OT: Bar Harbor area dining

[AndreaU]

We go to Bar Harbor, Maine every year and pretty much stay in the town for our dining needs. Any good recommendations of restaurants throughout Mount Desert Island? Actually, places IN Bar Harbor welcome too as I'm sure there are ones we've missed. DH will eat fish but loathes shellfish (see Lobster aversion thread!), so a lobster pound type place won't do.

Thanks!

[Kristilyn1]

Have you been to the restaurant in the park--the one that has the afternoon tea and the fabulous popovers? It's name escapes me, but I loved that place!!!

KRisti

[lsdesign]

The name of THAT restaurant that Kristilyn1 is thinking of is the Jordan Pond House and I worked there just out of college in 1978. I have wonderful memories but the birch barked dining room that I knew burned down in the early 80's. DH and I went there on our honeymoon 14 years ago. All of this to say that it is still wonderful and they serve lunch too and dinner too, I think. I am going to email my old sailing buddy who still lives and works on the island for all of the restaurant info, stay tuned AndreaU.

[KathrynY]

Hi Andrea - We went to Bar Harbor for the first time last spring and had a great time. The best meal we had (good food and good prices) was at Poor Boy's Gourmet. They have an early bird menu that's very reasonably priced, and a variety of seafood and non-seafood items. The restaurant was recommended to us by one of the local shopkeepers, and we're glad we asked!

We also had a very nice meal at Anthony's Cucina Italiana. A bit more expensive but the pasta was excellent, and very nice atmosphere.

There are so many restaurants we didn't get to try, especially outside of Bar Harbor, so I'm looking forward to seeing what others recommend for our next trip! You can find some menus online at http://barharborinfo.com/dining_frame2.html. Please share any good restaurants you've found too.

Oh - in case you haven't tried it, if you like beer at all you MUST pick up some of Atlantic Brewing Company's Ginger Wheat Beer it's fabulous! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif



[This message has been edited by KathrynY (edited 06-22-2001).]

[masimmons]

I just spent the night there for a business trip earlier in the month. I ate at an Italian restaurant whose name escapes me. Mama something or another. It was a little off the beaten track and across from a fire station and a small movie theater. I had chicken picatta dish that I very much enjoyed. Other people's dinners looked good too. They have an outside dining area across the front.

[slknight]

Originally posted by masimmons:
I just spent the night there for a business trip earlier in the month. I ate at an Italian restaurant whose name escapes me. Mama something or another. It was a little off the beaten track and across from a fire station and a small movie theater. I had chicken picatta dish that I very much enjoyed. Other people's dinners looked good too. They have an outside dining area across the front.

The name is Mama Di Matteo's. It's at 34 Kennebec street. I was unsure if I should recommend it, because I think the last time I ate there was in 1991. My whole family enjoyed it quite a bit then, but I know that my tastes have changed since I was in college. I'm glad to hear that it's still good.

[masimmons]

Sorry for the double posts, but I just thought of this. If you are in the mood to drive a bit, go to Helen's in Ellsworth. It is great. I have eaten at this location as well as one in Machias (great too.) The portions are huge (be warned). The prices are very reasonable, especially compared to Bar Harbor. They have WONDERFUL homemade bread and pies. I have only had seafood things, but they serve a variety of dishes so I am fairly certain that your DH would find something he likes. I personally would be happy just eating the bread. Just so you know, they don't serve alcohol, so if you like a glass of wine with dinner this isn't the best choice.

[ewatkins]

Gaylyn's is a nice seafood place--I don't really like lobster either even though I spent every summer in Maine. Also --for a nice change, Miguel's is great Tex Mex. The Burning Tree (not in BH but I forget what town) is mostly vegetarian/seafood but upscale-- ie expensive. Also in BH is 123 Cottage St. (or some number like that) --very nice but not too fancy.

[kjunkins]

I thought I would post a little bit about Bar Harbor as I live about an hour away and spent the past weekend there at a little bed and breakfast. The recommendations that everyone has given are all great places to eat and one thing I would like to add is that 123 Cottage Street has changed and now is a pizzeria type place. One place that I wanted to try but dh didn't (he isn't into gourmet eating...he likes the pizzerias and pier seafood places) was called Cafe Bluefish. Bon Appetit has featured them a few times in their magazine and I looked at the menu from a sample they had at the inn we stayed at and it looked heavenly. Another tip is at the end of Main street is the pier and on the pier they have a big consortment of shops and rental stuff. The chamber of commerce is in there and they have samples of alot of the menus from around town. So you can pick and choose at what types of places you would like to eat. They also have a wonderful vegetarian restaurant called Elaine's Starlight Oasis. I am not a vegetarian but I did like the food. One thing that dh and I did also if you like this sort of thing is we rented mountain bikes and biked the carriage trails along Jordan Pond and ate at the Jordan Pound House. It was so nice and they have the best popovers! Hope I have helped a little bit! If you have any questions feel free to ask me!

[AndreaU]

Kathryn- we also stumbled into Poor Boys for their early bird specials... great food and very reasonably priced! I have yet to try the Ginger Wheat Beer- we usually stock up on the Blueberry Ale and DH brings back a couple huge bottles of Cadillac Mountain Stout.

Anthony's is at the end of DH's grandmother's street yet we've never been, so we'll have to walk up and try it!

Helen's in Ellsworth sounds like it's worth the trip and Galyn's is a must-do. We ran out of time last summer & never got there.

Thanks for the suggestions so far! Keep 'em coming- we're not going until August! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Cookie_Mom]

I live about 1 1/2 hours from Bar Harbor and my hubby and I usually go and spend a couple of nights there every 2-3 years. We've been to Galyn's twice and that was very good both times. I had prime rib the 1st time and it was really good, and our table was in a corner upstairs so the atmosphere was great. The second time I had fish (can't remember what kind, I think haddock) and that was very good as well. There's also a place on the main street that has great ice cream and fudge (can't remember the name). Yummy!

Amy http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[AndreaU]

Amy, I think the ice cream & fudge shop you referred to is Ben & Bill's Emporium... home of Lobster Ice Cream! No trip of ours is complete without a visit there. I can't resist their Moose Droppings ice cream.

[This message has been edited by AndreaU (edited 06-27-2001).]

[Kerri]

My husband and I went to Bar Harbor for our honeymoon last October and had a blast. I think of all the restaurants we tried we remember and talk about a little one called Cafe This Way the most. It is a little different, but the food was really good and different. I had some spicy salmon. I didn't think that as a Texan I would consider food from Maine spicy, but it was!!

[BJennif]

We just went to BH in May and our innkeeper recommended a place that was fantastic for lunch. In fact it was our best meal on the island. Of course we went before Mem day so not everything was open. It is only open for lunch and only Mon-Fri. It is in Northeast Harbor I think. I'd have to dig my map out later and can give you the route it's on. It's right downtown, serves pizza and sandwiches made on homemade bread. I had proscuitto and roasted pepper sandwich on homemade roll. Awesome. Great to pick up sandwiches to go and hike toi a view and eat! Beech Cliffs trail at Echo lake has a great view, worth the effort! Ask around about this place, it's worth the trip!

[lsdesign]

My old sailing buddy has weighed in with these suggestions:

In Bar Harbor:

Havana -- fancy
Gallayns -- great
Miquels -- Mexican


Southwest Harbor:

Fiddlers Green -- fancy Preble Grill -- great
Dry Dock -- great

[MOuellette]

DB and I just spent two days in Bar Harbor (July 4th and 5th). Here is where we ate at:

On the 4th we had take-out pizza (since the city was a zoo)!

On the 5th we had dinner at Lompac Cafe (the neighborhood bar), the food was good and resonable. We didn't go to any of the more expensive restaurants in town (i.e. Cafe Bluefish or Gaelyn's) because they seemed overpriced, and growing up in a tourist town I felt I was getting gouged, so I couldn't do it, for example Ben and Bill's wanted $3.50 for a scoop of ice-cream!

If you want to go for a drive, I would recommend John Paul's Bistro in Blue Hill. It is only open in the summer and for lunch or tea, but eating out in the patio is very relaxing and the food is delicious.