A Chicken, A Sandwich and a Monkey: North Creek Farm, Phippsburg, Maine

My son still cracks up from the sign that sits at the entrance of the North Creek Farm store: "Frog Parking Only. Others will be Toad."  Okay, so it may not be your sense of humor, but to enter North Creek, laughing at the sign and watching the chickens nibbling at our feet certainly set a context for our meal.  We had come to get food for lunch. (Lunch wasn't included in my MAP plan at the Sebasco Harbor Resort.) We were sticky and sandy from a few hours jumping the waves at glorious Popham Beach and wanted good food.  

North Creek Farm was a perfect find, situated just down the road from Sebasco and combined mini-grocery store, produce market, sandwich shop, dessert stop and gift store in one.

There was even an adjoining art gallery to check out.  In one corner of the store were freshly picked peas, local greens and blueberries.  Another turn and we discovered locally ground grains, yogurts and drinks.

As my sons were entranced by the playing cards and cars, my mother and I eyed the sandwich menu. Ultimately I chose an delicious smoked turkey, gruyere and blueberry chutney sandwich.  Melted and oozing, it was salty, sweet and savory at the same time.  My mom had thick slices of turkey, homemade bread and a fresh soup, filled with summer vegetables.  I also tried a fresh broccoli salad, which, while a bit heavy on the mayo, was still crisp and yummy.  I will admit that we never got to try the blueberry pie or the gelato.  But we did explore the backyard/garden which included more of those truly free range chickens, a newly built stone oven and seating in a little oasis.

North Creek Farm, 24 Sebasco Road, Phippsburg, Maine

Sebasco Harbor Resort: Eating in a Beautiful Setting

I didn't want to cook for a few days. That didn't seem like so much to ask. And so much of the appeal of staying at the Sebasco Harbor Resort was the MAP plan.  For $45.00 a day, I could have a full breakfast and dinner without ever having to take out my wallet. This included lobster, brought in daily from right off the docks. It also included food for my young sons. While this wasn't a deal per se, it was at least something I could rationalize for a few days. 

Ultimately, I was pleased with the quality of food at Sebasco. The lobster, in fact, was the most memorable-tasting of the ocean, as fresh as could be. That being said, the homemade potato chips were irresistible, too.  

Sebasco has, essentially, two dining options The Pilot House, upstairs and the more casual Ledges, downstairs.

We ate at the Pilot House for three different meals. We began our first night with dinner there. The space is lovely, but the experience was stressful as within minutes, my typically careful three year old tipped over twice in his chair!  Needless to say, we moved him into a high chair, and though he wasn't too pleased, we were able to watch the birds fly over the harbor and enjoy our meal.

 

Our food, including fresh salads, hamburgers for the kids, salmon for my mom and lobster for me were very good. And the views were spectacular.

We returned for breakfast.  This time the boys had oatmeal and pancakes, while I had delicious granola and eggs.  The only complaint this time? Service seemed a bit slow...meaning simply that we had to keep my hungry boys from whining too much. 

Brunch was the best, as it meant the food was there instantly.  The quality and range was also good. My mother got fresh fruit and cereal, while the boys had waffles, bacon, eggs and cinnamon rolls. 

 

 We felt far more relaxed, though, in the Ledges restaurant. Between the more boisterous atmosphere, the TV, the access to the outdoors and, quite frankly, the bathrooms, we were able to enjoy the food and the kids.

 

Over the course of a few days, my sons enjoyed truly homemade mac and cheese, thin slices of white meat chicken tenders, fresh haddock in fish and chips and, of course, a hot dog.

(Yes, I totally get that this doesn't win the healthy food award. But it was vacation. That being said, a salad bar or more great veggie choices with the kids' meals would have been appreciated by their tummies (and me).) 

My mother and I tried the salads, the lobster roll and, of course, had more lobster.  I loved, too, the micro-brewed draft beers, while my sons were delighted by their first experience eating whoopie pies.

Our last day offered one last treat: a picnic brunch outside on the Ledges' lawn, featuring blueberry pancakes made as quickly as people gobbled them up.

While, by that point, my mother and I needed another set of hands to ensure that the boys had, yes, all their beverages, maple syrup, fresh fruit and pancakes BEFORE we sat down, it was a pleasure to eat while we watched the birds, the sailboats and kayaks skim by.

So, overall-the food was good. Did I appreciate not having to do the dishes for a few days? Absolutely. Was it as easy as I had hoped? No...I didn't realize the stress of two kids waiting for meals at a restaurant. Was the food decent? Absolutely.  Would I have loved a bit more fresh fruit and veggies for the kids? Yes.  But, truth be told even I couldn't resist those potato chips!

Sebasco Harbor Resort, Phippsburg, Maine

Sebasco Harbor Resort: Swimming, S'Mores and More

It was easy to understand why my son declared his love of Maine after a few days at the Sebasco Harbor Resort in Maine.  Needless to say, my mother and I were also pretty happy. The 4 straight days of glorious weather helped. The unfailingly kind and genuine staff at Sebasco, did, too. It was, though, the wonderful opportunities that brought it together. Sebasco offers a daily schedule of activities from boat trips (we passed this time), kayaking excursions (ditto), and golf (um...not for us, yet!)  

My kids adored the chance to tie dye T-shirts with the staff (and bring them home!).

They enjoyed touring the lighthouse, while I loved the spectacular views and location for doing art.

We played horseshoes, checked out the playground, ate ice cream at the ice cream stand right out our front door and sat on our "patio" and watched a wedding party arrive and stared at the way the sky's colors changed as the sun set.

The pool offered a shallow end for my sons, and a deeper end for bigger kids.  It is filled with salt water and solar heated, which meant the temperature was perfect mid-summer.

One night we checked out their recreation center which included a bowling alley from the 1950s, foosball, ping-pong, arcade games and pizza for the kids.

Another night we sang with Dennis by the campfire and enjoyed his lesson on how to properly make s'mores.

Round Cove, a short walk away, enchanted my kids with crabs, fish, beautiful rocks, and shells.    Sebasco doesn't offer a beach of its own. Instead, a few miles away is the glorious Popham Beach.  There river and ocean meet, to create unbelievable tides, the softest sand imaginable, and views that are stunning.  Larry at Sebasco steered us well, encouraging us to go at low tide...and before the crowds swarmed.  Needless to say, by the end of the day, my sons slept well, excited for more beachcombing, pancakes and swimming once again.

Sebasco Harbor Resort, Phippsburg, Maine

A First Visit to Sebasco Harbor Resort, Maine

It didn't seem so complicated. I just wanted to find a beautiful place to vacation with my young sons for a few days.  The only requirement: that I didn't have to cook for a few days.  I love to cook.  Clearly. But after a year of being a working single mom, I needed a respite.  I had fond memories of our trip to Mexico which involved limitless platters of fruit, vegetables and baked goods.  But, since I couldn't afford any flights, I focused on New England. There were surprisingly few places that seemed to provide a nice place to stay, activities for kids and food for a reasonable price. Then, somehow, I stumbled upon Sebasco Harbor Resort in Maine.  And thanks to them generously giving us a discount, we were able to spend 4 lovely days there in July.  (And thanks to my mom for joining in the fun!)

Ultimately, we had a delightful time. The staff was one of my most favorite in all my travels: genuinely kind and helpful.  The grounds were both lovely and fit with the Maine surroundings, full of wild flowers, towering trees, rock formations and a glorious harbor.  The food was good and the activities kept us content.

Sebasco offers a huge range of accommodations.  The main four choices were cottages (too big for us), rooms in a lighthouse (umm...didn't want the young ones disrupting others!), the main lodge (no availability in the family suite) or the newer Harbor Village Suites (pictured at the top of this post).  For most people, the benefit of the Harbor Village space would be that it has air conditioning.  We chose this modern space because, with four of us, we needed two rooms.  One room had a huge king bed, a TV and a large, full bathroom. The other room had a pull-out couch, another TV, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a small patio. They also brought us a cot for my younger son.  It was spotless, airy and offered plenty of room for all of us.  That being said, it wasn't cheap. (The Sebasco website is incredibly detailed in terms of videos of the rooms and pricing. Expect to pay between $200 and $400 a night for the different accommodations though it depends on the time of the year, day you arrive, etc.)

No matter where you stay you don't is not having to go far to enjoy the place. And, in fact, we loved all we did at Sebasco.  Click here for more posts about our favorite eats, activities and discoveries.

Sebasco Harbor Resort, Phippsburg, Maine

Graze Delivered: Life Got Easier Via Vermont

"Would you like to try a sample of fabulous food?" Who couldn't resist such an e-mail? The fact that the e-mail offered seasonal Vermont goods made it even harder to say, "No." But then it got better-Graze, a Vermont-based farm delivery service, would deliver the products DIRECTLY to my front door. When time is so limited these days, and heading to a grocery with two little boys is...well...challenging at best, I was thrilled.

What surprised me most, though, about Graze delivery was this: not only did they deliver fresh Monument Farms milk and Goat Ledge Farm Camembrie Cheese and Castelton crackers, but they delivered meals in bags. Seriously!  We got a the fixings for a Caprese Salad with Maple Brook Farm's delicious mozzarella, fresh basil and tomatoes. We got prepared free range chicken tenders that even my finicky son devoured. We got a bag with grass-fed beef, cheese, salsa and whole wheat tortillas, for easy to make tacos and, finally, a Pizza Kit with a Flatbread crust, sauce, cheese and sliced pepperoni.  I enjoyed the fresh pasta salad with escarole, swiss chard, feta and orzo. My kids loved the brownies and we all enjoyed the tender mini-banana muffins.  The Goodie Goodies protein bars were the only item that wasn't quite our style, a bit too healthy (and spongy) for us.

The scoop: trying to provide two little boys with healthy and seasonal food is hard enough. And now, as a single parent I am finally understanding why, yes, some people use mixes, buy prepared foods and go to restaurants frequently.   But I still am holding fast to my desire to sit around the table at our house and eat. It is far less expensive, and, frankly, much easier.  I often feel as though I need to choose between caring about the food I give my children and life's challenges.

But, for this week, at least, Graze made it feel like I didn't have to choose.  While I wouldn't typically have my food delivered from Vermont (and it made the locavore in me a bit uneasy), the food we were given was simply, good.  Now, granted, we didn't pay for this thanks to Graze's generosity, but they did provide  a price list.  And, I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were: The entire taco kit was $14.00.  The pizza kit was $13.50.  And the tray of chicken tenders (which also come in a gluten-free version) that easily fed us for two meals (one adult, two pre-schoolers) was only $12.00.  And, get this: delivery is FREE.  In other words, all this was far less then going out to eat, far better than prepared food at most stores and, offered me a bit more time to read with my kids rather than cooking one.more.meal.  In the future, I look forward to trying the eggs, the raw honey and the Millborne Farms Drinkable Yogurt.

When my teaching year begins again and the boys and I arrive home, cranky and tired at the end of the long day, I know I will be turning to Graze.

Graze Vermont Artisanal Foods, 1-888-934-7293

Two Boys and Fries at Foundry on Elm, Somerville

I get that not all parents would view the Foundry on Elm gastropub in Davis Square as a perfect family friendly restaurant. But for my three and five year old sons, it was pretty fabulous. I didn't set out to go there. But it was close to the Davis Square Farmer's Market and my sons had requested hamburgers. So, we meandered in at 11:30 after a sprinkler filled morning at Artesani Park.
Our server, David, couldn't have been more accommodating: getting my 3 and 5 year old boys straws, great seats and taking their questions about food seriously. And we loved the food. It started with tender bread, still warm from the oven. My sons' hamburgers were perfectly cooked. And oh, the fries. Double cooked skin-on Idahos, they were everything good fries should be: sweet, earthy, crisp, tender. Typically I allow "one bite of hamburger for each fry." But even I had to let them have two! The kids sensibly declared that these were the best fries they had ever had. I was just as happy. David steered me to what sounded like the ubiquitous grilled Veggie sandwich. But what arrived was special on a few fronts. The sweet onions, meaty portabella and grilled pepper were cooked perfectly and nutty Parmesan was folded between bites. But it was the sauce that really made it stand out. David explained it was a Bordelaise base, folded in with fresh thyme, basil and pureed sun dried tomatoes. It came with a lovely little salad, full of fresh greens and topped with slivers of fennel. For dessert, the Chef treated us to a taste of his new dessert: a rosy colored Red Velvet cupcake/whoopie pie of sorts. Then, my sons who had wanted an ice cream treat got something better still: a tasting of 3 gelatos. First, a creamy french vanilla. Next, a soothing chocolate pudding. And finally, my favorite, a wonderful hazelnut.
My boys were fully entertained by the big windows that allowed them to watch the world of Davis Square go by and to keep us busy playing, "I Spy."

We left and, of course, they are still asking when we can go back. (And, yes, for the record I do plan to go back, sans children, to indulge in their drink menu!)

Foundry on Elm, 255 Elm Street, Davis Square, Somerville

Island Creek Oyster Bar and the Beauty of a Biscuit

The biscuit at the Island Creek Oyster Bar was perfect. Browned and crispy on the exterior. The inside was warm, moist and tender as only a baker who knows how to properly fold in the butter can create. But what had me unable to stop devouring it was the molten honey that oozed down the top. One bite and I realized there was another flavor that I couldn't place. Anise? Ginger? Finally, the waitress revealed the unexpected taste: rosemary. Brilliant.
My oysters were fantastic, too; don't get me wrong. I find it so compelling that 6 oysters can taste so completely different. My oyster vocabulary is too limited to be able to distinguish each in words. But I can say this: the Misty Point from Pope's Bay, Virginia tasted of pure ocean. The Blue Pool from Lillywaup, Washington was buttery, creamy. The Umami from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island had a totally different texture: less plump, longer.
As much as I try, I don't really enjoy mussels. I tried them here, though, sitting within a lemongrass, chili and and lime broth. They were fine, but I am still not compelled to order them again.
However, we loved the Steamed Duxbury Littlenecks. I typically have steamers, and a few bites are more than enough. However, these steamed littlenecks, having soaked up the salty, smokiness of lardons and Pilsner were fabulous.
The servers were kind enough to offer us a bite of their silky house cured Idaho red trout. I adored the combination with a tart orange to offset the rich nature of the fish. My dining companion, though, passed, preferring the fish on its own merits.

Having enjoyed baked beans at the Maine Diner and Chancey Creek, I tried them here, too. These were more simplistic, tasting of brown sugar, rather than deep molasses. Ultimately, they just weren't as special as, say, that biscuit.

I was smitten with the drink menu as well, hard pressed to choose between a drink with homemade Rhubarb vermouth, another with my favorite Aperol. I loved my final choice: the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club made with Berkshire Rub, fresh lime, bitter orange and homemade falernum-a fabulous sugar syrup with cloves and allspice.

So will I be back? For the food perhaps. The atmosphere, full of beautiful people, isn't quite my style. And, truth be told, I prefer the warm, comfortable atmosphere of Lineage where I can still get Island Creek Oysters. But for those biscuits...maybe!

Island Creek Oyster Bar, 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston