There are so many hidden gems in just about every corner of this state and we came across one such gem today by word of mouth. Nestled in the tiny town of New Canada, ME is the Aroostook Beef Company. Erin Parisien is the owner and operator of this small town farm where they raise black angus beef in the most responsible and sustainable way possible.
Aroostook Beef Company was established in 2015 and since that time all of the product that they offer has come from animals that have been in their care since before they were even born. They do not use growth hormones, no force feeding of antibiotics, and use no additives in processing the meat. They are involved in every part of the process from selecting new herd bulls, to calving and all the way through to the finished product.
The farm offers their product in individual cuts, freezer beef packages and through CSA (community supported agriculture) packages. They have several reasonably priced options to purchase and even offer a discount if you pick up your shares at the farm. Delivery is also an option and is included in their pricing if you are not close enough to stop by the farm for pick up.
You can contact Erin at Aroostook Beef Company by calling the number above and also by visiting their website or Face Book page listed below. Show some support for our local farmers and call or click to place your orders today!
m.facebook.com/AroostookBeef
In Search of The Pickled Wrinkle
Birch Harbor, Maine
In honor of Maine Restaurant Week, I have decided to share what I consider to be a hidden gem here in Maine. This is a great little place that I visited last summer while on a quick two day trip to explore Down East Maine and, more specifically, Prospect Harbor where my grandmother grew up. While on this trip, one my goals was to set out in search of a restaurant that was not only given the best name for a restaurant that I have ever heard, but has also managed to have made a great name for itself with locals and tourists alike. The Pickled Wrinkle is tucked away in a small town Down East called Birch Harbor; which is the neighboring town to Prospect Harbor and just outside of the Schoodic section of Maine's Beautiful Acadia National Park.
I did not have to venture far outside of Prospect Harbor to find what I was looking for. In fact, as I recall, I may have just taken a few twists and turns beyond the center of Prospect Harbor and around the very next corner I almost ran smack dab into the parking lot. Those may not sound like very good directions but trust me, if you are ever in the area and trying to make your way from Prospect Harbor to Birch Harbor, you will understand just what I am taking about and will find your way with no problem whatsoever.
So, I managed to stumble upon my destination much sooner and more easily than I had expected. I did not waste any time at all exiting my vehicle and making my way into The Pickled Wrinkle to relax and enjoy what was sure to be a great dining experience at the end of my long journey. By now, I am sure you are just dying to ask what the hell a pickled wrinkle is. Well, that is a very good question and one that the owners of this fine establishment, Sarah and Jesse Christensen, were clever enough to both make us ask and then offer the answer to immediately upon being seated in the restaurant.
Now that you know what a pickled wrinkle is, I also want you to know that I fully intended to sit down and immediately order up a big serving of them. I could not wait to try them and as I quickly read through the menu, I was very surprised to find that there was not one pickled wrinkle to be found. I sat for a moment feeling a little embarrassed and quietly chuckled at myself. Then I proceeded to look back over the menu again and found that I was just as excited about the items they did have to offer.
If I had to describe the menu at The Pickled Wrinkle, I would say that it has a rustic elegance to it. You immediately understand that the people who created this menu and cook these dishes, know exactly what they are doing. As you work your way through the menu it is clear to see that they use as many locally sourced, natural and organic ingredients as they can. I wanted to try every single dish but I settled for only two and I enjoyed one of the best meals that I have had in any restaraunt in a long time. I decided on a cup of the seafood stew and an order of the Down East Flatbread; which was topped with Atlantic scallops and shrimp. Each and every single bite of this meal was absolutely delicious from start to finish. It was everything that I expected and more!
It probably goes without saying a this point, but I loved everything about this resturant from the food to the atmosphere. The smiles on the faces of every customer that came and went to all of the staff members, tells the story of just how much everyone loves this place. Whether you live in Maine or will be coming here to visit at some point in the near future, this is one destination in Maine that you should make a point to get to. I was lucky enough to find it in my travels last summer and although I know just where to find the best meal Down East, I am still in search of the delicacy and the namesake of this great little place they call The Pickled Wrinkle!
Check out The Pickled Wrinkle on their website at
www.thepickledwrinkle.com
Mainstays of Maine
by
Robert P. Tristram Coffin
If you have never had the pleasure of reading this book, you must get on-line or go to your nearest book store, find it and buy it now! I found this book at my camp on Moosehead Lake while there for a quiet weekend getaway with my husband this past fall. Someone brought it to me earlier in the year and I vaguely remember them telling me at the time that I must read this book. I wish I had listened to them as it wasn't until five or six months later that I finally opened it up and started reading. When I did, I got about 2 sentences into the Foreword and absolutely fell in love with this book.
The author, Robert P. Tristram Coffin, was a farmer, a professor, a writer, a poet and an artist. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College, Princeton University and Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1936. He died just 10 years after he wrote Mainstays of Maine; which was published in 1945.
Robert grew up on a salt water farm in Casco Bay off the shores of Brunswick, Maine. In The Mainstays of Maine, Robert tells the story of his life growing up on this salt water farm. It is an eloquent and vivid recollection of the people, places and events that shaped his life. While reading this book, you cannot help but feel his deep and profound love of Maine, it's people and, of course, it's food. "This is not a cookbook," he writes in the very first sentence of the Foreword. Indeed, it is not a cookbook but it is the best book I have ever read on native Maine foods and cookery. In my opinion, Robert P. Tristram Coffin was a food writer long before the art of food writing was ever thought of.
Robert speaks straight to my heart in Mainstays of Maine. I loved reading every word of every page. He was a true Mainer and a lover of all the fine things Maine has to offer. For him, there was no place on earth like Maine and for this reason he tops the list on this page of Maine People & Places.
PHOever Maine Vietnamese Bar & Grill
For my birthday this year, I decided to visit one of my favorite restaurants for one of my favorite comfort foods...Pho. It is not very often that I venture outside of my house for a great meal but when I do, I am looking for the best local and authentic cuisine that I can find. PHOever Maine is one of the places I think of first. They serve the best authentic Southern Vietnamese food in Maine and Pho is their specialty.
Pho is an amazing Vietnemese noodle bowl typically made with beef or chicken, served with rice noodles and a side of holy basil, bean sprouts and lime wedges to add to your bowl as you prefer. Pho Bo (beef), depicted above, also typically includes big chunks of tripe (beef stomach); which adds an interesting texture to the dish. The star of Pho is the incredibly clean broth that has a depth of flavor unlike any broth I have ever had. The process of making this broth is a long one but when done properly, there is nothing on this earth like it! I have made Pho myself and I will be sharing the recipe on this blog in the near future.
The owner of PHOever, Truc Huynh, is a Maine native who grew up in Portland and is a Portland High School Graduate as well as one of my husband's former football players. Truc opened PHOever Maine in 2013 with the help of his sister and mother who run the restaurant and kitchen today.
Truc and his family have done a great job of bringing the authentic flavors of the Vietnamese cuisine to Maine and I am so grateful to them for doing so. While Pho is a specialty at this restaurant, they offer a number of amazing dishes that make a visit to PHOever Maine Bar & Grill well worth your time and money. Check out their menu by clicking on the link below and make sure you get over there for lunch or dinner as soon as you possibly can!
Enjoy!
PHOever Maine Bar & Grill is located at
100 Larrabee Road
Westbrook, ME 04092
J's Oyster Bar
J's Oyster Bar is quite simply, in my opinion, the best seafood restaurant in the City of Portland. J's is located in a small unassuming building that is tucked away and almost hidden from plain view on Portland's waterfront. It was founded in 1977 by Janice Noyes and is now owned and operated by two of her daughters, Cindy & Colleen. While J's has come a long way from the old days of being the local hang out for thirsty fisherman straight off the boat, it has not lost it's authentic Portland waterfront atmosphere. More importantly, they have remained loyal to the the locals who love this iconic Maine restaurant and bar so much.
Early last summer, I spent blissful evening with my husband and daughter having dinner at J's on their outdoor patio. We enjoyed raw oysters on the half shell, an enormous bucket of steamers and finally, we each had an amazing entree to top off the already perfect culinary experience. I had my favorite J's dish, scallops with a lemon dill cream sauce over angel hair pasta. The scallops were cooked to melt in your mouth perfection and the lemon dill cream sauce was, for lack of a better word, heavenly! It was the perfect summer night spent on Portland's water front looking out at Casco Bay and enjoying the best seafood that Maine has to offer!
J's may not appear to be the most desirable dining destination, but trust me when I tell you that there isn't any other restaurant in Maine where I would rather spend my money for a great seafood dinner.
J's Oyster Bar is located at 5 Portland Pier just off Commercial Street in Portland, ME. Check out their menu by clicking the link below. Visit them soon and be sure to send me a message and thank me when you do!
Ancient Mariner Lobster Co.
Ancient Mariner Lobster Co. is my favorite road side destination for fresh Lobsters and clams. It is a family owned and operated lobster retailer in Westbrook, Maine. The owner, Gregg Whitton, is a good friend of mine and one of Maine's hardest working lobsterman on the waterfront. Gregg transformed his garage into a lobster shop in 2009 and since then, Ancient Mariner has become popular with both locals and tourists throughout the summer months. Gregg brings his catch to his shop every single day so that customers can enjoy the freshest Maine lobster Greater Portland has to offer.
Ancient Mariner is located at 250 Conant Street in Westbrook, ME. Do your self a favor and make this your first stop for fresh Maine lobster this summer.
For more information on Ancient Mariner visit their facebook page at www.facebook.com/amlobsterco
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