Another route through New England

I thought that Quijote's query would turn up a lot of what I'm looking for, but the suggestion locations don't mesh with our plans as well as I'd hoped.  So I'm going to put this one out there, and I know that y'all will come through for me.  I got great ideas on this forum 3 years ago for a road trip from Texas to Florida (Leatha's BBQ in Hattiesburg, MS...YUM!!!), so I'm counting on great results again.  :-)
 
In mid-October, we'll be flying into Boston late in the evening and heading out the next morning to Providence, RI.  Since we can't check in at our B&B until 3:00, we'll swing down through Newport and Wickford first.  We'll probably be in Newport for lunch, but we're flexible about that.  Then we'll go up to Providence for a couple of days.
 
From Providence, we'll go to Brattleboro, VT via Old Mystic, CT for B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill. 
 
From Brattleboro, we'll head over to Lincolnville, ME.   We don't have the route planned out, so there's some room for interpretation on this one.  The stay in Maine is a biggie, as we'll be there for our wedding anniversary.  Most of our meals will be casual, but we could use some suggestions for one nice (not pretentious-nice, just nice) restaurant somewhere nearby...Lincolnville, Camden, whatever.  An ocean view would be ideal.
 
After a couple of days in Maine, we'll go back to Boston for a few days before we fly home.  We'll expect to stop somewhere between Lincolnville and Boston for lunch.  And of course, we want to know your suggestions for Boston eats.
 
Here are a few considerations:  Because we live in Texas, we're not interested in BBQ, Tex-Mex, or anything Southern.  We want lots of lobster because we don't get to have it anywhere else...I'll be a happy camper if I come home feeling like I've had one lobster too many.  We also love other seafood, particularly clams, crab, and mussels.  If seafood is a part of every meal on this trip, I'll consider the trip a culinary success.  As I said, most of our meals will be casual, and we'll be eating outside as much as possible.  I love the idea of lobster shacks...that's just not something you're gonna find in downtown Dallas.  Living in North Texas means we rarely get to see the ocean (or Gulf), so we'd like to be near the water for as many meals as possible.  We don't want to be on interstate highways any more than necessary and will be happy to take a reasonable detour to get to someplace really good.  We pretty much expect that every travel day will include a lunch somewhere in between Points A and B.
 
I hope that gives you all enough info to work on.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I'm betting you'll come up with some pretty great places, so thanks in advance!
 

We hit Evelyn's in Tiverton, RI on a recent road trip. A nice summer joint, across the bay from Newport - nice, windy back road drive to get there, lovely outside area with waitress service, or a self service window and picnic tables. Lots of fresh seafood. Review link on this site following - http://www.roadfood.com/R...ws/251/evelyns-drivein

Your desire to eat outdoors may be somewhat hampered by weather at that time of the year.  Have you ever seen a Red Sox home playoff game?  ;)

Near Newport, you should give strong consideration for a snack at the Daily Scoop in Bristol.  New England is an ice cream hot bed, and the Daily Scoop is excellent.

I know that you say that you are staying at a B&B in Providence, but you might still consider the Modern Diner in Pawtucket.  I had a very good breakfast there, with other pretty discerning Roadfooders, and we were all pleased.

Not the shortest route, but consider getting from Brattleboro to Lincolnville via the White Mountains, Rte 302 through ME to either ME turnpike or rte 1.  Ultra scenic and you'll be going through some neat Maine towns - I used to spend summers in the Sebago Lake / Long Lake area by Naples.  Save time for a wooden Chris-Craft speedboat ride on Long Lake if they're still operating.

Between Providence and Mystic Seaport try to work in a stop at Johnny Ads in Old Saybrook for outstanding fried clams, chili dogs and most anything else on their menu.

jchristopherson
 
(Leatha's BBQ in Hattiesburg, MS...YUM!!!),  

Alright, I like you already!!!
 
You did a wonderful job of being very specific about what areas you will be visiting, what routes you will be taking and what you want (and don't want) to eat.  I hope you get lots of excellent responses from those in the know. 
 
For a crab shack on the water, it is hard to beat Five Islands Lobster Company in Georgetown, Maine.  Go for the shore dinner and enjoy the spectacular view!
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/5507/five-islands-lobster-company

Youngs Lobster Pound in Belfast is just what you are looking for - a nice deck on a small harbor, you pick out the lobster you want, they cook it for you, call out your name, and you can get it with all kinds of fixins - BYOB. We ate our anniversary dinner there on a perfect evening in late August about 10 years ago. If you have time to stop at Damarascotta be sure to look for the excellent local oysters - sorry, I don't know any names there. 

While you are in Providence you might want to try one of the best pizzas in New England at Al Forno.

Cheers, John 

I hope to post some sort of report on my trip in the next couple of weeks, so you'll be able to see the high and low points of my New England experience.

The Modern Diner in Pawtucket is fun and excellent, with a lot of old school classics as well as updated breakfast/lunch dishes.

We really enjoyed breakfast at Jiggers in East Greenwich. The place is an old diner car, and they serve johnnycakes--something that's not always easy to find in those parts.

In East Providence, we enjoyed a place of pork with clams at O Dinis, a Portuguese restaurant. Lots of good seafood, Italian, and Portuguese cuisine in Providence.

In Maine, if you're in Bar Harbor, try the blueberry pancakes at This Way Cafe. They were incredibly flavorful.

Though Boothbay Harbor is a tad touristy, it is very beautiful. If you find yourself there, try stopping in at the Lobster Dock for (of course) lobster, oysters, clams.... Nice views, too.

In Brattleboro we stopped for coffee, sweets, and delicious bread at Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe. It's right on Main St., so you can't miss it.

Be sure to sift through recent threads on this site--Wandering Jew and Ralph Melton have posted travel reports, and I wish I had known about a couple of those places before my trip.

quijote

We really enjoyed breakfast at Jiggers in East Greenwich. The place is an old diner car, and they serve johnnycakes--something that's not always easy to find in those parts.

You might want to call ahead.


Not that that's what *I* would do.  

J
Sounds like a great trip.  As mentioned earlier mid October will be iffy for a lot of the lobster pounds.  Lincolnville Lobster Pound which is on the water will probably be open.  Don't miss the Lobster Stew.  On the day you leave Lincolnville I have 3 suggestions.  Going South on RT1 the Booth Bay turn off is about 40 miles.  Downtown is about a 20 min ride from Rt1.  I would call ahead to see what pounds are open.  If you travel further South the Wells exit is about 125 miles.  You can stay on Rt1 (more scenic) or pick up Rt95 (faster).  In Wells you will find the Maine Diner.  No ocean view but very good food.  Be sure you order the chowder and pie.  My last suggestion would be the Clam Box in Ipswich MA.  These are the best fried clams on the North Shore of MA.  Seeing that the North Shore is the Fried Clam Capital of the World these would be the best fried clams in the World. Lincolnville to the Clam Box is about 175 miles.
 
 

The Travelin Man

quijote

We really enjoyed breakfast at Jiggers in East Greenwich. The place is an old diner car, and they serve johnnycakes--something that's not always easy to find in those parts.

You might want to call ahead.


Not that that's what *I* would do.  

Oh, bummer! I really liked that place, too.

I see Buffetbuster is a Leatha's fan, too.  We went out of our way to go there, based on Roadfood recommendations, and were we ever glad we did!!!  Best BBQ EVER, with a great atmosphere!

Quijote, I'll be watching for your report, and I'll look for others as you suggest.  Thanks!

Thank you for all the recommendations...I'm making note of all of them, including route suggestions.  We're more interested in scenic than fast...this scenery fix is going to have to last me until February when I get out of Texas again to go to lovely Northern California.  It looks like the lobster pounds are typically open at least through October, so I'm optimistic about that.  Eating outside might be cold, but after a month of mostly-triple-digit temperatures, cold sounds pretty good to me right now.  We'll see how it goes when we're there.  :-)

It's a long trip and we have a lot of meals to cover, so I hope you'll keep the suggestions coming...y'all are the best!

Jeanne

 Brown's and Markey's are 2 lobster pounds in Seabrook, NH, just off 95. Markey's has a beer and liquor license, Brown's is BYOB.
 They both have indoor/ outdoor seating and are great 'lobster shack' experiences.
 Frankly, the past few times we went to the Maine Diner, we felt it had slipped and was pricey.
 Route 1 south of Portland to Newburyport, Ma is kinda fun. It's fairly easy access to interesting stuff and you get a good sense of the locale.

Another vote for Young's in Belfast.  They are the real deal.   As noted, bring your own beer or wine, an darn near anything else you want to accompany your lobster.  I would suggest a visit to down town Belfast, very quaint.  There is a great ice creme shop right on main street. 

I've been reading Ralph's trip report from July, and I've decided that I really need to try some fried belly clams.  I'd never even heard of them until I started researching for our trip!  I love steamed clams and I've had what passes in Texas for fried clam strips, but I suspect those are nothing compared to what they really should be like.  I'm not an adventurous eater at all, but I will definitely be trying whole belly clams at least once.
 
Anybody have suggestions for decent places in Providence, Brattleboro VT, or Boston?  The nix continues on BBQ, Tex-Mex, or anything Southern, and I'll add Italian to that list...I AM Italian, so I can have Italian food any time I want (and it's usually more to my taste than what I find in a restaurant).  I'm still mostly interested in seafood, but I'm getting so many good suggestions for other locations that I think we can spare a meal or two to hit some diners or pubs.  A great place in Boston for breakfast would be very handy...most of our stays are in B&Bs where breakfast is covered, but in Boston we'll be on the prowl for a great breakfast.
 
Continuing thanks, y'all!

Having just eaten there on Sunday, I can highly recommend The Friendly Toast for breakfast in Boston/Cambridge.
 
http://www.thefriendlytoast.net/

For fried clams, the Essex/Ipswich area of Mass. is prime.  The Clam Box in Ipswich is a huge Roadfood favorite, as is Woodman's of Essex.  For a view, however, J.T. Farnham's in Essex is your best bet: the rear overlooks a very attractive salt marsh.  And you're looking for whole belly fried clams -- don't sell yourself short with mere strips in this neck o' the woods!
 
Re: Boston, Durgin-Park really is a great place for real Yankee comfort food.  Yes, it is expensive and touristy -- how could it not be? -- but they do serve hard-to-find dishes like Indian pudding, Yankee pot roast, and prime ribs as big as your head.  Buffetbuster just visited last weekend, so they should have more food by the time you get there!    Chris

Repeating myself, but since you asked - Johnny Adds on the way between Providence and Mystic Seaport is as good as it gets for fried clams.
 
Boston Breakfast - I had a great one at Mike's City Diner.
 
Providence - they only come out a night, but Haven Brothers diner is a great experience.  Also, New York System Hot Dogs for dogs you won't get in Texas. If you get a chance, take a drive out to Wrights Farm Restaurant in Harrisonville RI.  A huge restaurant that pretty much just serves baked chicken and does it extraordinarily well.

Suggestions for the drive down to Boston. Consider stopping in Portland, it's well worth an afternoon of exploring and eating. So many good places for a town of its size. Hot Suppa serves a good breakfast and lunch http://www.hotsuppa.com/lunch.html
Duckfat is delicious. http://www.duckfat.com/
If you make it as far as Kennebunkport before stopping, The Ramp in Cape Porpoise is open year round, and you'll get your water view if you still need one. (The Ramp is the bar for the fancier restaurant above, they share a kitchen). If haddock chowder is a special, don't pass it up. http://www.pier77restaurant.com/

I guess i am a lil late for the party here but... If you are going to drive from Newport to Clydes in Old Mystic you just have to stop here!! WWW.nordiclodge.com
This is by far the best all you can eat seafood restraunt in New England. My wife and I go there every year on our aniversary. The food is just spectacular and the atmoshere is even better!! From a fellow Texan, trust me you wont be disapointed I promise! It might seem a lil pricey but it is worth every penny! Eat as many lobsters as ya can. A man vs food thing!
 
When ya get to Clydes, give me a ring. I live 1 1/2 miles from there and you can tell me how great the Nordic Lodge was.