A Culinary Holiday in Maine

Listen up, foodie travelers! We can arrange an itinerary for your next visit to MidCoast Maine that will set your forks on fire. While there is no end of lobster rolls, fried haddock, shore dinners, and chowder, this corner of the country has more to offer the trye culinary enthusiast. Read on for the definitive locals guide to Rockland, Camden, Rockport, and all the fishing villages in between. We’ll fill you in on the hidden gems and special spots that will change your life.

The Craignair Concierge travel experts are well-steeped in MidCoast Maine and all it has to offer locals and tourists alike. We feel lucky to get to dine at these places and draw inspiration from the chefs, cooks, and restaurateurs in our backyard. When you visit The Craignair Inn, allow us to direct you towards a week’s worth of restaurants where you will have

Back in September of 2025, Sammy’s Deluxe was named one of the 50 best restaurants in America by the New York Times. Sammy’s Deluxe, if you haven’t had the pleasure, is located at the end of Rockland’s salty Main Street, near the ferry terminal for the islands of North Haven and Vinalhaven. The atmosphere is neighborhood tavern meets your grandma’s house. It’s always candlelit and inviting. But it’s the food that has had people talking for almost ten years. Chef/Owner Sam Richman operates with integrity. He uses the best, freshest, most local ingredients, simply prepared. The food is always saturated in flavor, it is delicious, wholesome, and just a little cheeky. There’s a sense of humor and playfullness in the entire enterprise, which is enormously refreshing. We are always warmly welcomed by the staff, and trust that our guests are in good hands when we send them to this delightful Rockland, Maine establishment.

Sara Jenkins, Chef/Owner of Nina June in Rockport, is one of the seven; that is, the seven James Beard Awards semifinalists in Maine. Rockport is a little further up the road from Rockland. Rockport is an affluent village located on a hill above the ocean. A seat at Nina June could be in the pretty front window facing Main Street, or overlooking the Rockport Marina. The setting is romantic and elegant, like date night. The food is simple and extraordinary. The chef spent time in southern Europe, in places like Italy and Spain. You can taste the sunshine in her slow cooked food, which is always a boon on a chilly day in Maine. At The Craignair we send our guests to Nina June when they need a taste of Mediterranean.

Beyond Rockport is the village of Camden, where the mountains meet the sea. Camden is picturesque, a place of sailboats and serenity. Camden, Maine is a summer home for Manhattan’s elite, and offers all the amenities a well-heeled might want. And while there is no shortage of fine dining establishments in the sweet tourist town, we most often send our inn guests to Mosaic. Mosaic is vibrant and flavorsome. This small restaurant is packed with heart. We love all the things on the menu that are pickled and braised, slow cooked, made to order, and jammed with ridiculous flavor from points across the globe. Their focus is mainly South and Central America, but a darn fine Korean barbecue sauce makes its way onto the table, just because. Is it a hidden gem? You bet it is!

On the last morning of your stay make sure you sleep late! Enjoy a leisurely innkeepers breakfast. Book an appointment at RISE for an integrative massage in our studio, with ocean views at the top of the inn.Then, before you leave the MidCoast for hhome, we recommend a visit to Double Grazie in Rockland’s salty South End. Breakfast is hearty and wholesome. Lunch may be even better. You must try a white pizza pie with ricotta, roasted fennel, fennel fronds, and bread crumbs. Savor an affogato for dessert, a perfect pick me up for the ride back to where you live.

A visit to MidCoast Maine is a chance to live the good life. Spend time in nature. Soak up the culture. Eat well. Drink well. Rest and relax and reconnect with what matters. We feel lucky to live in a place that is so beautiful, populated by fascinating people doing marvelous things, and community oriented. There is always something interesting going on. There is real neighboring. We work together, and support one another. We invite you on a culinary adventure. If you are a foodie planning a trip to New England, specifically Maine, the MidCoast of Maine is not to be missed.

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