Abel’s Lobster Pound
Rte. 198, south of junction of Rtes. 198 and 233, Mount Desert, 207-276-5827

Abel’s gets everyone’s vote for “lobster pound in the best setting.” Set in a spruce grove overlooking the incomparably beautiful Somes Sound, you can sit outside at picnic tables lit by torcheres or inside a large and cozy knotty pine dining room. Of course, the lobster dinner and blueberry pie are great, as are the Caesar salads with either lobster or grilled chicken. But the other thing you get at Abel’s is first-rate, fast and friendly waitress service. In fact, it’s both the setting and the service that distinguish Abel’s (and set its prices a bit higher). The business is still family-run. One night we arrived late from rock climbing. The owner’s daughter-in-law actually went herself to see if they could still serve us a lobster, but they had stopped the boils for the night. I’ll always love Abel’s because of her genuine warmth and true Maine hospitality.

Bassa Cocina de Tapeo
3 Old Firehouse Lane, Northeast Harbor, 207-276-0555

What accounts for the incredibly good vibe at Bassa? It may be the table-to-table greetings among the Northeast Harbor neighbors who seem to love the place. The ceiling draped with burnt red fabric, backlit to create a glow, certainly adds to the warm, relaxed environment, as does the open kitchen. But it’s probably also because eating tapas (which is this Mediterranean restaurant’s specialty) encourages more and more glasses of wine and sangria. When we went on a Monday night in August, the place was packed, but our good-natured waiter easily went along with our plan to start with two little plates each and then decide what would come next. Our favorite tapas were French, Spanish, and Italian sausages and a perfectly prepared soft shell crab. We did decide to order entrees, including lamb tenderloin in a green peppercorn glaze, paella (light on the seafood, perhaps because they were unexpectedly busy and running out of things), and the evening’s surprise hit, a tian of deliciously flavored vegetables. The food was very good, but the fun we had that evening was truly memorable. More good times are certainly in our future in their garden and at the Bicchiere Bar.

Eat-A-Pita and Café 2
326 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, 207-244-4344

Since my daughter is borderline vegetarian, it’s not a surprise that I found myself eating here in the picket-fenced garden along Main Street, Southwest Harbor. Luisa was very happy with the healthy fare and chose a Greek salad with feta and hummus stuffed into a whole wheat pita and served in a basket. (“Would you like a smoothie with that?”) My lobster bisque was enhanced lightly with sherry and a nice chunk of lobster, and I also had an outstanding crab cake sandwich with a very tasty remoulade sauce that put the prior night’s crab cakes in Bar Harbor to shame. They also offer beer and wine and everything from a mojito to a martini! These may put you in a good enough mood so that the slow and sometimes confused service is not going to bother you, and you can enjoy a surprisingly fresh and delicious lunch watching the goings-on on Main Street. They’re also open for breakfast and dinner.

Havana Restaurant
318 Main Street, Bar Harbor, 207-288-CUBA
http://www.havanamaine.com

Havana just may be my favorite restaurant in the whole world, or at least that’s what I think every time I begin sipping a mojita in their warmly lit, tomato-colored dining room overlooking Main Street in Bar Harbor. But this, of course, is because my palate favors highly flavored food. For example, an amuse bouche that brought an immediate grin to my lips was their tiny take on bruschetta – tomatillo, Kalamata olives, and goat cheese served on a bite-sized tortilla. The entrees include fish, chicken, pork, beef, and vegetarian dishes, all with highly integrated accompaniments. While the service isn’t always as friendly as at other spots, it is professional and expert, including special wine guidance. I love the black and white photograph of young lovers in Havana in the ladies’ room.

Jordan Pond House
On Jordan Pond, Bar Harbor, 207-276-3316
http://www.jordanpond.com

Jordan Pond House sits high on a lawn overlooking Acadia’s 100-foot-deep, emerald green Jordan Pond and the two round mountains known as The Bubbles. It’s a hub for many carriage roads and hiking trails, but also for tourists who come for the restaurant’s renowned popovers and the gift shop. Parking is awful and you’re given a beeper to help manage the long waits for a table. So why bother? Well, since the late 1800s that view from the lawn has enchanted visitors. We like to go to Jordan Pond House “for tea” after a hike up Jordan Cliffs Trail, one of our favorites, and have a cup of lobster or seafood stew, lemonade, popovers, and homemade strawberry ice cream. Tea is also served, of course, and you’re graciously welcomed in your hiking boots. The food is all delicious, but especially if your table is out on the lawn where, on my first visit, L.L. Bean was doing a photo shoot. Believe me, those guys from Freeport know their Maine scenery.

Mache Bistro
135 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor, 207-288-0447
http://www.machebistro.com

Chef Kyle Yarborough offers up his fresh approach to French bistro cuisine in a subdued setting that puts the food center stage.  Local produce, seafood, and cheese all get a special hit of flavor from this veteran chef of Havana, Jordan Pond House, and Seasons.  The crab and lobster cake appetizer are served with an olive and tomato drizzle; the scallop entrée is richly flavored with rosemary and pepper, served over polenta and topped with arugula.  Delicious dishes can be paired with wine flights or well-priced bottles from a good wine list.  We appreciate the $2 coffee and other gestures toward more reasonable pricing that make Mache Bistro one of the best values among the top restaurants on MDI.

Mother’s Kitchen
Route 102, Town Hill, 207-288-4403

It may be worth a trip “off island” to stock up on supplies in Ellsworth at Shaw’s supermarket or Wal-Mart. Town Hill is a convenient place to stop for lunch as you’re coming or going. If you’re tired of lobster rolls (is that possible?), our friend Emy who’s been coming to Mount Desert Island since the 1960s recommends Mother’s Kitchen for their creative, delicious sandwiches. How about farm fresh egg salad with capers and lettuce on anadama bread? Or homemade chicken salad with walnuts and tarragon, cranberry sauce and lettuce on onion walnut dill bread? One of my favorites is barbeque pulled chicken with coleslaw on a roll. They have great salads and children’s choices for $3.25-$3.50. You can take home baked goods and specialty desserts, assorted salads, and box lunches. They also do catering and, acknowledging the cramped space of their cozy little shingled shack, they encourage you to call ahead to save time: 288-4403.

The Quiet Side Café and Ice Cream Shop
360 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, 207-244-9444

The Quiet Side is a terrific little family-run spot with a few tables, some stools at a counter, and a case of some of the most delicious ice cream anywhere. There are 24 flavors of soft serve and over 20 choices of hard ice cream and yogurt, including Wicked Good Chocolate, Maine Maple Walnut, and Maine Wild Blueberry. But save room for lunch because the Quiet Side’s pizzas, sandwiches, lobster rolls, fried clams, and chowders are great. And when you see the blueberry and apple pies sitting on the counter (they must be over 3 inches thick), you’ll undoubtedly decide to have pie with your ice cream. It’s no wonder Mount Desert is pronounced like dessert.

Red Sky
14 Clark Point Road, Southwest Harbor, 207-244-0476
http://www.redskyrestaurant.com

As I looked across the intimate, yellow-gold dining room toward the fireplace, I noticed an attractive woman in a bandeau and hiking boots, and I thought Red Sky is such a perfect spot because it is so utterly elegant and casual at the same time. A favorite of both locals and visitors to Mount Desert Island, it draws guests not only from Southwest Harbor and other communities on the “quietside,” but also regulars from Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor. Balancing warmth with culinary expertise, the owners James and Elizabeth Lindquist set a white table cloth for an excellent menu that features local products and seasonal produce. Breast of duck with a port wine demi-glace and grilled lamb marinated in Dijon, garlic, and rosemary have been among my favorites, as is Elizabeth’s martini. If you’re alone, don’t hesitate. Go and sit at the bar and try the house-made duck and pork sausage or mussels steamed in white wine. Good food and good conversation are almost inevitable, any time of year. Red Sky at night is a sailor’s delight, and everyone else’s, too.

Sips
4 Clark Point Road, Southwest Harbor, 207-244-4550

Come in hiking boots or heels, with the kids or not, but definitely come to Sips. Their goal is to offer interesting wines at reasonable prices – by the sip (2 oz.), glass (5 oz.), or bottle (25 oz). Sips from a selection of forty sparkling, rose, white, red, and sweet wines run from $2.50 to $15. But what is a sip without a taste? If you decide to accompany your wine with an olive mix or bruschetta of tomato and cilantro with manchego, then you risk staying, oh, well, why not, for dinner, too, and you won’t be disappointed with the seafood crepes, a lobster éclair, polenta with calamari and garbanzo beans, or lemon risotto with Maine shrimp. Although Sips’ décor seems undecided about whether or not this is a café or a wine bar, there’s no doubt about it when you begin to sip and taste.

Thurston’s Lobster Pound
Steamboat Wharf Road, Bernard, 207-244-7600
http://www.thurstonslobster.com/

You can get waitress service if you sit downstairs at this postcard-perfect lobster pound overlooking the working fishing docks of Bass Harbor. However, for us it’s a rite of summer to stand in line upstairs with a beer (we really like the local micro-brew Harbor Lighthouse Ale) and begin the debate: Should we have hard shell or soft shell? How many pounds? Steamers or chowder? Standing in line heightens the anticipation of the sweetest lobsters we know anywhere. It may be in part because they’re cooked in seawater piped in from the harbor. You can opt to have your lobster alone or with a “basic dinner” of corn, coleslaw, roll, and Thurston’s blueberry spice cake (so good you’ll want to buy extra for tomorrow’s breakfast). Or you can enhance the experience with steamers, the chowder of the day, lobster stew, or crab cakes with chipotle sauce. There are lots of things for seafood-averse kids, too, ranging from grilled cheese to boca burgers. The dining area, which is screened in, but may be covered in clear plastic to protect you from the elements but preserve the view, has a sink in the corner for washing up before you order dessert at another window. Go ahead, get the T-shirt, too. It’ll make you happy when you’re gone.

Town Hill Bistro
Route 102 and Crooked Road/West Eden Commons, 207-288-1011
http://www.townhillbistro.com

Top-rated by TripAdvisor critics, foodies, local loyalists, this relative newcomer (2007) has earned its broad base of enthusiasts through outstanding food, friendly service, and a comfortable setting.  Town Hill Bistro can serve about 30 guests inside the cabin-like dining room that has a pitched, beamed ceiling, a bar at one end, and fireplace at the other.  There’s a deck, too, with several tables with umbrellas – very pleasant for an early dinner.  The food is so distinctive that this year we reminisced with the owner about dishes of years past!  However, the changing menu has brought us two new favorites: pork loin stuffed with prosciutto with pluot verjus and tuna with blueberry cabernet syrup and fresh corn cakes.  I wish my vegetarian daughter had been along to try the tomato bread pudding with garlic glaze and wilted greens.

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound
1237 Bar Harbor Road, Trenton, 207-667-2977
http://www.trentonbridgelobster.com

Driving toward Mount Desert Island on Route 3 presents the best and worst of Maine’s commercial clutter – gift shops hawking blueberry jams, mini golf courses, cutesy motels, The Great Maine Lumberjack Show, and a plethora of cupola and weather vane purveyors. Scenting the air of commerce are the lobster pounds, where wood fires stoke the lobster boils and you can get everything from a full dinner to that coveted lobster roll. Trenton Lobster Pound gets the best reviews of them all. Stake out a picnic table and have lobster salad, served here as a sandwich. Then take home some twins or even try the frozen crab, which will yield an extraordinary crab cake for dinner if you use Linda and Martha Greenlaw’s recipes from Recipes from a Very Small Island. When the wait’s too long at Trenton Lobster Pound, try Lunt’s or Down East Lobster Co.

XYZ Restaurant
End of Bennett Lane, Manset, 207-244-5221

XYZ stands for Xalapa, Yucatan, and Zacatecas – three localities of Mexico’s interior and coast – and the cuisine here is as authentically Mexican as the name suggests.  Don’t expect any of the staples of Tex-Mex chains, although just about every table (and they’re all filled) will display the stemware evidence of margaritas, many of which are the restaurant’s “especial” made with Grand Marnier instead of Triple Sec.  A changing menu featuring pork, chicken, shrimp, and sometimes even goat has kept both locals and visitors coming back since XYZ was established by Janet Strong and Bob Hoyt in 1994.  The garlic soup alone is worth the trip to Manset.  XYZ is just past Southwest Harbor’s village off Seawall Road.  Reservations are a must.