So this past weekend, I transgressed a rite of passage for so many parents..The Big Maine Camp Drop off. Here are some notes:
Flavor:
On the way to Maine, we stopped in the magic town of Mystic, Connecticut, and naturally made it our business to visit Mystic Pizza...as in the movie. So excited to report that this tourist ‘trap’ was beyond expectations and will stay in my book as one of the finer pizzas I’ve ever had in America!
Pizza at Mystic Pizza
The town is 100 percent worth a detour. It’s magic and mystic and quaint and has all the components of a perfect mid-road trip pit stop if you are coming from NYC.
Also, in Mystic happens to be a randomly (or not so randomly?) James Beard-nominated bakery, Sift. No joke, the blueberry oatmeal cookies pictures deserved every award in the world.
Blueberry oatmeal cookies from Sift
Once we arrived in Portland, Maine, obviously oysters were of the foremost priority. The local legendary fish joint Scales, is definitely a must-visit. Oysters and lobster rolls are the obvious choices of the place. Please make sure to book in advance, especially if you are there on a ‘camp’ weekend.
Oysters and lobster rolls at Scales
The last meal in Maine of the weekend was actually an unexpected discovery moment. Our kids' camp was in the town of Bangor, which is basically on the border with Canada. I didn’t have very high expectations of food, and as such, simply went on Yelp, and we ended up in the local #1 spot for Sunday brunch. The place is called Timber, and Nicolas and I ended up at a true and honest Sunday post church Suppah. Brisket was served, and it was Heavenly (get it?)
Brisket from Timber
Discovery:
We all know I love table gear, but I truly didn’t expect to find a gem of hand-painted tabletop directly from masters in an ancient village in Poland in...Mystic, Connecticut. But that’s exactly what happened. Manufaktura Bolesławcu – Beautiful craftsmanship, elegant design, the whole thing. Funny part: I was doing this part of the trip with my daughters alone, and my husband met us in Portland. Upon our arrival, when he looked into the trunk of the car, he found the girl's luggage and bags of oven-safe serving dishes. ‘Are you seriously sending the girls to camp with plates?’ I love that he wouldn’t put that past me.
Tableware and pottery from Manufaktura
Wellness:
To get to ‘very far away in Maine’ from Watermill…we had to board a 1.5 hour ferry from Orient Point to New London, Connecticut. First time this summer that I was on the water properly, and first time this summer that I watched the sunset undisturbed. Water and sunsets are gifts of the summer that must be treasured and enjoyed. So wherever the summer takes you, even if no further than the Brooklyn Bridge, please remember to take the time to watch that sunset.
Sunset from the Cross Island Ferry
And if you are in the Hamptons? Enjoy it all..and don’t forget Laroot is delivering ‘out East’😉 this summer.
And please send Makai and I pictures of whatever and wherever you go to enjoy flavor, discovery, and wellness. That’s the stuff The Secret Sauce is made of!
Happy upcoming July 4th! X
Appendix:
Mystic Pizza, 56 W Main St, Mystic, CT 06355
Sift, 5 Water St, Mystic, CT 06355
Scales, 68 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101
Timber, 22 Bass Park Blvd, Bangor, ME 04401
Cross Island Ferry, 2 Ferry St, New London, CT 06320
Manufaktura, 27 Coogan Blvd #8B, Mystic, CT 06355