t s u m m e r g u i d e 2 0 1 7 1 4 1 t P SeCret from toP: angeL coLon ricHard Ponder Y ou’ve read every travel guide and food blog on the web. You’ve plotted out a meal-by-meal itinerary. You’ve even packed your stretchiest pants. Now it’s time to forget everything you’ve heard about the Maine food scene. If you’re look- ing for real local flavor, you’ll find it just as easily off the beaten track–and you won’t need to wait as long for a table. Remember– with over 300 restaurants in Greater Port- land alone, you’ll need to plan a lifetime of vacations to experience the real taste of Maine. What a delicious challenge! L Ster taLeS First things first: the headline act. It’s no se- cret that Maine lobster has secured an in- ternational reputation as an affordable luxury in recent years. From Italy to Chi- na, chefs are creating inventive new ways to serve Maine’s prime export. But in Va- cationland, you can’t beat the classic lob- ster roll. If you have an entire afternoon to spare, you can try your luck in the lines that snake along the sidewalk to that oh- so-hyped seafood joint on Middle Street in pursuit of the much lauded, award-win- ning Brown Butter Lobster Roll™. But if you want to mingle with tourists and Main- ers alike (who know to visit such places on- ly during winter months), drive instead to The Lobster Shack at Two Lights Park or to Red’s Eats in Wiscasset. Both draw siz- able crowds, but counter service ensures you’ll be rewarded quickly with a fluffy white roll that’s perfectly toasted and laden with tender, fresh lobster meat. At The Lob- ster Shack, you won’t regret indulging in an extra basket of fried whole-belly clams to munch as you watch the surf roll onto the granite shelf of shoreline beyond the pic- “Yokelvores” of the SECRETS fr m Staff & ire reP rtS o en the doors and see all the eo le. othing will single you out as a greenhorn faster than ordering a 3-pound lobster. unans in ape rp ise ser es l ster stea ers and lue err pie. asi nall a salad.But theres a agi here.