Between the creamy chowder, stuffed with chopped quahogs and accented with sweet onions, and the sunset views over the harbor, this little shingled Martha’s Vineyard shack draws a hungry crowd during peak season. 29 Basin Road, Menemsha. 508-645-9239; thebitemenemsha.com
Yankee
Chatham Pier Fish Market
Served in takeout containers, this chowder puts on no airs. But it has incredible fresh-from-the-sea flavor, a hint of smoke from the bacon, and just the right amount of milk to thicken it without overwhelming it. 45 Barcliff Ave. Extension, Chatham. 508-945-3474; chathampierfishmarket.com
Thurston’s Lobster Pound
End of the road, end of the earth: Look for mountain views, bluebloods, bluehairs, and swarms of fishing boats. Steamboat Wharf Road, Bernard. 207-244-7600; thurstonslobster.com
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
Don’t miss this one for the atmosphere: open ocean, battered cliffs, foghorns, wind, and crashing waves. 225 Two Lights Road, Cape Elizabeth. 207-799-1677; lobstershacktwolights.com
The Cod End
It’s right on a working wharf, with views out to the Muscle Ridge Islands, the bubbly granite shore, and pointed firs: foggy, soggy, and piratey. 12 Commercial St., Tenants Harbor. 207-372-6782; codend.com
J’s Oyster
J’s may be the last of Portland’s salty, divey seafood houses. Casco Bay and the urban working waterfront are right outside the door: condos, cruise ships, and bait houses. 5 Portland Pier, Portland. 207-772-4828; jsoyster.com
Bagaduce Lunch
For 60 years folks have been slinging seafood, fried and steamed, from a little red-and-white shack perched on a hilltop overlooking the tidal Bagaduce River. Watch for eagles fishing in the falls. 145 Franks Flat, Penobscot. 207-326-4729, 207-326-4197
Maine Food Trail: Lobster Rolls
A lobster roll is a simple thing: basically, cold lobster meat stuffed into a warm bun. It’s the street food of the rocky Maine coast–a vernacular masterpiece served high and low, at lobster pounds, cookhouses, and seafood shacks, at supermarkets and gas stations, at fast-food chains and in home kitchens. But for a lobster roll […]
Burger Bar & Bistro
The chefs grind their organic beef in house, and their basic burger on a big, soft bun is one very good reason to visit. But they don’t stop there: Their decadent Kobe burger, for example, may come with a high price tag, but the deep, rich flavor is so worth it. And the ground-beef soul […]
Bobby’s Burger Palace
We like that celebrity chef Bobby Flay appreciates a simple, good burger enough to open a palace of an eatery suitably equipped to showcase them. Right on the gaming floor at Mohegan Sun, Flay offers big, juicy patties with a nod to American regional cooking. His “L.A. Burger” with avocado relish plus a side of […]
Ted’s Restaurant
In Meriden, the folks at Ted’s have been doing their share of burgering for more than five decades, and the secret to inspiring their loyal following is the way they steam the patties. Juicy, tender, and topped with cheddar … We’re reluctant to suggest that they’re healthier than grilled or broiled burgers, but for sure […]
Lunch with a Legend: Judith Jones
Yankee spends a day with editorial icon Judith Jones, one of Vermont’s most accomplished summer residents. For anyone who writes, especially anyone who writes cookbooks, meeting Judith Jones–the longtime editor of John Updike and Anne Tyler, the visionary who famously turned Julia Child and Mastering the Art of French Cooking into household names, and an […]