We traveled north today since it was raining and ended up in Lincoln, ME for lunch at Gillmor’s. We munched on some sweet chili meatballs to start.

These were pretty tasty.  They had a bit of spice to them and there were plenty for an appetizer for two.  Loren went for a bacon cheeseburger & I decided to try the haddock & clam combo plate.

He said the burger was cooked well and the bacon was just the way he liked it.  I liked the clams on my plate, but the haddock was a bit on the dry side.  We saw bread pudding on the dessert menu and had to try it.

We’re always surprised at how many different versions of bread pudding there are out there.  I didn’t particularly like this one.  It had coconut in it and a strong spice taste, I think it was clove.  Total bill with a drink was $44.

Gillmor’s Restaurant
236 W Broadway
Lincoln, ME
207-794-6565

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We decided eating outside of downtown Bar Harbor was the way to go, so we stopped at the Chart Room Restaurant for dinner.  Tasty rolls were brought to the table and I couldn’t pass up trying their lobster stew.

They did a great job with the stew.  Big chunks of lobster meat in a creamy flavorful broth.  Loren went for the mixed grill which had tuna, scallops and swordfish.

He said all of the seafood was cooked well and there was plenty of it on the plate.  I decided it was time to break into a whole lobster.

I grew up in New England, so I know the ins & outs of getting all of the goodness out of a lobster.  This one was perfectly cooked and quite tasty.  The baked potato was fine, but the peas & carrots should have been left off the plate.  They added no benefit whatsoever.  Then there was dessert.

I think this may have been the tastiest chocolate raspberry cake I’ve ever had.  The cake was moist and chocolatety and the raspberry sauce added a nice zing to the cake.  Yum!  Total bill with a drink was $69.

Chart Room Restaurant
565 Eden St
Bar Harbor, ME
207-288-9740

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We visited Asticou Azalea Garden and Thuya Gardens this morning and then stopped at the Asticou Restaurant for lunch.  This was the best meal we had on our entire vacation.  We started off with a cup of the lobster stew which came with two popovers.

The popover recipe is the same one they use at the Jordan Pond Inn.  It was so light and fluffy and delicious.  They were piping hot when served with strawberry preserves and the steam just billows out when you cut into it.  The lobster stew was phenomenal.  I should have ordered a bowl of it instead of a cup.  Big chunks of lobster in a rich, creamy, buttery broth.  It was amazing.  Loren got a roast beef and boursin sandwich and a side salad and I went for the lobster roll.

He said his sandwich was fresh and tasty.  The boursin cheese added a nice creaminess to the sandwich.  My lobster roll was perfect.  Big chunks of perfectly cooked and picked lobster meat and the roll were fresh and toasted.  It was so good.  There was no way I was passing up dessert here, so we got the blueberry pie.

It had a nice crust with a tasty blueberry filling.  The ice cream was also rich and creamy.  Service was great, we sat out on the patio and had a beautiful view and the food was amazing.  Total bill was $61.

Asticou Restaurant
15 Peabody Drive
Northeast Harbor, ME
207-276-3344

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For dinner tonight, we sat out on the patio at Stewman’s on the Wharf in downtown Bar Harbor.  We started off with a bowl of lobster bisque and a salad.

The bisque had a nice flavor to it.  It was thick and rich and creamy, just the way I like it.  Loren’s $8 side salad had a mound of carrots on top of it.   We both decided to try the lobster roll.

The lobster itself was ok, but the rolls were stale.  I expected more flavor from the lobster roll.  It just didn’t taste as fresh as I expected it to be.  The sweet potato fries were inedible.  They were overcooked and tough.  Figured we’d try some blueberry pie and ice cream.

It was ok, but ridiculously overpriced.  Everything in downtown Bar Harbor is just priced for the cruise ship tourists.  The service here was awful.  Our waiter continued to disappear for long periods of time.  Total bill after a 10% discount was $68.

Stewman’s on the Wharf
55 West Street
Bar Harbor, ME
207-288-9723

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After a day of hiking, we stopped at Blaze in downtown Bar Harbor for dinner.  The restaurant was crowded, but lucky for us there was an open table on the patio near the entrance that no one wanted because it was a bit chilly out.  We started off with some clam chowder and poutine.

This was the clam chowder we’ve been looking for.  Thick and creamy with a nice flavor.  Blaze is famous for their duck fat fries, so we had to try them with the addition of gravy and cheese curds to make it a poutine.  You could feel your arteries hardening as you ate it, but it was worth every bite.  I really don’t know that the fries cooked in duck fat tasted that much different from any other well cooked french fry, but add gravy and cheese and it’s just delicious.  Loren went for the haddock tacos and I decided to try the duck menag a trois.

The tacos weren’t really anything to write home about.  They were pretty plain and the fish was just ok.  My duck dish didn’t quite satisfy the way I had hoped it would.  The grilled duck was a little tough in places, but otherwise tender.  It was served with a sweet berry compote that complimented the duck well.  The white part of the sunny side up egg was very overcooked and like rubber.  The hash had duck, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes but the brussel sprouts were way overpowering.  They just didn’t play well with everything else on the plate.  We decided to stick it out for dessert and ordered the chocolate cake.

This was quite delicious.  Creamy and mousse like with a deep rich chocolate flavor.  This and the poutine were the highlights of the meal, especially when the bill for $73 came.  Service was slow throughout the meal.  I was pretty sure the waiter had forgotten we were even one of this tables.

Blaze
198 Main St
Bar Harbor, ME
(207) 801-2755

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