“There's two Maines: Portland and south, which I call ‘Boston lite,’ and then there's the rest of Maine,” says Nick Pappas, the food and beverage director at the recently opened Under Canvas Acadia. “Up here, it's slower, it's calmer, and you just get to enjoy every aspect of life."
Having grown up in a small town along Maine's mid-coast just outside of Acadia National Park, the chef spent the five years prior to the pandemic running The Rooms restaurants down in Portland (he also counts running a local lobster pound among his culinary experiences). But COVID—and an offer to create the dining program at the glamping brand's latest outpost, which succeeds locations near other national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon—presented the chance to return to the woodsy, coastal stretch of Maine he was raised on. And yes, that "DownEast" living is as good as he remembered it to be. “I get two-and-a-half days off, and I spend them outside,” he says. Well, and scouting for top-of-the-line crustaceans and local produce, of course.
Here, Pappas shares his favorite spots for a day off, on Mount Desert Island where Acadia is found and in the less-touristed small towns just beyond—from a locals-only beach, to a low-key farm-to-table dinner spot. (And never mind that he recently became a vegan; he still knows exactly where to find the best lobster roll in town.)
Comfort food for breakfast
If we decide to go out for breakfast, it's Silvia's in Ellsworth, a 20-minute drive from Mount Desert Island. It's a fun little cafe, a local spot that everyone goes to. They carry Just Egg, a vegan egg, so I have that with some toast. My wife loves meat, though, so she's got a plate of bacon, some pancakes, waffles. They also have awesome burritos.
Working up a sweat
We've got a two-year-old, so we've been exploring how to get him on hikes. Great Head, in Acadia, is one of my favorites to take my son on. We also do Sieur du Mont, but I put my son in the carrier backpack for that one. It's got just enough elevation, your heart rate goes up, but it has great little cutouts with different views of Northeast Harbor, which has our well-to-do seasonal residents like the Rockefellers, and their grounds.
When there are too many people in Acadia in the summer, we got to Schoodic Mountain. Deer Isle is also gorgeous, and we like to swim at Carter's Beach in Hancock.
No-frills lobster rolls for lunch
The best place for lunch—and I stand by this as someone who's lived here my entire life—is Ted's Takeout, a food truck in the Northeast Harbor marina. Ted used to run a restaurant on Mount Desert Island called Abel's, which was one of the original lobster pounds, that his family had since about 1928. His family aged out, so he sold it and got a food truck instead.
I always joke that I make the second best lobster roll in the area, and he beats me. He respects the food he's making, he respects the lobster. He also makes blueberry lemonade that is so good. That's the food I ate before I was a vegan, now I get the veggie burger.
Sourcing fresh goods
I'm at the Blue Hill Co-op every Saturday, they have cured meats for sandwiches, cheeses that are made around here—Seal Cove's cheeses are unreal. There's also a farmer's market in Ellsworth on Saturdays. Those spots are where [my wife and I] do 80 percent of our shopping. A little more mainstream is Acadia Provisions, they have high-end locally made stuff like FIORE infused olive oils. Half the time that's my snack [for hiking], I pack just a bowl of bread and one of those oils with herbs in it. For seafood like lobsters, it's Perry's [in Surry], hands down.
Evening entertainment
I normally kick back [in the evenings], but once a year we do the Lumberjack Show. Timber Tina runs it, and I've known her my whole life. You watch these people absolutely decimate trees and logs. They do speed competitions where they have axes, they do log rolling. It's what you'd imagine a lumberjack in the woods of Maine is doing, but the showmanship side of things. It's super touristy, it's super cliché, and it's super fun—you have to do it once. It's every night at 7p.m.
Where to grab dinner
Gateway sells lobsters to a majority of the lobster pounds and restaurants on Mount Desert Island, and that is your down home, less expensive, really good seafood dinner. For higher end seafood with a little bit of a South American kick, it's Havana.
For a special dinner, I'm heading to the Crocker House in Hancock. It's in this old manor, and unexpectedly you're getting this five-star dining experience out of nowhere, in this little town. They serve Beef Wellingtons, your classic filet with potato medallions. Not far from there is IronBound, they're homey food, but they take it up a notch. The vegan side of me loves Sweet Pea's, on your way into Bar Harbor. It's super unassuming, and most of the things on their menu are house-grown and -made, farm-to-table. They make their own wine, they have wood-fired pizzas.
The occasional libation
Finn's is the go-to bar for most people, but Fog Town Brewing has got some really fun stuff going. They don't have a standing beer list; they're constantly brewing new beers. You can have a beer there and there's a chance you're never going to see it again, so it adds to the Oh, I gotta try this factor.
…and a little something sweet
Blueberry Hill is an ice cream spot in Ellsworth that everyone loves. They haven't changed their ice cream in forever. I went there when I was a kid, and now I take my son.
The 1 in 10 Project We introduced this new initiative to celebrate the more than 10 percent of people around the globe whose jobs are tied to tourism in some way, from hotel concierges to tuk-tuk drivers. With the pandemic still ongoing, we're spotlighting these individuals—who are so often the most memorable, and essential, part of our travels—with features like this one that give a glimpse into their everyday lives.
