And summer comes on with a bang!

So much to tell you about! Taking my responsibility as the innkeeper in the know very seriously, I've been eating out... Buck's at Buck's Harbor, the new BoatYard Grill here in Blue Hill, another trip to El El Frijoles to try their Sunday lobster special, take out from the Fish Net, dinner at Barncastle (and they have a pool table and Ms. Pacman game),
even treats from the Black Dinah Cafe on Isle au Haut! And I inaugurated the new room at Maxx's Blue Hill Wine Shop!

You know I've always loved Maxx--did you know he plays the cello?--and think the Blue Hill Wine Shop is amazing. But now! Now, you can get fabulous cheeses and pastas and some sausages... And he will make you a coffee and you can get Tinder Hearth bread and some days it's a farm fury with produce from David's Folly, Elliot Coleman's Four Season Farm, or Living Branch! And he has a puppy who might be in residence on the day you drop by, too. She's Tansy and very dear. (The secret to having a quick visit to the wine shop is to get someone other than Maxx to wait on you. If you have the time, though, Maxx is the king!)


I've sent many a guest out to the Black Dinah Cafe but hadn't been there myself until this past week. The mailboat out of Stonington has a varied schedule so we were able to eat breakfast at the inn and still get out and back in time to be the hors d'oeuvres serving innkeeper. On the island, we met a ranger who supplied us with maps, a bathroom, and a ride partway to the cafe (so much for my plan to burn a few calories on the stroll! still, many in my group were happy with his generosity). The cafe isn't far from the town landing but it's a wooded walk, not along the shore.
The cafe had exactly what we needed--a loaf of fresh bread, hot and cold chocolate, plenty of great coffee, scones, truffles, ice cream, gifts for friends back home, a game of Uno for the kids... All that plus co-owner Steve's great smile and a wave from the co-owner chocolate maker, Kate, from the kitchen. Another day, we will plan our day around a longer visit and a hike or bike across the island.

Dining at Buck's got us out to Buck's Harbor--so beautiful! Dinner was delicious--Thai mussels, Acadian jambalaya--chock-a-block full of seafood, and a flatiron steak with a lemon-caper sauce. The bread basket was so delicious I had no room for dessert.


Closer to town, the BoatYard Grill at Webbers' Cove BoatYard just opened last week. As luck would have it, we happened upon them on opening night and got to enjoy a steamed lobster, cooked just right, a Boatyard cheeseburger, and grilled skewers. Although all was tasty, I am still craving the ginger-soy marinated grilled tuna with soy wasabi dipping sauce. Mmmmmmm. They have a fun bar and the sunset view is great and, it's in the middle of a boatyard! Anneliese Riggall (remember her from the Wescott Forge?) and Matt Cousins are the hosts.

Another night we headed to the Barncastle, the perfect spot when you are tired of seafood and a sit down dinner in a pretty old building is in order. We were dining with a 14-year-old and there was a waiting list so we were thrilled to discover Ms. Packman in the pool room. Then we moved on to Backgammon, even taking the board to the table to finish our game. I always get the ribs and am always so pleased! The pizza is great, friends rave on the salads and the vegetarian chili, but I just keep ordering the ribs! Again, not a bit of room for dessert... Well, the teenager might have had pie, a la mode, and eaten every bite!

And then we happened past El El Frijoles yesterday and the car took us right in, somehow knowing that there would be an extra grilled lobster (really smart people call ahead and reserve theirs) just for us, and we had crab quesadillas and four kinds of salsas and even horchata! Lobsters are a Sunday special only. It never hurts to call ahead and see what's up at El El. You can also byob (a neighbor stopped by for his dinner with a six-pack in tow and tipped Michael with a beer!). Getting to say hey to Michele and Michael is the best, and we love steeping in the Mexican folk art and great vibe.

With all this great eating, it's a good thing we've had perfect weather for hiking out to Barred Island and swimming and kayaking. Flash in the Pans has been playing around and about so we've been to the street dances, too. And the first of the month always finds a contra dance at the town hall, right next door to the inn.

From the guest book: "What a wonderful trip--Sarah and her staff were amazing. They made it all so special--the best vacation ever--absolutely delightful--hate to go back to reality--the best" from Dallas, Texas "Thank you for a lovely stay. It was the perfect headquarters for our explorations--like coming home at the end of each day" from Nashville, Tennessee. "Absolutely the height of New England charm!" from Greene, New York.

I hope your summer is filled with wide smiles, too.