My mom and I have this tradition of driving up to Freeport, ME every year to do some outlet shopping. We’ve done it since I was a little girl. When we first started going, we stayed overnight at a cute little B&B that is no longer. We’ve watched the little town grow and seen stores come and go. Sometimes we stop in Kittery, sometimes Portland, and sometimes Ogunquit (can’t miss those lobster rolls!)

The drive is just over 2 hours from Boston, and while there are outlets now in Wrentham and at Assembly Row, I still like to go up to Maine because it’s such a cute little town.

So where do we start? Can’t start the trip without making a pit stop at L.L. Bean! Don’t forget to take a picture with the enormous boot! They have FREE concerts and events during the summer. Check out the schedule here. Did you know that L.L. Bean is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?!? When I was younger, it was so much fun going into the store at midnight.

What are some of my favorite stops on Main Street (and off)?

Sea Bags I have a MAJOR addiction. In addition to their recycled sail bags, they have some cool jewelry from Lemon Line and some fun options for your home.

J. Crew I’m a sucker for the J. Crew outlet. I love all their kids clothes too.

Vineyard Vines They have an outlet store in Wrentham and at Foxwoods. This store is two floors of preppy heaven. Just note that there is no way to the second floor besides the stairs, so be prepared to leave your stroller. (Although they did offer to help carry my stroller all the way up, but that just seemed cruel )

When Pigs Fly I can’t get enough of this delicious bread. You can get it in the market, and they even have stores in MA. But this is a favorite stop for me – oh and did I mention that it smells delicious?

Fjällräven just opened a store in Boston. They have their only outlet location up in Freeport. They sell first quality merchandise at around 10% off. I picked up a “maxi Kånken” backpack and use it in place of a diaper bag on most days. It has an extra expandable compartment for a laptop if you want to use it for a commuter bag.

What else can you find in Freeport?

The Coach Factory Store, Coastal Maine Popcorn, Dooney and Bourke, Lindt, Sperry, The North Face, and Maine Woolens to name just a few.

Where to eat? To be honest, we usually eat somewhere else (like Ogunquit or Kittery) but I’ve always wanted to try the Harraseeket. We’ve had a few meals at Linda Bean’s Maine Kitchen. My first meal there was delicious, this past time, when we went for lunch it was just meh. Sort of disappointed when you pay for a lobster dish, especially in Maine, and it’s just meh.

For more information on Freeport, ME, check out their website here.

Have you been up to Freeport, ME lately? Where’s your favorite place to eat?

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Portland might be one of my favorite places, not only for the views and the shops, but for the amount of delicious restaurants packed into a small area. It’s so hard to choose where to go each time, but this time we opted to check out the Honey Paw. It’s the sister restaurant to Hugo’s and Eventide Oyster next door. I love the decor here, from the honeycomb lamp shades to the bear artwork by the restroom. There is large communal table by the window and a U shaped counter that goes around the perimeter of the restaurant. They market themselves as a non denominational noodle bar, that serves up pasta from across the globe.

We started off with the Brussels sprouts ($9), I love the presentation.

They came piled high on the plate and topped with crispy onions.

Next we had the red braised spare ribs ($14), a special item that day, that came with a chili glaze, sesame and peanut. These were delicious, the meat was so tender.

For my main meal I had the Vietnamese chili lobster ($20) that was yellow noodles, 1/2 a lobster tail, littlenecks, and a pork meatball served with red sauce, salted cabbage and cilantro. This was like an asian fra diablo (with meatballs). It was really quite delicious and I loved the kick.

The Honey Paw

78 Middle Street, Portland, ME

http://thehoneypaw.com/

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On a day trip up to Maine for some outlet shopping, we stopped in on Frosty’s. I’ve always noticed the sign but never stopped in – so many stores, not enough time, know what I mean?

Set a bit off the main street, Frosty’s is located inside a charming little house.

The inside is a bit sparse.

They offer coffee (hot or iced), tea, smoothies and other frozen beverages in addition to donuts. They give you the option of creating your own donut, where you get a plain donut, they add the icing, and you add the candy toppings.

I stick with a classic. The donut is light as air, the cake melts in your mouth and the icing is sweet, but not overly so, a perfect addition to the plain donut! They are so fresh that you can never go back to those other guys…I won’t mention any names!

What’s your favorite type of donut?

Frosty’s Donuts

45 Main Street, Freeport, MA

http://frostysdonuts.com

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I frequently go up to Maine – I hit up Freeport for the outlet shopping, Ogunquit for the lobster rolls, Portland for the views and then Kittery for more outlet shopping before coming home. I’ve been to Bob’s Clam Hut across the street and have always wanted to try Robert’s Maine Grill, but it never worked out timing wise. The restaurant can be recognized by the large lighthouse out front – a nod to the Quarterdeck, the previous restaurant standing in this space.

When you step inside, you are greeted by all things Maine. Robert’s has a marketplace with a selection of clothing, specialty food items and those great door mats made from old lobster trap float rope.

From the road, you’d never expect to have such a beautiful view of Spruce Creek, it’s the perfect backdrop for your meal.

Robert’s serves coastal Maine cuisine with a focus on the freshest seafood available and serves exclusively Maine beers on draft. The lit up road signs above the bar are an art installation and they help communicate Maine to out of towners.

The space upstairs is open and bright, they even have an outdoor patio that is great in the warmer weather.

We are greeted by Lisa, our server, who took really great care of us. Instead of bread, Robert’s serves cheese and crackers. Tonight’s spread was a honey dijon cream cheese.

I opted to start with a blackberry lime rickey while I looked over the menu.

We took some recommendations from Lisa and started with the lobster sliders ($7 each or 3 for $19). After having a lobster roll on a biscuit, I’m not sure I can go back to a hot dog bun… I was wondering how the biscuit would hold up, and it ended up being perfect – held together until the last bite!

Ever since I went to Vermont, I’ve been in love with cheese curds. Robert’s fries them up an serves them with a side of marinara to share with the table. Their version was surprisingly light!

At Lisa’s suggestion, I had the grilled sea scallops ($25) that came with rainbow chard, corn and chorizo. This dish was a perfect choice – a  really nice saltiness to the dish with a little kick from the chorizo. The scallops were perfectly grilled, they melted in your mouth.

We tried the taco special – grilled shrimp tacos with a smoked avocado crema topped with a corn and black bean salad. There were so many wonderful things about this dish – a little smokey, a little salty – it was a very well put together dish.

I was completely full from my meal but felt like I owed it to myself to try out some of the delicious desserts. You know, for research purposes All the desserts on the menu are available as a full size for $7.50 or in a “bite size” portion for $3.50. We started with the lemon bar with raspberry coulis.

How can you come to Maine and not try the blueberry crumble a la mode?

The carrot cake was enormous and came topped with fresh whipped cream. It had a layer of walnuts that was really quite nice.

Disclaimer: I was invited to be a guest at Robert’s Maine Grill. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Robert’s Maine Grill

326 Route 1, Kittery, Maine

http://www.robertsmainegrill.com

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The views here are breathtaking, even in the off season. Ocean was named on of the Top 100 Scenic Restaurants in America by Open Table reviewers. We start with a drink at the table. The Aviation ($14) is made with gin and is quite the stiff drink!

We start with the onion creme brulee special ($10) which was really lovely. I’ve never had a savory creme brulee before – it was truly a treat.

The lobster ($33) was served with gnocchi, white asparagus and fava beans. Chef Pierre Gignac did a wonderful job with this dish – light and seasonal. The dumplings were perfect and the seasonal ingredients helped showcase the sweetness of the lobster.

We had the steak ($34) that was cooked perfectly and had lots of rich flavors. And even though it was a steak dinner, it still managed to feel light.

Service was top notch, our waitress was on top of our every need. Ocean is a great place for a romantic date night, we highly recommend you stopping in.

Ocean at the Cape Arundel Inn

208 Ocean Avenue, Kennebunkport, ME

http://www.capearundelinn.com/dining/

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The chocolate hazelnut tart was sweet but not too sweet. You would think that with that much chocolate it might be overwhelming.  Not so. And the flakes of sea salt sent this over the top for me.

The lemon tart was equally delicious! It was sweet and tart….really quite delicious.

We grabbed a blueberry scone to go – usually my experience with scones has not been good – they are usually quote dry, but not these. Simply delicious! I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the Portland area.

The Standard Baking Co.

75 Commercial Street, Portland, ME

http://standardbakingco.com/

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The outside definitely has Paris down pat, right down to the chairs. I ordered a smoothie that was a bit too super sweet for my liking.

When I ordered the macarons, they put them in this box and I was a little disappointed to see that they were from Macaron Cafe, not housemade.

Morning in Paris

21 Western Ave., Kennebunk, ME

http://www.morningsinparis.com/

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We order inside at the counter and they give us a lobster buzzer. We scope out seats – while it’s sunny outside, there is a cool breeze, but in the end we decided it would be a waste not to eat outside.

There are great views of the water outside, some tables have some shade under the umbrellas. For those not as adventurous, there are tables inside as well.

The lobster roll was pretty good. What threw me off is that the lobster meat was cold but they pour warm butter over it, so if you don’t eat the lobster roll quickly, the butter starts to congeal. The Portland Phoenix voted Portland Lobster Company’s lobster roll the best lobster roll in 2014. In addition to lobster they have a good selection of fried food, salads and wraps. And don’t forget about dessert! Try the locally made blueberry pie.

Portland Lobster Company

180 Commercial Street

Portland, ME

http://www.portlandlobstercompany.com

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We picked the same weekend to go up to Kennebunkport as M and B, so we decided to meet up the first night for dinner. The restaurant was quite dark, so the pictures here are not the best – good enough for you to get the general idea though.

The treetop/nature theme from the resort is carried through here as well. The decor is beautiful – I love the white lights on the tree branches above the bar.

The restaurant is packed, as I expected it would be. Earth is Ken Oringer’s seventh restaurant. Earth uses local ingredients and produce from the property’s two on site organic gardens.

Sangria ($15) is always a good way to start a meal!

Burrata, mustard fruit, black olive oil, crunchy olives, rhubarb ($15). The plating is a work of art, unlike any burrata dish I’ve had before. Creamy and delicious, this dish makes me crave more burrata on the plate.

Wood fired lobster, green garlic butter, fresh garbanzo beans, Meyer lemon, chamomile ($42). Another great presentation, I loved my entree. Earth makes it easy for you to eat the lobster meat – and there is a decent amount of it.

Crispy skin duck, fermented garlic, sunchokes, baby turnips, tardivo ($36). I know I keep talking about the plating, but it really is quite something to look at.

Diver scallops, smoked potato purée, Fiddle Head, baby fennel, Vidalia onions ($38). Fiddleheads might be one of my favorite things. The scallops were on the larger side, M couldn’t finish the whole dish.

Warm donuts ($10) came served on a wood board – simple and delicious.

Meyer lemon curd, blondie, whipped cream, umiboshi, white chocolate, granola streusel ($10) While I was so full from my lobster entree, I loved every bite of this dessert – meyer lemon anything is top of my list!

 What’s your favorite Ken Oringer restaurant?

Earth at Hidden Pond

354 Goose Rocks Road

Kennebunkport, ME

http://www.earthathiddenpond.com/

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How cute are the rooms? The only downside is that they do not have showers at the spa.

I had a pure therapy 60 minute massage ($130) with Emily, who was fantastic. She gave me a customized massage based on our conversation of what I was hoping for.

The spa rooms were very clean, the bed was warm and the room was relaxing. I can see how people fall asleep in massages. They offer many different types of massages: Warmed stone, warmed bamboo, a muscle melt renewal and a pure integration thai yoga massage. They also offer a variety of body treatments: herbal garden body exfoliation, seaweed and green team herbal body wrap, and a Maine honey body buzz warm remedy wrap among others. They have a variety of facials to choose from as well. In peak season, make sure to book your appointments well in advance!

Tree Spa at Hidden Pond

354 Goose Rocks Road, Kennebunkport, ME

http://www.hiddenpondmaine.com/theTreeSpa-en.html

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