The Insiders' Guide to St. Barths: Maine Coast

Had a great time.....the weather was perfect.....snow yesterday...there is something about snow on the ocean that is so beautiful...especially when it is a windless and not too cold snow......and this time of year is when there is a plankton bloom going on in the water and thats what gives the ocean that spectacular melony salty smell you get this time of year..bright cloudess sunshine today

stayed here: http://www.berrymanorinn.com/

in this room : http://www.berrymanorinn.com/rooms/room3.html

drove down into the Old Port in Portland...stopped in a few Antique Shops along the way......

stopped at my favorite locals joint on the water for some appetizers....J's Oyster.....slurped a couple of dozen Oysters and hoisted a few pints of Ale...nothing but locals and fishermen...my kind of joint

after J's we went to this place: http://www.forestreet.biz/

Oh My God we WILL be back to this place....a very old ex brick warehouse on the waterfront in the Old Port, this is the toughest reservation to get in town....a few things about this place which make it special...first of all, like at Kara's place, they only cook with local meats, poultry, fish and produce...mostly organic and from small farms and fishermen....the other unique thing is they cook TOTALLY with wood...they have a huge wood fire pit where they have a rotating spit...on the spit are quails, ducks, chickens and pork loins....next to the pit is a wood grill where the fish and steaks get done....and next to that is a huge brick wood oven where all the baking gets done....the kitchen is totally exposed to the dining public....very cool

we had an amazing wood fire baked mussels in white wine and TONS of garlic appetizer.....excellent and I usually dont order mussels out....their bread is all baked on site and it is that great crusty hearty yeasty bread...we dipped every last drop of what the mussels were cooked in with the bread...I had the spit fired dry rubbed loin of pork with saurkraut and it was magnificent...Wendi had a wood fire grilled Halibut with this wonderful creamy lentil/celery/fennel/wild mushrom side..we also ordered garlic mashed potato to share and carrots in a pistachio butter sauce to share...both excellent....we had a few glasses of Bordeaux and for dessert a chocolate souffle that was still rising as it arrived and was orgasmic..a coupe of espressos and we were all done.......wow......we will be back

thats it that all..back in the mountains now... next weekend is another great get away