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What to eat and drink in Maine

A person holds a small dish of lobster and chips up in front of a waterfront scene

The chilly waters off the coast of Maine are a bounty of delicious seafood.

You’ll find fresh clams, kelp, scallops, crab, oysters, mussels, fish and of course the acclaimed Maine lobster. Mainers also grow a plethora of fresh farmed products like wild blueberries – 40,000 acres of the Pine Tree State are dedicated to the little blue treats.

When you’re not exploring the 65 lighthouses or over 500 acres of state and national parks, head to some of these top places to sample some of the local products made, harvested or caught in Maine.

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Maine’s lobster roll is served cold with mayonnaise © Patrick Donovan / Getty Images

Feast on lobster, Maine’s local delicacy

You can’t go to Maine without trying the fresh-out-of-the-water lobster. Maine is the largest lobster-producing state in the nation, with about 80% of America’s lobster coming from the coastline here, thanks to the combination of factors that keep lobster content, such as temperature, depth and food supply.

There are many popular ways to prepare lobster, including pie, chowder, bakes and even pizza. Aside from a classic steamed lobster, the most common dish is the famed lobster roll. The native New England dish is made up of juicy lobster meat tucked into a toasted bun, with a filling containing a variation of butter, mayonnaise, celery or scallion, depending on the state. The Pine Tree State uses mayonnaise in its version and serves the lobster cold. But the long debate over using drawn butter or mayonnaise in a lobster roll will continue to fuel heated discussions across New England.  

Where to try it: You can find this delicacy just about anywhere in the great state – from fine dining establishments to roadside lobster shacks. Salt Yard Café, on the street level of Portland’s Canopy Waterfront hotel in the heart of the Old Port, serves a lobster roll with truffle mayo, chives, lettuce, brioche and French fries. Meanwhile Day’s Crabmeat & Lobster is a roadside shack in Yarmouth that’s been around since the 1920s and is said to sell one of the best lobster rolls in Maine, which can be enjoyed with a water view.

Want to get adventurous? Book a ticket on a lobster boat to see the behind-the-scenes action of Maine lobstering. Lucky Catch Cruises offers a lobstering tour where you’ll learn how to haul up traps on Casco Bay. For those wanting to take the…

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