Amazing hidden gem in Boothbay Harbor
We stayed at the Thistle Inn for three nights on an anniversary mini-vacation last week. We had breakfast all three days. The breakfasts were great, french toast with fresh fruit, apple or blueberry pancakes another day, and sausage quiche with potatoes and salsa the third day.
But I really want to talk about the dinner we had in their restaurant.

We made reservations for early (5:30) so that we would have a strong chance of being seated on the deck. This was a Tuesday night, and we had been unable to dine there on Monday without reservations, even as early as 6:30. The place is very popular with the locals. Because of the variabilities of Maine weather, they don't reserve deck seating. While passing traffic was a bit distracting, the candles on the tables, lights around the trees, and coastal air meant the deck was the place we just _had_ to be.

After a day of sea kayaking, and the previous day's 50 mile bike ride, we were hungry. The menu is full of fresh, light food, but the portions were large enough to satisfy. After the olive bread served with olive oil and herbs, we shared an appetizer of coconut ale battered shrimp while we sipped a New Zealand Sauvignon blanc we picked from the extensive wine list. The shrimp were moist and delicate, mildly flavored with a nice lightly crisp coconut coating. I had a nice full bowl of pasta alfredo with local vegetables and chicken. My wife ordered the surf-and-turf, which featured a sirloin steak and a lobster which was served for the lazy in half of its shell. This dish came with garlic mashed potatos. For dessert, I had a wonderfully tart double key lime pie. My wife had fresh local berries served in Grand Marnier with a scoop of homemade citrus sorbet.

All in all, it was the finest (and most expensive, I'll have to admit) meal that we have had in 15 years of marriage, certainly ranking with the dinner we had at the Chandon winery in Napa Valley 15 years before (to the day).    [16 Aug 2005 21:16:56]

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     ­YeOldeGnurd   

Fine Dinning in Boothbay Harbor!
We had the opportunity to dine at The Thistle Inn this summer on our visit to Boothbay Harbor this summer. We found the food delicious, the authentic old world atmosphere delightful and the pleasant and prompt servers made us feel like the most important diners in the restaurant.

We decided to have drinks in the bar before our meal. The Thistle Inn has a unique bar made from the hull of an old sailing boat. Service was prompt and we enjoyed meeting and talking with the several locals who were also there.

Once seated, we were amazed by the extensive menu and then came the waitress to describe the specials not on the menu. Each dish sounded more delicious than the previous. The staff was very knowledgable in the ingredients and preparation for each item and helped us make our final decision.

We were unsure of which wine to order with our meals and were pleasantly surprised that Max, the restaurant owner, visited us to make an excellent recommendation.

The food was perfect and tasted even better than we had anticipated.

Overall we were so happy to find a restaurant that puts the effort into each dish vice just catering to as many tourists as they can fit in.    [30 Dec 2006 20:24:50]

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     ­ChefJeff, Hopewell Junction, NY