A couple of weeks ago when I posted about our trip to Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine and the HH’s quest to find the best seafood shack in New England, several of you chimed in and said to check out Red’s Eats in Wiscasset, Maine for our next date day. And so we did.
You know the food has got to be good if there is a line around the corner and people are willing wait in line for an hour to get a bite to eat, right? {I actually didn’t wait in line the entire time, I walked to the bakery up the street and bought a pie, but I’ll tell you about that another day because this is the HH’s seafood story, not another one of my bakery adventures}. 😉
Fried zucchini, a lobster roll, and a grilled weenie with sauerkraut.
The HH has eaten 3 lobster rolls in his lifetime, and he said the lobster roll he had at Red’s Eats was the best one yet. And at the price of $26 a roll, I’m glad he liked it. {Holy cow man!} He said the bun was perfectly toasted and that there must have been at least a pound of fresh lobster piled high on his roll.
My grilled weenie covered in local sauerkraut for $1.85? FREAKIN’ fantastic and had they sold the kraut right there at the lobster shack, I would have went home with a gallon of the stuff. Luckily though, it’s made about 20 minutes up the road and I think for one of our next date days, we’ll have to stop by and pick some up.
Sauerkraut isn’t the only local food product Red’s Eats in Wiscasset, Maine offers. Check out this list of other local business Red’s buys from:
- Kate’s Butter (Old Orchard Beach, ME) for the delicious butter for lobster rolls
- Yellowfront Grocery for the hamburger and sirloin steaks (Damariscotta, ME)
- Brewer’s Dairy for all of the dairy products (Augusta, ME)
- Bowden’s Egg Farm for fresh eggs (Waldoboro, ME
- Morse’s Sauerkraut (Waldoboro, ME)
- Round Top Ice Cream (Damariscotta since, ME since 1924) for ice cream
- Atlantic Edge Seafood (Boothbay Harbor, ME) for fresh, picked lobster
- Bailey Island Lobster Company (Bailey Island, ME) fresh, picked lobster
- Ready Seafood (Portland, ME) fresh, picked lobster
- Maine Shellfish (Ellsworth, ME) Fresh, picked lobster, Scallops, Haddock, crabmeat
- Mill Cove (Boothbay, ME) Haddock, clams, crabmeat
- Bread Lady Bakery (Dresden, ME) Gluten Free Breads
- Glenn B. Bakery (Wiscasset, ME ) Whoopie Pies
- L.A. Tees (Auburn, ME) T-shirts, Hats, Aprons
- Green Bee Honey Sodas (Brunswick, ME) Delicious honey sodas
- Signs To Di For (Wiscasset, ME) Local artist
- Pat Shannon (Bath, ME) Local artist
Seriously, how cool is that? I love it when small businesses support each other.
And of course, I don’t want to forget to tell you about the Moxie soda I tried. Now I’m not a big soda drinker, maybe I’ll have 2 a year {and usually it’s a 7-Up or a Grape soda} but practically everywhere around here in New England they sell Moxie soda so I thought I’d give it a try. The verdict? I actually liked it. The Moxie soda kinda of tasted a wee bit like root beer. Definitely different, but not bad. Now I wouldn’t want to drink it everyday or anything {because HELLO, TEA}, but occasionally? I might buy one.
Date days… With so many new places to try and towns to visit, I need to get a list started so we can see/taste them all. If you have anymore suggestions for us, please let us know in the comment section below.
Here’s hoping your Wednesday is wonderful,
~Mavis
Red’s Eats
41 Water St
Wiscasset, ME 04578
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Connie says
I keep thinking someone will pick up all of your hints, and comment. Because I never comment. The Gelato was the first time I figured out where you moved! Ha! So wonderful you are enjoying MAINE! The food and surrounding environment look divine. I live in the desert. So, fresh lobster sounds heavenly.
Dawn says
Oh, Moxie! You know you are in Maine when you can order a Moxie.
My kids’ great aunt taught them this old Moxie advertising slogan when they were barely old enough to talk–
“All the girls will thing you’re foxy
If you chug-a-lug your Moxie
And never show the pain!”
Ha! Lobster rolls and Moxie–you can’t get any more Maine that that!
Dawn says
*think* not thing
Daria says
That ad slogan is by Maine’s own Wicked Good Band, from their song State O’ Maine. And it is so true!!
Martha Harris says
Oh! I love that song. I grew up in VT and my grandfather always drank Moxie. It was the thing when you went to grandma & grandpa’s house you could get moxie. 🙂
Libby says
Yum – buttered (not mayo) lobster rolls!
The July/August 2017 issue of Yankee magazine was called “Lobsterpalooza” and they visited and rated 20 seafood shacks in Maine based on their lobster rolls. Red’s ranked #11. Number 1 was McLoons Lobster Shack in South Thomaston. Sadly I haven’t tried either….yet! I can see 20 dates right here 🙂
If you are heading up the coast of ME, I highly recommend the old car auction at Owl Head in August and a day trip out to Monhegan Island, which has a large artist population and there are fairy houses hidden throughout the forest and island. Take the mail boat from Port Clyde.
Another date idea is the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival. http://vtcheesefest.com/ The tickets go super fast.
On my list this year is to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum in MA and Saint Gauden’s sculpture garden in NH.
I’ve eaten Thanksgiving dinner at both Plymouth Plantation and Sturbridge Village. Both are a fascinating way to spend the holiday. Tickets go on sale pretty soon and sell out FAST. If the weather is cold and rainy, visiting either really stinks – just be forewarned.
Happy eating & exploring!!
S says
Ooh, I highly recommend Saint Gauden’s (National Historical Park)! It’s the least-visited national park, but what a treasure! The views of Mt. Ascutney are lovely, as are the grounds, exhibits and sculptures. If you enjoy outdoor concerts, check their summer schedule and pack a picnic to eat on the grounds while you listen to music. If you go to Cornish, be sure to cross the Windsor-Cornish Bridge (the longest 2-span covered bridge in the world) and stop by the Simon Pearce factory in Windsor. It’s pretty close, and in addition to the store (pricey!), the production floor with glass blowers is open to the public. You can watch from ground level or from a catwalk overhead. Super fascinating!
Another Northern New England treat are maple creemies. Sort of a soft-serve/custard in a cone idea. You’ll see signs for them everywhere this summer, and they always hit the spot. 🙂
Kelly says
I live just up the road from Saint Gaudens. Please visit this amazing place on the NH/Vermont border. I would recommend late July/ early August when the gardens are in bloom! Unbelievable history and artwork!
Kelly says
Oh…and just up the road (ok maybe a little over 5 miles) there is a dairy farm/maple sugar house that does the best maple creamees…Mac’s Maple…
Libby says
Thank you all for the info regarding Saint Gaudens. I just looked up the concert schedule and am thinking August will be a great time to escape southern New England. All the other info sounds great too!
Carolina says
Two places for you to try: Harvey’s Bakery, Dover, NH and When Pigs Fly restaurant and bakery, Kittery/York, Maine.
Elaine says
26 bucks for a lobster roll that looks like THAT is a deal!! My mouth is watering and I’m longing for summer! (Southeast NY weather has been a total drag)
Though I haven’t been there in years, Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor tops my lobster experiences and I’ve had many.
Sherry says
Sturbridge Village, and there is a place called The Public House. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are fantastic, and they have a little bakery in the building as well.
Indio says
So happy you got to Reds Eats. I love the town tag line “Prettiest little village in ME.” Lobster rolls are my fave since you don’t have to work too hard for the food. 🙂
We have ice cream connoisseurs in our family so Giffords is the ice cream of choice over Round Top, though that is good too. Giffords is very creative with their flavors. – lobster tracks, deer tracks…
Totally agree that Monhegan is a great day or overnight trip. Another fun thing is the schooner cruises out of Camden/Rockland or Boothbay harbor to one of the islands and a lobster bake. It’s pricey, but it’s a fabulous way to spend the day and the views can’t be beat.
It’s so much fun exploring new places. I learned about Strawberry Banke Museum because of you!!
DebbieB says
Spent some time in Boothbay Harbor last summer and visited the fabulous Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. http://www.mainegardens.org. I loved the amazing beauty of the gardens here and the children’s garden was magical. The Boothbay region of Maine is quite lovely.
Jamie says
I Think you will love The Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown, NY! We had a great time.
http://m.farmersmuseum.org/
E in Upstate NY says
Cooperstown is a bit of a drive from where you live now, so presume it would be an overnite stay. If you do decide to visit, be aware of the activities of the “other” museum there, the Baseball Hall of Fame. Induction weekend the place is mobbed. If a people watcher, then the hordes will entertain you. Room rates, if you can find one available, will be the highest rate. Some residents leave that week and rent out their houses. They make enough to cover with costs and have enough left over to cover most of their property taxes!
That said, Cooperstown is a lovely New England style town on a lovely lake. Boat tours run daily through the summer.
There’s another museum there, The Fennimore House, another lovely place. They have an incredible permanent display of native Indian artifacts, primarily from your old area, PNW.
Tamara says
Drooling over here. Born and raised in New England and lobster rolls are my favorite! One of the things I miss most! Another place you must try for lobster rolls, is Abbotts in the Rough, down in Noank, CT, right near Mystic. My family’s favorite!!
Kari says
Red’s Eats hands down has the best lobster rolls! And I second a stop at “When Pigs Fly” – they have amazing breads! They used to have a seasonal bread that tasted of a thanksgiving meal.
Laura T. says
Wow, from the comments here it looks like you have enough places to keep you busy for some time! It makes me want to take a trip up there. I’ve been to New York a couple of times & New Jersey but that’s it. My husband has been to Boston before for work. I’ll have to write some of these places down in case we ever head up that way! Have fun exploring!
Melissa says
I can’t remember if I commented about this in your other date post already, so this may seem very Debbie Downer of me, lol, but i’ve heard the lobster season has been so poor that lobster is set to reach record high prices this year – may make for an interesting time to seek out the best lobster roll
But maybe the rest of the country will feel it more than right there in Maine ♀️