by John Hardaway (@CoachHardaway)8/30/2022 3:27:44 PM
posted in: Skordle Sampler | 1,544 views
Oklahoma high school football is finally back in full swing this week with a full slate of games in all classes.
There were some quality matchups last week in Week 0, but it sure will be nice to see all the teams in action from 6A down to C as prep football action is now full bore.
In my final installment of 2021, I shared my experiences at the world-renowned Mama's Fish House in Maui following my vacation there the previous summer.
As I was pondering which food journey to share here in Week 1, I decided what I really wanted to do was share my experiences from my vacation in Maine this past summer.
It was an incredible trip with college friends and we ate at some great places during our stay.
The saying is “Maine…the way life should be,” and when it comes to lobster and blueberry pie, I couldn't agree more!
My great friend Dan and his amazing wife Kaylan made this trip possible and we can’t wait to go back someday. Besides the delicious food, 70 degrees with no wind and no humidity in late June was the best way ever to escape the brutal Oklahoma summer.
Our first food stop in Maine was in Portland for a late lunch at the famous DiMillo’s on the Water.
It’s a big floating restaurant right there in the Old Port. The views of the harbor were fantastic and did I mention the weather?
Light jackets and sweatshirts on June 20!
I ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese and it was one of the richest seafood dishes I have eaten. I almost struggled to finish…almost.
Fat rigatoni noodles mixed with cheese, fresh lobster claws and a rich butter cream sauce.
If not for the beautiful Maine scenery on the two-hour drive north to Clifton, my sleepiness would have probably gotten the better of me!
Our second food stop on the trip was the Eagles Nest Restaurant in Brewer, known for its “World Famous Lobster Roll” and this was easily the best one I had on the entire trip!
Dan said this was his favorite one around, so it had to be true.
So why was this Lobster Roll the best?
Well, it had more lobster on it than any roll I have ever had before or after it.
Secondly, this lobster was so fresh, so cold and had the perfect amount of mayo sauce mixed with it on that fresh bread roll, it just melted in your mouth with every bite.
The fries and coleslaw at Eagles Nest were a perfect complement to the main attraction.
Looking back, I almost wish I had not eaten another lobster roll the entire trip because the other two after this one were lesser compared to the one at Eagles Nest.
Our last food stop was at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound on our way home from spending the day at Arcadia National Park.
This was a must-stop for all of us and the classic whole lobster experience.
You literally walk into the restaurant, tell them how many lobsters you want, weigh them live, put them in a rope bag and then cook them right there outside the door in massive pots over a fire in sea water.
This is literally the freshest lobster you could ever find!
You then get the whole cooked lobster at your table and you proceed to break, hunt and surgically remove pieces to dip in drawn butter.
The claws, like most folks, were my favorite by far.
The tail was good, but kind of tough and the rest of it was kind of hard to get to and - for the amount of work it takes - one trip to the fresh whole lobster place was just fine by me.
I’ll take a lobster roll any time over a whole lobster.
Much better tasting, easier to eat and none of the hard work and mess that breaking a whole lobster requires.
Now time for a dessert to finish off this Week 1 blog post and this was one the best desserts I have ever had in my entire life: Blueberry Pie made by Dan’s wife Kaylan.
You see, Maine is known for blueberries. They grow wild in many places and there are also large blueberry farms as you drive in the countryside.
One night we made dinner at the cabin and Kaylan made Blueberry Pies from a family recipe and when paired with vanilla ice cream, it pretty much couldn't get any better.
Two pies were gone by breakfast the next day and everyone agreed that the Maine Blueberry Pie was the showstopper in terms of something sweet on this trip.
So, if you are ever in Maine, my suggestion would be to try to eat lobster every meal (because that's what I did) and find you some blueberry pie along the way.
I also highly recommend any fried haddock (big flaky white fish), shrimp (excellent) and crab cakes (you know I love crab cakes) in your future Maine travels as well.
Maine is a special place and thanks to our great friends Dan and Kaylan for making this trip happen!