By Billa
When you Google “What foods is the State of Maine known for?” The first answer is “lobsters” (see my blog from 9/1/24 - (https://www.dazzlingdinners.com/post/blueberry-bliss-in-maine) the second answer is invariably “wild blueberries.”
Maine’s wild blueberries are different than the cultivated ones we get here on Staten Island or anywhere else. They are smaller but juicier with more of that wonderful blueberry flavor.
The wild blueberry season runs from late July into August and early September. And since we happened to be in Maine in August, I hoped we’d be able to sample some wild blueberries.
Turns out that was very easy to do. In every restaurant we went to it seemed to be a point of pride to have wild blueberries in some form or another on the menu.
To begin with, and to my delight, almost every restaurant we went to had some version of blueberry lemonade.
My favorite was at a restaurant in Camden called 40 Paper - it had just the right combination of tartness and sweetness. So good!
In one of the bed and breakfasts we stayed in, the Hollidae House in Bethel, there were wild blueberry pancakes for breakfast. This is something I sometimes make at home, but these had a more intense, concentrated blueberry flavor.
One would expect that there would be blueberry-based desserts on the menus, but in Nina June, a wonderful restaurant in Rockport, Maine, we were served a risotto made with wild blueberries, mascarpone cheese, and marigold leaves. It was a memorable dish. The risotto was creamy and tangy with occasional juicy pops of blueberry goodness.
Of course there were also terrific desserts. Like a wild blueberry and white chocolate mousse at Scales restaurant in Portland. It was ethereal, light and airy.
Another favorite was a pistachio and goat cheese cheesecake with wild blueberries served at the aforementioned Nina June. As I was eating it, I thought, this is perfection - one of the best desserts I’ve had in recent memory. The tangy cheese contrasted beautifully with the sweetness of the berries. The delicious crunch from the pistachio crust added a lovely textural element.
Finally, on the last day of our trip, at the Elizabeth Inn and Restaurant in Bethel, we capped off the trip with a hazelnut cheesecake with a wild blueberry topping. So good!
Note by Luci:
Many years ago I spent 13 summers in Southwestern Maine. Then, restaurants served good plain food, e.g. meatloaf. The best had lobster and, my favorite, huge cuts of prime rib. Blueberries appeared only in blueberry pies and, occasionally, in a blueberry cake. There were a couple of upscale, adventurous places that served duck a la' orange and a few other French dishes. How times have have changed! I wish I had been with Billa to delight in all that incredible food.
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