At night, on a clear night, from the east-west coastal road* that runs along the north shore of Frenchman's Bay, the lights of Bar Harbor are visible across the water. They line a dark shore with mountain behind a great ocean liner floating upon the waters. If not clear, if fog or rain obscure, a keen sense of disappointment can settle in on the traveler.
*[US Coastal 1]The Schoodic Peninsula - Restaurants
Whereas Island dining maintains that delicate balance and tension between an embarrassment of riches and a much of muchness peculiar to areas popular with both the wealthy and tourists, on the Schoodic Peninsula and its immediate environs it is an entirely different matter. The Peninsula does offer some excellent choices. Unfortunately, the list or restaurants below is close to complete.
But first some general remarks and recollections. We will start with a restaurant no longer with us but greatly missed - The Donut Hole. It opened at 5AM every morning and closed at 3PM. We greatly miss their fish stews and fruit pies (for the pies, she used half the sugar of the standard recipes). And their fried fish platters were excellent. Their doughnuts weren't bad either. We did have some friends who once tried to order their chef's salad. The very charming waitress tried to dissuade them but they insisted. It was a disaster. When they informed us later of their disappointing experience our reaction was - "You ordered what at The Donut Hole?"
Also for a brief period one of the Grindstone Neck cottagers (cottagers as in Newport cottages - 30 rooms etc) operated a restaurant on the ground floor of her cottage. The food was actually quite good but some aspects of the experience were a bit strange. For instance, they had an excellent watermelon rind pickle as a garnish. However, if you actually wanted some of it - God help you. They doled it out grudgingly with the suggestion that anyone who wanted more than a brief whiff of it - well, you were a greedy uncouth organism. The fact that we were in fact: greedy uncouth organisms is entirely irrelevant. It would have been far better for them to run out then to be so miserly. People make logistic mistakes all of the time and can be forgiven for them. But stinginess is forever.
And then there was the restaurant in Steuben (the next town east of the Peninsula) whose house speciality was curried goat. While that is a dish that we were more than willing to sample they only had one seating an evening and you needed to make reservations a week in advance - we never made it there.
If the above gives the impression that dining on the Peninsula can be a bit of an adventure you would be correct.
- Peninsula Restaurants:
- Chase's Restaurant [ 193 Main Street, Winter Harbor - 207-963-7171 ] is the only year-around full-service restaurant on the Peninsula.
There was a period there when we claimed that Chase's was the worst restaurant within sight of the water on the entire East Coast - possibly an exaggeration - however it now boasts excellent fried fish from local sources, real fish - not Cisco portion controlled junk. Exactly what one expects in a working fishing port such as Winter Harbor.
- Bunker's Wharf [ East Schoodic Drive, Bunker's Harbor 207-963-2244 ] is our favorite Peninsula restaurant. We particularly recommend their shellfish - some of the best mussels we ever have eaten Down East that we did not prepare ourselves.
- Fisherman's Inn [ 7 Newman Street, Winter Harbor - 207-963-5585 ] on Newman (AKA The Winter Harbor Road) in Winter Harbor is the premier classic seafood restaurant on the Peninsula.
- Mama's Boy Bistro [ intersection of Newman and Main in Winter Harbor just across the street from Fisherman's Inn]
Part of the adventure in Peninsula dining is the uncertainity as to whether Mama's Boy Bistro will be open for the season - some years it is and some not. Originally built by Roxanne Quimby of Burt's Bees fame for her son, it has since been operated by others. Anytime it is open it is worth a vist.
- J.M. Gerrish Provisions (Gerrish's in local parlance) [ 352 Main Street, Winter Harbor - 207-963-2727 ] has been since forever the place to go for a sandwich or ice cream. For a great many years it was a Fitz Dixon project. One of the last things that Fitz did before he died was to sell it to Roxanne Quimby with the covenant that she retain the Gerrish name. Under Roxanne it became a much slicker operation with upscale baking by Roxanne herself (previously it was comfortably shabby and very reasonable). It is also the only Internet cafe on the Peninsula. She has since sold it but its new character has remained substantially unchanged.
As an added bonus it is across the street from one of the world's last five and dimes - the Winter Harbor 5 & 10.
- Downeast Deli [ Corner of Routes 186 and 195 (AKA The Pond Road) Prospect Harbor 207-963-2700 ] Good sandwiches on bread baked on the premises.
- Nautica Pub (AKA Mooring Tavern) [ 9 East Schoodic Drive, Birch Harbor - 207-963-7916 ] Bar with pub food.
- Schoodic Sushi - [ East Schoodic Drive, Wonsqueak ] Not recommended unless they are opening the sea urchins and scallops right in front of you. In any event, bring large quantities of sake beer wine or spirits to disinfect yourself both inside and out.
- HarborGirl Cafe and Bakery [ 4 Duck Pond Road, Winter Harbor - 207-963-5900 ] Really nice cafe with good Down East baked goods.
- Nearby Restaurants (Hancock):
- Le Domaine French Inn and Restaurant [ 1513 Highway 1 (US Coastal 1), Hancock - 207-422-3395 ] is the finest restaurant in the entire region. The first time we dined there years ago, unbeknown to us, they did not [at that time] have a liquor license. When we exclaimed in disbelief and indicated that it would be a crime to consume such a meal without wine they provided us with a complementary bottle of Chambertin. Both meal and wine were superb. They have more than repaired that former lack with the finest wine cellar in the entire region.
- Mano's Market [ 1519 Route 1, Hancock - just up the road from Le Domaine - 207-422-6500 ] The best deli in the region. "Deidre Dority and Adam Bishop now own this store, and keep it open through the winter with a line of 15 sandwiches, twice-baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and chicken potpie; there is indoor seating. Wines are from $8 to $15, with more expensive choices stocked in summer. Local farms provide rotisserie chicken, cooked in a French outdoor cooker; and produce comes from Jonesport's Crossroad Farm and Gouldsboro's Mandala Farm. Fresh berries come from a place just down the street along with morning harvests of greens that are fresher than fresh. Rock City Coffee Roasters coffee from Rockland."
- The No Frills Mexican Restaurant [ Route 1, Hancock - on the far (or western end) of Hancock ] An incredibly authentic Mexican Restaurant complete with INS raids. It is also a real bargain. We recommend it without reservation.
