Tides Beach Club ( so good we ordered a second) and off to hike Timber Point Trail. That’s where things got weird…

After our hike, I noticed a Tick on Michael’s forehead… which sent both of us into a bit of a tizzy. I might have giggled a bit as he stripped down in the middle of street, thinking that’s what he gets for sneaking off the trail to adventure “man style”, a luxury not so easy for us ladies, but then I saw a tick on me too! Ugh, damn karma! So gross… I found a convenient bathroom to disrobe and scan my body. Little did we know it is high tick season in Maine. Went back to the hotel to find any missing bugs with our flashlight and dove into the pool hoping to kill anything we may have missed with chlorine. Then, a few hours later as we were relaxing in our super comfortable room, I became very ill. The worst stomach illness I have had in years. I’ll spare you the details but let’s say I sent Michael out to dinner by himself. He enjoyed his meal at The Lost Fire, but said he felt lost without me (I just made that quote up, but he did miss me).
I never travel without Imodium and Pepto, thankfully, so after a long rough night, onward we went. We got a late start on Monday, but I was determined to eat a Lobster Roll while we were in Kennebunkport at the legendary Mables. A few bites and I was done. I really couldn’t enjoy it, what a bummer. We did mange to walk Parsons Way and go by the Bush compound stopping at St. Anns by the Sea (the stone walls were unbelievable) where I prayed for stomach relief. Driving through Kennebunk reminded me of Harbor Springs. Huge luxury homes on the coast, stunning water views, loafers and tied over the shoulder sweaters with a whole lot of money. Back to The Lincoln for a long nap and finally I felt up for dinner at Ultramar in Cape Porpoise. Picturesque town overlooking the bogs and tributaries of the ocean. The Branzino was simple and delicious, the dining room elegant, but I could only enjoy half before I felt icky. I did not make for good company and asked for an early night.

Tuesday I finally felt decent but the weather not so much. That did not stop us from vising Cape Elizabeth with Fort Williams and the famous Portland Head Light. Many photographs later, we weaved in and out of parks and roadside stops along the coast towards Old Orchard Beach. This town was like walking into the Jersey Shore in 1980. Seeing the beachside amusement park made me feel nostalgic for my childhood summers in Daytona Beach and local carnivals. I was on the outlook for crop tops, perms, satin jackets and Jordache jeans. After a long day of driving, we settled for dinner in the hotel at the Batson River Brewery where I could finally enjoy a tequila and a Fried Haddock Sandwich. It was awesome!

Checking out Wednesday, it was Michael’s turn with the bug/virus/food poisoning… whatever it was we had. Poor guy, made for a long day of travel home.

All in all, I would say the small part of Maine that we saw was gorgeous, the people friendly and the seafood unbelievable. My goal is to visit every state on the East Coast; I have six more states to go. I’m grateful I have the opportunity to travel but I sure do wish we had felt better. I had so much more I wanted to eat!!!!

I guess that leads to one positive, I lost almost 4 lbs. in 5 days.
Cheers,
Sharon


Lots of pictures to see if you’re interested, just click the photo gallery link.


GALLERY PHOTOS