Beech Hill Farm
Beech Hill Road, Mount Desert, 207-244-5204
http://www.coa.edu
Farm stands are hard to find on Mount Desert Island and that’s one reason we’re thankful for Beech Hill Farm, a project of College of the Atlantic. As part of their hands-on teaching mission, they produce certified organic food for sale to the community. From their gardens you’ll find fresh herbs, salad mixes, heirloom tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, and kale, as well as cut flowers and honey. They also offer the wonderful Seal Cove goat cheeses and Smith Family Farm milk, as well as organic jams, coffee, and cereal from local purveyors. I’ve found their supplies can deplete, so go early – they open at 8am. Check the Web site for the days they operate. We always bring them our plastic grocery bags so that they can recycle them for their customers.
C.H. Rich & Co.
Bass Harbor, 207-244-3485
My parents lived on Nantucket for years and always lamented the fact that it was hard to get fresh, appropriately priced seafood at retail there. That’s not the case on Mount Desert Island. Our friend who was born on nearby Swan’s Island recommends C.H. Rich in Bass Harbor. They’re open 365 days a year and sell crab, lobster, whatever they’re catching. Last October I phoned to ask if they had any fresh crab. “Nope, not until the spring.” Trying to plan my afternoon, I asked what time they close. “When all my boats are in.” And there you have it.
Little Notch Bread Company
340 Main Street, Southwest Harbor 207-244-3357
An innkeeper I know worked in the Little Notch bakery one winter and
told me they used truly outstanding ingredients. You know this
immediately when you try their sourdough, focaccia, walnut raisin
rounds, or baguettes. If you are also looking for a quick, tasty
lunch, you can enjoy pizza specialties, sandwiches, pasta, and chowder
here. Be prepared for some tough decisions – say, deciding between a
sandwich of prosciutto with asiago and roasted peppers on a Little
Notch onion roll vs. hearth- baked fresh pizza featuring ricotta and
garlic, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. And be further warned, Little
Notch also offers all of the delicious traditional sweets you may be
trying to avoid – cookies, brownies, sticky buns, and scones. (But,
you have been hiking every day since you’ve been on Mount Desert
Island, haven’t you?)
Sawyer’s Market
344 Main St., Southwest Harbor, 207-244-3315
Sawyer’s has been a neighborhood grocer on Mount Desert Island since 1946. It still has the same hardwood floors and a patterned tin ceiling, but it features all of the gourmet fare of this century. The friendly butcher will get you fresh meats and fish, but you can also find fresh local vegetables, herbs, gourmet chicken sausages, wine, cheese, and basic groceries, as well as some pre-made sandwiches and soups. Some complain about the prices, but it’s convenient, high-quality, friendly and charming. Diagonally across the street is Sawyer’s Specialties, which has a broad selection of both wine and cheese and expert advice that can yield some interesting, well-priced “finds.”