Best Dining in Maine | 2014 Editors’ Choice Awards

Hungry? The Pine Tree State offers plenty of restaurant options for hungry residents and visitors alike. Here are our picks for the best food & dining in Maine for 2014. BEST HARBORSIDE DINING: ARAGOSTA, Stonington Whether lunching on the harbor-hugging deck or dining inside at a white-clothed table, distant Isle au Haut is the backdrop for lobster boats toing-and-froing among spruce-fringed islands. Savor that view along with chef Devin Finigan’s farm-to-table fare–perhaps local oysters, beet salad, and her signature Stonington lobster ravioli. Entrees: from $24. 27 Main St. 207-367-5500; aragostamaine.com BEST OCEAN VIEW: OCEAN AT CAPE ARUNDEL INN, Kennebunkport Begin with cocktails on the porch; progress to the dining room. Savor the views over open ocean and out to the Bush estate on Walker Point while feasting on chef Pierre Gignac’s French-accented cuisine. Entrees: from $25. 208 Ocean Ave. 207-967-4015; capearundelinn.com BEST CHURCH REVIVAL: GRACE, Portland Meticulously renovated in 2009, the soaring Gothic Revival architecture and stained-glass windows of this 1856 church make it easy to give praise for the divine fare created at the open-kitchen altar. Entrees: from $18. 15 Chestnut St. 207-828-4422; restaurantgrace.com BEST ASIAN FUSION: TAO YUAN, Brunswick Small bites reveal nuanced flavors and palate-pleasing textures at Tao Yuan, where classically trained chef Cara Stadler and her mother, Cecile, create distinctive Asian fare from primarily local Maine ingredients. Small plates: from $5. 22 Pleasant St. 207-725-9002; tao-yuan.me BEST FARM-TO-FORK: STUTZMAN’S FARM STAND, BAKERY & CAFE, Sangerville Pair views over working farmlands with hearty soups, fat sandwiches on house-made breads, and brick-oven pizzas, all scratch-made from fresh-from-the-fields ingredients. Don’t miss the homemade pies and sweets or the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch with entertainment. Lunches: from $5. 891 Douty Hill Road. 207-564-8596; mainehighlandsfarmers.com/Stutzmans BEST TEA HOUSE: TEA HOUSE 278, Bar Harbor Tea takes center stage at Tea House 278, where rare loose-leaf teas, handpicked on organic farms in China, are steeped and presented in a traditional Gaiwan tea service. Don’t miss the tea-steeped eggs, if available. 278 Main St. 207-288-2781; teahouse278.com BEST SEASIDE PUB: COHILL’S, Lubec Order a pint of Guinness and drink in the views over the Lubec Narrows and Johnson Bay while enjoying a hearty burger, shepherd’s pie, or a locally sourced special from the daily chalkboard menu. Entrees: from $9. 7 Water St. 207-733-4300; cohillsinn.com BEST FINE DINING: 76 PLEASANT ST., Norway Bret and Amy Baker have meticulously renovated the 1896 Judge William Jones House, within walking distance of the historic downtown, into an elegant yet unpretentious 24-seat restaurant, with a seasonal menu drawn primarily from locally sourced foods. Entrees: from $21. 76 Pleasant St. 207-744-9040; 76pleasantstreet.com BEST ICE CREAM STAND: GIFFORD’S, Skowhegan Gifford’s refers to its original stand, opened in 1980, as the “ice cream center of the known universe,” and it’s hard to argue with this four-time World Dairy Expo Ice Cream Grand Champion. 307 Madison Ave. (Route 201). 207-474-2257; giffordsicecream.com

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