For the Love of Lobster

We have returned from our annual family vacation at Goose Rocks Beach in Maine, and we sure had a great week. Since the weather wasn't perfect, we had plenty of time to spend with Amy's family (parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece) chatting, playing games, and (of course) eating. As it is the annual vacation (6 years running), we quickly and pretty seamlessly turn to a routine. There's an early-morning walk to the nearby store for a muffin or donut, known as pre-breakfast. Then once Auntie Amy is up, she makes the real breakfast, usually eggs, bacon, sausage, and English muffins, or perhaps a frittata made of leftovers from the night before. Eschewing big lunches for quick right-off-the-beach snacks, we leave room for big family dinners, and these are the most fun.

The Ocean Roll

Menu at The Ocean Roll

While we often cook these dinners, for example grilling steaks one night and pizzas another, it is Maine and that means seafood. So we'd love to tell you about our new discovery - The Ocean Roll. An antique truck located next to an antiques shop on Route 1 (Portland Road), Kennebunk, this truck is Maine on wheels. To start with, the food truck is part of Maine's history, as it was originally built as the canteen for the Maine Civil Defense. 

Fried Clam Box and Hot Lobster Roll at The Ocean Roll

The two of us stopped in for lunch on Saturday and then the whole family got take-out for dinner Sunday night. Yeah, it was that good. Lobster salad rolls, or the Amy-preferred hot buttered lobster rolls were packed with fresh lobster meat. Whole belly clams were lightly battered and fried to a perfect golden brown. The cole slaw was creamy, crunchy and well-seasoned. The service, friendly and welcoming. And the truck is just....cool. Compared to the super-touristy and rather expensive Clam Shack in downtown Kennebunkport, we think The Ocean Roll is twice as good at half the price. We highly recommend it!

Annual Family Vacation Lobster Feast

So yeah, we had seafood two days in a row. That didn't mean that by Wednesday, we weren't ready for more. Wednesday was our traditional lobster-n-steamers night, when we order steamed lobsters and clams from Wolff Farm & Lobster. They steam them for us, and we eat them up - a pound of steamers and two lobsters each. It's a feast fit for a family vacation, and we look forward to the "lobster-eating orgy" every time.

Huge lobster in Sanders Lobster Co. tank (compare to dime)

Steamers

Now you would think after all this we would have had our fill of the crustacean for which Maine is famous, but wait! There's more! On our drive home, as we always do, the two of us stopped by Sanders Lobster Company in the Strawbery Banke section of Portsmouth, NH to buy more. Yeah, we did. We pass the fish market and go directly to the docks where we can find culls (small lobsters, often - but not always! - missing one claw) for $3.99 a pound. This year we had some restraint. We bought 6 culls and 3 pounds of steamers that they packed in some ice for us and we cooked up and gobbled down when we got home. After all, a good vacation doesn't end when you leave. So here's to lobster, Maine, New England, summer, vacation, and most of all, family. We love you all!!!

More lobster at home

Looking Back, Longingly (Maine Foodie Tours)

Stormy weather indeed. Two weekends ago, we shopped for supplies in the morning, then attended a costume party while Hurricane Sandy threatened, looming large into the week up through Halloween. Our area was unscathed, and we spent a couple of grateful days checking in with friends and family and watching news reports of people not quite as fortunate. With leftover candy still in a bowl on our table, we did our best to avoid the flurry of phone polls and campaign ads, voted with our hearts and minds, and watched as the nation re-elected its President. That political storm had barely passed when in blew Winter Storm Athena, dumping five inches of slushy snow onto our leaf piles, mums and jack-o-lanterns. It sure made us miss Maine.

Lobster Salad Pate a Choux and Wine Spritzers at the Cape Arundel Inn,

just across from the Bush Compound

The Cape Arundel Inn Wine Spritzer:

In an ice-filled wine glass, mix 1 part Italian dry white wine with 2 parts lemon-lime soda, and garnish with a lemon slice.

Yes, a mere eleven weeks ago, we were sunning ourselves on the shores of Goose Rocks Beach, just north of Kennebunkport. We ate pounds of lobster and steamer clams, rode around (Roman Holiday-style, natch) on a scooter, went out for ice cream, watched fire works, stargazed, got tipsy in the afternoon, met new friends from Montreal, and enjoyed the relative silence that a beach vacation with Amy's family offers. All that, and we went on a Maine Foodie Tour.

Blueberry Scallop Crostini and St. Germain Cocktails at The Colony Hotel

St. Germain Cocktail:

Mix two ounces Freizenet Brut with 1 1/2 ounces St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and 2 ounces club soda. Serve with a twist.

How could we be in Maine for a week and not go on a Maine Foodie Tour? The Savor Kennebunkport Culinary Trolley Tour promised all we could ever want in a trolley tour - four glorious gourmet stops, all with tastings of food and liquor in some of K-port's finest historic restaurants and resorts. Sign. Us. Up.

Cheese and Fruit Platter with the Ocean Avenue Spritzer at The Nonantum Resort

Ocean Avenue Spritzer:

Fill a large glass with ice, then add 1 1/2 ounces Don Q Limon Rum and 2 ounces Honeymaker Blueberry Mead (made in Maine). Top with Green Bee Honey Soda. Garnish with a lemon twist, fresh blueberries and a sprig of rosemary.

We met our trolley at the agreed-upon location, were greeted by our gracious hosts and embarked on the tour. The ride was filled with fun foodie facts, historical information about the Kennebunk area, and Maine trivia. With gorgeous old mansions shaded by tall spruce pines on one side and bright blue sky with seaside vistas on the other, we were already enjoying ourselves and we hadn't yet had a single bite. As for the food and drink, the pictures here tell the story better than we can. We nibbled and sipped, chatted and listened, wondered and learned, strolled and relaxed. The drink recipes were emailed to us after the tour by the kind folks at Maine Foodie Tours. Next time you're in the area, we highly recommend taking one.

Raspberry Bars and Choco Noir Wine at The Captain Lord Mansion