At my house, August is the month when the constant trickle of houseguests “from away” begins to slow, and thoughts turn to Vacationland day trips. What you’ll need for the voyage ahead is something nourishing and portable, something like a sandwich. While Greater Portland has more than its fair share of fantastic ones, so does the rest of Maine, if you know where to look. Here are five of my favorites.
The Garden Tuna Sandwich, here pictured as a wrap, at the Orange Cat Cafe in Farmington. Photo by Morgan Dunham
Garden Tuna at The Orange Cat Café in Farmington
On my way to catch the solar eclipse a few months ago, I made a few food-related pit stops. One was in the sleepy town of Farmington, where I visited a former colleague’s “all-time favorite lunch spot in the world,” The Orange Cat Cafe. When I saw the throng of diners, I figured the quirky, quaint restaurant was full to capacity because of the day’s celestial events, but according to the locals in line with me, the restaurant serves capacity crowds every lunchtime.
It took me a single bite of my Garden Tuna sandwich to understand why. Orange Cat’s oniony, all-albacore filling goes extra-light on mayo and heavy on crunch from diced carrots, red onions and celery. More world-weary readers might say, “Sure, but it’s just tuna salad,” but consider the balance of flavors and textures tucked into two thick-cut planks of the kitchen’s homemade oat bread. Just as impressive: the shop’s milky, allspice-and-cardamom-scented chai ($4.50) and sticky, bittersweet chocolate-raspberry whoopie pie ($3.50), both of which are made in-house.
222 Broadway, Farmington. 207-778-0552. orangecatcafe.com
The Locomotive Sandwich at Crossroads BNB in Mattawamkeag. Courtesy of Crossroads BNB
Locomotive Sandwich at Crossroads BNB in Mattawamkeag
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I’ve never hiked the Appalachian Trail, but I’m certain I’d be hungry all the way from Georgia to Maine. Whenever I think about making the trek, I imagine the celebration meal I’d eat after reaching the Northern Terminus at Mt. Katahdin. If I made it to the summit early enough (and had wheels to take me the hour-or-so drive to nearby Mattawamkeag), I’d mark the end of my journey in “The Keg” (Mattawamkeag) with a suitably splurgeworthy signature Locomotive breakfast sandwich ($8.99).
Normally, I’m skeptical of stunty sandwiches that replace bread or a bun with something over-the-top. But eggy, golden French toast just makes sense with flattop-seared, fennel-forward sausage, strips of crisp bacon and a full serving of two scrambled eggs. Crossroads’ kitchen keeps the sandwich manageable by not drenching it in sticky maple syrup – although you should feel free to douse away – so it is possible to pick up The Locomotive with your hands. If you need a lie-down after consuming this indulgent morning treat, the restaurant rents woodsy, cabin-themed rooms. The ravenous through-hiker in me loves that idea, as well as waking up just in time for one of the restaurant’s two all-you-can-eat dinner nights: fried fish ($14.99) on Tuesday and pasta ($12.99) on Saturday.
270 Main St., Mattawamkeag. 207-746-8880. facebook
Crab BLT at Greet’s Eats on Vinalhaven
The Greet’s Eats food truck. Courtesy of Greet’s Eats
When locavores dream, they see visions of a crimson truck parked in a gravel lot. This is Greet’s Eats, where during the summer, a quick walk from the Vinalhaven ferry terminal, Greta McCarthy and her crew prepare lunch from Thursday through Monday. Considering Vinalhaven’s enormous lobstering industry (second only to Stonington’s), you’d be right to expect to find world-class lobster rolls ($20) here. And boy, are they fabulous. But locals as well as locavores know: The real story is Maine crab.
To make their superlative Crab BLT ($22), Greet’s starts with a blend of peekytoe and Jonah meat picked mere inches away from the truck, squirts in just enough mayonnaise to bind the pearly flakes of crab together, and presses a few ample scoops of the mixture (along with a thick slice of beefsteak tomato and iceberg leaves) onto slices of bread. Now is not the time to think about whole grains and fiber – just give in and order your BLT on the buttered, grill-toasted white to get the best layering of salty and sweet flavors. If you’re just visiting for an afternoon, you can bring your sandwich to well-maintained Grimes Park next to the ferry station. But even better: Sit facing the water and watch the working waterfront in action. You might even see the makings of your next sandwich arrive on the dock of the Vinalhaven Fisherman’s Coop, which, naturally, is just next-door.
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W. Main St. (next to the Fisherman’s Coop), 207-863-2057. facebook.com/Greetseats
The porchetta sandwich at Lil’s Cafe is not on the menu at the moment, but may return, according to Lil’s co-owner Deb McCluskey. “It’s more of a hearty, cold weather sandwich,” she explained. Courtesy of Lil’s Cafe
Porchetta Sandwich at Lil’s Café in Kittery
“Find a bakery, find a sandwich.”
That’s been my traveling mantra for years, and it’s gotten me through bouts of peckishness (and peevishness) around the world. Yet when it comes to my home territory, I sometimes forget my own advice. I know where in Maine to go for a great bagel, bun or croissant, but sometimes I neglect those places when my stomach starts rumbling. Lil’s Café in Kittery is the place that reminds me, time and again, that a sandwich is just bread that likes to share the spotlight.
I’d eat just about any of Lil’s sandwiches – all of which are served on their extraordinary breads – but my favorite may be their Porchetta Sandwich ($12.95), an open, airy, homemade ciabatta roll slathered with garlicky mayonnaise and filled with handfuls of gently dressed arugula and a thick slice of fennel-seed-studded, house-cured roast pork.
If you visit and find the porchetta (which Lil’s prepares more often in the fall and winter) off the menu, you can’t go wrong with their vegetarian-friendly, marinated tofu sandwich piled high with cucumbers and mint, and slathered with the cafe’s homemade cashew romesco sauce. And if any omnivores in your group complain, placate them witha few maple-bacon crullers ($3.95) for dessert.
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7 Wallingford Square, Kittery. 207-703-2800. lilscafe.com
The Dirty South at the Honey Fried Chicken Palace in Thomaston. Photo by Malcolm Bedell
‘The Dirty South’ at Honey’s Fried Chicken Palace in Thomaston
Those of you who’ve been following food multihyphenate Malcolm Bedell’s career will be unsurprised to see his work featured here. Heck, if all you knew about the cook, restaurant owner and former Maine-based food-blogger is that he once operated a Rockland food truck wittily named “Wich, Please!,” you’d expect him to show up in an article about sandwiches in Maine.
But Bedell isn’t here on the strength of his resume. He earns a spot on this list because of The Dirty South ($12), a chicken sandwich that simultaneously channels both the American South and Southwest. One crisp, deep-fried pickle-brine-and-buttermilk-marinated thigh acts as a juicy backdrop to tangy pickled red onions, smoky corn salsa and a hearty glug of complex “Chipotle Cherry co*ke BBQ sauce.” Order an extra serving of creamy, slightly sweet homemade cole slaw on the side for another $4. And I don’t want to confuse things by tossing another regional culinary inspiration into the mix, but the The Dirty South pairs uncommonly well with a bottle of Moxie ($3). Who knew?
153 New County Road, Thomaston. 207-593-8090. gethoneys.com
