Road Trip: I-90 to Boston then Up the Coast to Acadia NP

Wife and I are hoping to do a road trip east to Boston on I-90 and then up the coast on backroads into Maine late summer, early fall, maybe ending around Acadia National Park. I will be looking at Diners, Drive In's and Dives, Roadfood.com and local websites for some ideas, but was wondering what suggestions LTH'ers might have. We generally do not haunt upscale restaurants, preferring to find the more "GNR" type neighborhood places where the locals go. I know the route given after Boston (up the coast) is pretty vague, but we believe a good meal on the road is worth driving a bit out of the way for. So, it's possible some of the suggestions may help us create the route. Of course, we will want to sample some great lobtser at some point. If we make the trip, I will report back. Thanks!

You might get some ideas from this old thread.

Gardiner is off the beaten path, but if you are near there check out the A-1 diner: http://a1diner.com/

You may go through Bangor. If so, check out Bahaar Pakistani or Tesoro Pizzeria.

We spend a couple weeks each summer in York Beach, Maine, which is an hour plus north of Boston & just over the border from New Hampshire. And thus, I've sampled much of what southern Maine has to offer, from Portsmouth to Portland. Besides stevez's Maine Diner (link upthread), I have to say that there just isn't a lot of consistency. If you deviate from broiled haddock or steamers, there's a distinct chance you'll be disappointed, even from one visit to the next at the same place! My wife seems to think it's because of the transiency of the summer help, my opinion is they don't have the passion that Chicagoans have for their food, period. We're definitely spoiled here, you know.

BUT...a couple years ago I found a little place near our cottage in York with that passion. The Stolen Menu Cafe is expensive for the area, it's not much to look at, but the breakfasts & lunches dished out are creatively wonderful indeed. Check out the 'Hash Benni':

Two poached eggs nestled on M-J’s Roast Beef hash, Baby spinach, cheddar cheese, on grilled buttermilk biscuit. Served with garlic Parmesan breakfast potatoes.

...or the 'Garlic Fried Egg Melt':

Toasted pumpernickel bread with garlic aioli, baby greens, American cheese, tomato, crispy bacon, two fried eggs.

Yeah, twelve or thirteen bucks for breakfast is a bit much, and because of that, who knows, they might not be around that much longer. All the more reason to check them out now.

The Stolen Menu Cafe
127 Long Sands Road
York, Maine
(207) 363-0289

http://www.thestolenmenucafe.com/

Becky's Diner on the wharf in Portland ME is an absolute Platonic Ideal of a diner: on the wharf, great soups and mains, and most excellent pie for afters. Wonderful place. And, used to be that right next door was a fish market doing some awfully good lobster rolls.

Geo

Saluki68 - I'm a Saluki '85 and can help with some recs in and around Brunswick, ME as my SIL resides there. I haven't been in three years, but here's some of the better stuff I recall:

Excellent yeast donuts are available at what we lovingly call "God's Donuts" due to the owners' overt spirituality in the store:

Frosty's Donuts
54 Maine St
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 729-4258

Offbeat decor, good wine list, locavore sourcing of menu items, excellent pate and overall tasty fare:

Conundrum Wine Bistro
117 U.S. 1
Freeport, ME 04032-7003
(207) 865-0303

Freshest, best tasting lobster roll I have ever had - anywhere, anytime - and it's just a hop and a skip from the SIL's place. Take Route 24 south out of Brunswick and don't blink or you may miss it:

Gurnet Trading
602 Gurnet Road
Brunswick, ME 04011-3701
(207) 729-7300
http://www.gurnettrading.com/

Cook's Lobster House is an old standby in the area - keep driving south on Route 24 past Gurnets and you can't miss it. One of those places with lobsters from "chicken" size on up to multi-pounders live in the tank.
68 Garrison Cove Rd, Bailey Island, ME‎
(207) 833-2818‎
http://www.cookslobster.com/

Sebasco Harbor Resort is a fun place to dine and watch the ocean. We've not stayed there but if you're seeking lodging it might be a nice place to check out:

http://www.sebasco.com/Dining/sebasco_h ... dining.php

Have a nice trip!

DAvooda

Thanks to all who have replied so far. Steve Z's postings, complete with pictures, from 2005 are great. Many of the places mentioned are still around. Lots of great suggestions and info to check out.

Thanks to all of you who replied to this posting. However, as will happen, things change and this trip has morphed into a radically different direction - literally. We are, instead, going to the southeast coastal low country to visit Charleston, SC, Beaufort, SC and Savannah,GA. We will travel via Louisville, KY, Berea, KY, Knoxville, TN and Asheville, SC on the way down. The way back north will begin with a stop in Social Circle, GA for lunch, then a drive through visit to Atlanta, GA and ending with a day or two in Nashville, TN.

We have done research on LTH and many other sources as well and are looking forward to a very tasty trip which we will report about when we return.

Why Social Circle, GA you may ask? Here's why. http://www.bluewillowinn.com

Again , thanks to all who replied to the original question.