A trip to Kennebunkport

More than just lobster rolls...

I recently returned from a vacation to the idyllic Maine seacoast and then a few days with family in my hometown of Laconia, New Hampshire. Kennebunkport, Maine, is one of my favorite seaside spots in the northeast, as it provides everything you “want” to see when you think of Maine. 

Yes, Bar Harbor is far more spectacular. Still, Kennebunkport is that beautiful middle ground where the coastline provides the quintessential rocky face Maine is known for while allowing for a few sandy beaches. The kind of beaches that disappear the farther north you travel. The weather was perfect for late summer, with a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures mainly in the mid-70s. 

With the end of my trip slated for New Hampshire, it made sense to fly into Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH. If Maine was your only destination, you may want to fly directly into Portland. Either way, getting to your destination is not arduous. The drive from Manchester to Kennebunkport was less than two hours, and that was via state roads and highways while avoiding the major interstates. 

Growing up in New England, I have long been a seafood snob, especially after working in a restaurant in college where the seafood we sold arrived by boat each morning. I’ve rarely enjoyed lobster outside this region, so I was on a mission for that delicacy of my youth, the lobster roll. And let me be clear: I am referencing the correct way to make a lobster roll—with mayonnaise. I leave the “Connecticut-style” warm buttered lobster roll for the seagulls. 

To my surprise, many of the purveyors of these delights in Kennebunkport also accommodated those afflicted, as I am, with Celiac Disease by providing a gluten-free bun option. A little something is lost without the toasted New England-style frankfurter bun, but at least I could enjoy my favorite dish without resorting to a knife and fork.

For me, the winners were local favorite (and one of the only restaurants open year-round) Alisson’s and the annoyingly famous (though for good reason) The Clam Shack. Both provided the perfect mix of lobster meat, a hint of mayo, a little green leafy lettuce, and salt and pepper. 

If I could only eat one again, I would go with The Clam Shack. Their lobster roll had prodigious amounts of claw meat; by that, I mean whole claws! They also toasted their bun more, which is essential for a gluten-free bun to maintain its form while eating. 

But there is so much more to the small coastal town than lobster rolls. Let’s talk about fudge! As my wife and I walked around the main street perusing the shops and their wares, we discovered The Candy Man. Tucked away near an inlet and just off the main square, this non-descript candy oasis is a beacon to your sweet tooth. Inside the store are hundreds of sweets of all kinds. Gummy bears by the pound, sweet and sour candies galore, basically everything you wish you could scoop into a sack and munch on all day as a kid. 

But just as with a high-end jeweler, the good stuff is behind the glass case. That is where the best, and I mean the absolute best (apologies to Mom and Nana), peanut butter fudge I have ever consumed is found. The turtles and truffles are top-notch, but the fudge is straight-up gold-medal stuff. 

Their peanut butter fudge was terrific because it was clearly fudge but tasted more like a peanut butter ball. The typical sugary mouthfeel and, at times, overly sweet taste of fudge were subdued and only appeared as an afternote. Peanut butter is the star of the show, no question. I’m unsure if I can enjoy this confectionary from any other store. I am ruined. 

I must also mention the cafe across the street from our hotel, Mornings in Paris. This corner coffee shop has a nice little outdoor seating area and ample seating inside for those chilly mornings. The coffee is very good, but there is better in town; more later. The reason I have to mention them is self-centered in that they offer a wide array of gluten-free products. This is the second time I’ve made that point, but it is crucial. Adjusting to a gluten-free diet is not fun, but it is manageable when at home. Traveling, on the other hand, can be a nightmare. Mornings in Paris had some of the best coffee cakes I’ve eaten, period. It was so good that after sampling my piece, my wife bought one, and she has no dietary restrictions. It is rare for a GF product to be so good people choose to eat it over a “regular” version, but that’s how good this coffee cake (and banana bread) was. 

Now, about that coffee. A trip down Port Rd past several restaurants and shops will bring you to the Coffee Roasters of the Kennebunks. If the wind is in your favor, you will smell the store before you see it. The aroma of roasting coffee was like no other, and it pulled me into the storefront. I felt like a character in an old Bugs Bunny cartoon being lifted in the air and magically transported via scent. 

Opening the screen door to the Coffee Roasters (actually a part of a classic New England home) is like walking into the past. In a way, you are going back in time as the enormous roasting machine on display has been roasting beans for over 100 years, and the owner, Sandra, has been doing it for over 40 years. She learned the business from her father, who purchased the roaster. 

They roast multiple varieties of beans and have several types of coffee brewed and ready to purchase in carafes. With the smell and strength of these beans, I knew I had to have something fresh, so I opted for a double espresso to liven up my afternoon, and I was not disappointed. I failed to ask Sandra what type of beans were in the espresso machine, but it didn’t matter; they were terrific. I sampled coffee from several locations in Kennebunkport, and they were all tasty, but the Coffee Roasters of the Kennebunks are on a different level; ten out of ten!

Another “must-have” for a seaside town like this are shops and galleries, and Kennebunkport has them both in spades. I appreciated the trends throughout the many galleries of using recycled materials, focusing on icons of the local area, and presenting a diverse selection of painters and photographers. There are many galleries to choose from, and I encourage you to visit them all. However, I have to say I was most impressed with the Northlight Gallery on Ocean Ave. It is a working studio, and we had the pleasure of chatting with artist Harry Thompson, who was working on another beautiful painting of the iconic boats moored in the harbor.  

For me, no visit to the ocean would be complete without trying to capture a brilliant sunrise or sunset, or both. In our case, the conditions never granted us a magical sunset, but we did get to witness a lovely sunrise overlooking one of the more famous neighborhoods in the town. The Blowing Cave rocks did not live up to their name as the sea conditions were relatively calm. Still, the Sandy Cove area and the peninsula just beyond housing the homes of many of the Bush family provided a beautiful foreground for the sunrise. 

There is something about being near the sea that always recharges me. My childhood was spent near lakes far more than the ocean, but regardless of whether it is the northern Atlantic, the Pacific or Indian oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, or the great Mediterranean Sea, being near the ocean feels right to me. As we left Kennebunkport, it reminded me of how special this area is and that my wife and I must make room for a trip to Bar Harbor and the spectacular Acadia National Park soon. 

We wrapped up the trip by spending time with family in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, specifically Laconia, where I grew up. Since my parents moved out of New England, I haven’t visited often, so catching up with aunts and uncles was a joy. Returning to the town where I grew up was a strange mix of nostalgia and curiosity as so much has changed. 

I had so many thoughts about being a tourist in my hometown that I will discuss them in another post. I hope I have inspired you to visit the Maine seacoast for your own adventure; I doubt it will let you down.