#6 MAINE – Hash With Panache

We rented a nice apartment in Rockland, ME for a week.  It was a time to refresh, take a break from driving, and give my arteries a bit of a break.  Six out of the seven mornings I ate cheerios with fresh Maine blueberries and skim milk hoping that would atone for all the pork products I had eaten during the previous week. However, one morning was reserved for breakfast in Maine. We chose the place that Yankee Magazine in 2014 gave “The Best Breakfast in New England” award:

Home Kitchen Cafe
Rockland, Maine

AMBIENCE:  The motto of the Home Kitchen Café is “when you are hungry come Home”.  After eating Cheerios for a number of days, I was hungry. The medium sized establishment was busy but we were able to snag a table upon arrival. The clientele appeared to be a mix of locals and people on vacation. The room held lots of sunlight and had original artwork on the walls. It was a casual, nice restaurant. It was the type of place you could linger if you didn’t feel guilty about the line waiting to get in.

5 out of 5 stars

FOOD: The menu was large and stated that you can get breakfast all day which reminded me of a line from comedian Steven Wright:  “I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast anytime” so I ordered French toast during the Renaissance.”  You also could order off the lunch menu for breakfast.

I think if I was asked what my last meal would be I would pick corned beef hash topped with a couple of poached fresh eggs.  For credible hash, you must be able to see and taste little chunks of corned beef which should taste like it came from Katz’s Deli. The hash should be grilled. I would puncture the poached eggs and mix it with the hash. I would be a happy man.

Some of the previous breakfast places on the Tour had corned beef hash on the menu but it just didn’t feel right. Here it felt right. They named their corned beef hash dish “Home On The Range” and I ordered it. For a change of pace from hash browns I got a side of home-made polenta.

It was amazing! I could have eaten three of these. It definitely deserves a Breakfast Across America Certificate of Excellence.

Home Kitchen Café is famous for its cinnamon buns. There are two types of buns to choose from:  Sinnies which have a cinnamon and white sugar glaze and Stickies which have a pecan and brown sugar glaze. I thought The Healthy One might go for one. She mentioned the possibility and had that wistful, far-away look of someone about to embark on an exotic adventure. Then we saw a bun go by on the way to another table. It was as big as a VW Beetle! This shook her back to reality and discretion being the better part of valor, ended up ordering yogurt and granola made with oats, cashews, almonds, and coconut.

That's yogurt on top, not vanilla ice cream. The granola had an incredible amount of cashews which she thoroughly enjoyed.

 

5 out of 5 stars

COFFEE:  No complaints. Good quality coffee. It would have gone great with the unordered cinnamon bun.

4 out of 5 stars

SERVICE: It was gratifying to find such a busy place so well staffed. Our server was friendly, attentive and helpful. She took good care of us.

5 out of 5 stars

COST: $29.44 with tax and tip.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT ROCKLAND:  Rockland is not named for the rocky Atlantic Coast upon which it sits but rather for the limestone quarries that surrounded the town. I wouldn’t call Rockland one of those quaint New England towns but it is certainly thriving. If you want quaint you go a little ways up the coast to Rockport or Camden. Nevertheless, the downtown area has numerous shops, restaurants, and a world-class art museum.

Rockland harbor is a real working harbor with many lobster boats, a Coast Guard station, ferries to the islands, ship building and repair docks, and a limestone processing plant. Much of what we learned about Rockland and its industries was on a guided kayak tour of the harbor. We saw plenty of harbor seals and osprey among the lobster boats and yachts.

Vacation here, not in Branchburg NJ.

BURN THOSE BREAKFAST CALORIES OFF:

-          - Walked out and back on the mile long granite breakwater to the lighthouse. I do not recommend doing this during hide tide and a full moon. My shoes are still drying out.

-         -  Hiked in Camden Hills State Park. The Ocean View lookout is spectacular.

August 24, 2016