Hoofin' It In Acadia

Touted as the oldest National Park east of the Mississippi, Acadia National Park encompasses approximately 30,000 acres of Mount Desert Island in Northern Maine.  The Park's carriage road system was built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. between 1913 and 1940, and today you can hike or bike 45 miles of these scenic carriage roads.  The carriage roads are broken stone roads, a method commonly used around the turn of the century that required a lot of hand labor.  Rockefeller aligned the roads to follow the contours of the land and to take advantage of the beautiful views.  He also graded the roads so they are not too steep or curvy for horse-drawn carriages.  One of my favorites is the 3.8 mile road around Long Pond, near Seal Harbor.

View of Long Pond

It is even beautiful in the fog

A view from the far side of the pond

It was about this point that I ran into a large and handsome furry friend...

You see how that man is laughing?  I had asked if I could catch a ride.  I told him we could switch places and he could finish my run.  He did not bite.  I suppose am not a convincing salesperson.  

If running, walking or biking is not your thing, consider a carriage ride.  Wildwood Stables is located near Long Pond and offers daily horse-drawn carriage rides and tours from mid-June through Columbus Day weekend in early October.  They also board horses for those who bring their own with them to the island.  You can choose from tours that include a climb to the summit of Day Mountain for spectacular views of the coast, as well as an afternoon carriage ride to the Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers.  Check them out at www.carriagesofacadia.com.

Taking a break

As I wish you all a wonderful weekend, I will leave you with a few more images of Acadia National Park and the incredible views to be found from a few of the peaks in the area.  For those of you who have read Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, his famous Blueberry Hill is in this area.  It is one of our favorite books, and we had a lot of fun picking blueberries and pretending we were little Sal.

 

The Cranberry Isles, Maine

In Northern Maine, off Mount Desert Island, a short ferry ride from either Northeast Harbor or Southwest Harbor, you will find the idyllic 2 mile stretch of land called Great Cranberry Island.  The largest of the five islands of the Town of Cranberry Isles, Maine, Great Cranberry boasts a year-round population of 40, while the summer population swells to 300.  To spend a summer on this lovely island is the true definition of "living a simpler life".  To get a glimpse, we took our bikes over for an afternoon ride.

 

  

And you cannot believe the views from these homes...

At times, you get an idea of what one has to do to prepare for a winter here...

Reminds me of the ant in Aesop's Fables who works all summer to prepare for winter...

Dining is pretty straight-forward: you can either stop at the Seawich Cafe in the Cranberry General Store, or at Hitty's Cafe at Cranberry House for a sandwich, or a movie, if you are so inclined.

Seawich is located by the town dock

 

Hitty's is about 1/3 mile up the road on your right

We were tempted to stay for the movie, but had to keep moving on to our next destination: Little Cranberry Island, specifically the Islesford Dock Restaurant for a sunset dinner.  A short ferry ride away, Islesford Dock is run by Dan and Cynthia Lief and serves traditional Down East fare.  We were also in search of the best lobster, which many locals say is found here.  The wings would have to wait for another day.

Islesford Dock

The dining area

Hubby was all over his 2 pound lobster, which he agreed was the best one he had eaten in Maine.  I admit that, at times, I am a bit of a princess.  So, not in the mood to get my hands dirty, I ordered the Lobster and Burrata Cheese with Pickled Beach Rose Petals, along with the Scallop Ceviche.  Everything was exceptional.  To work off the extra pounds, take a stroll through the art galleries attached to the restaurant.

Gorge away on this beauty

Lobster with Burrata

Scallop Ceviche

 

Fun Fact:  For seven years, Great Cranberry Island hosted a 50K Ultra Marathon (31 miles) from one end of the two-mile road to the other (again and again).  A large post-race lobster bake was held at the community field the night after the event.  There's one way to work off those pounds.  Have a lovely weekend!

Bountiful Maine

No matter how many times I had heard about the beauty of Maine, I was nonetheless unprepared.  Unprepared for the rocky shore and the tidal pools at low tide...

 ...the seemingly endless stretches of summer cottages...

 ...the joy of a perfect beach day...

 ...the sunsets...

...and the food!!!

One fine evening our gracious hosts in York Harbor, Maine, suggested we drive to nearby Ogunquit to check out Arrows Restaurant.  Arrows is owned and operated by two chefs, Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, who ventured out East from the West Coast about twenty years ago.  Mark and Clark met in 1985 while cooking at Jeremiah Tower's Stars restaurant in San Francisco.  They moved to Maine to pioneer the farm-to-table concept by growing their own crops, curing their own meats, and making their own cheeses.  Topping off their list of achievements, in 2010 they were awarded the James Beard "Best Chefs of the Northeast".

To interject with a bit of background, Harvard-educated Jeremiah Tower is said to have applied for a job at Chez Panisse after having tried a berry tart at the then-unknown restaurant.  As Executive Chef and business partner with Alice Waters, Tower is often credited alongside Waters and Wolfgang Puck as developing the culinary style known as "California Cuisine".  Needless to say, when it came to checking out Arrows, I was all in.   

Arrows is located off a winding road in a restored farmhouse with hard wood floors, exposed wood beams, and large picture windows overlooking the gardens.  Twinkling lights abound in this exquisite setting where the focus is on attention to detail, the high quality of the food and impeccable service.  Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by Chef Clark Frasier, who also came by our table during the meal to ask if we were enjoying ourselves...if there was anything more they could do.  Rumor has it that the chefs enjoy being visible in the restaurant and are open to signing their cookbooks and menus.

Herb gardens in the walkways leading to Arrows

Happily ensconced at a four-top with a lovely view of the gardens, we ordered the featured cocktail, "The Blue Honeybee", a combination of blueberry-infused vodka, local mead, lime juice, and soda garnished with orange-marinated Maine blueberries.  Mead was a first for me, as I was picturing a strong honey wine not unlike what Robert Baratheon would have been drinking in the "Game of Thrones".  But the drink was subtle, not overpowering...a theme for the food in general.  I felt the kitchen let the food speak for itself, without the fuss of heavy sauces.  

While we sipped our cocktails, the waiter presented us with a choice of four types of bread along with a choice of tasty "Little Heart" appetizers that were displayed on a tea cart.  We opted for the Strange Flavored Eggplant with Sesame Chips (evoking the senses of the Orient with ginger, soy, garlic, sesame oil), and the Deviled Green Eggs with Ham ( eggs seasoned with herbs from the garden such as parsley and tarragon).  Unable to make a decision on the entree, we went for the whole enchilada: the six course tasting menu with paired wines.  As the menu changes seasonally, even monthly, with Chefs Frasier and Gaier choosing only the freshest ingredients from their garden and the local community, the menu from our meal in August 2013 was as follows:

Mascarpone Tortellini with Mini Meat Balls, Preserved Lemon Sauce and Garden Squash

2010 Novellum Chardonnay

Summertime Salad: Everything in the Garden

2011 Chateau Tuilerie Pages White Bordeaux

Plancha Seared Redfish with Warm Vegetable Salad, Garlic Chive Pesto,

 Crispy Grit Croutons and Herb Sabayon

2010 Chateau de Campuget Rose

Clark's Peking Duck in Three Preparations

2011 Gerard Bertrand Pinot Noir

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Swiss Chard, Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette,

Summer Squash "Fries" and Gruyere Fondue

2009 Buried Cane Cabernet Sauvignon

Olive Oil and Almond Cake, Brown Sugar Roasted Peaches,

Thyme Streusel and Mascarpone Ice Cream

2010 Sauternes 

The hands down favorite was the tenderloin with the Gruyere fondue.  Paired with a tiny copper pot of Gruyere fondue for dipping, it was brilliant.  The Duck was also a big hit, served in three small portions: a duck liver dumpling in duck consumme, duck with skin served in a thin crepe, and, my fave, duck confit.  

Maine, where have you been all my life?  I shall blog about you some more...until then, eat well, and eat big!

Just one?

 

In Acadia Nat'l Park, a scene right out of Blueberries for Sal

Chilaxin'