June 2015

by Mattie McQuinn

Photographs + stories by Maine magazine staff

On this 48HRS adventure, I am visiting two midcoast communities that

I travel to every Wednesday. I am grateful to have a community of friends and clients here and this weekend I am lucky enough to share my love for this area with my fiancé, Mac.

Friday 4:30 p.m. @ GO Logic

We arrive
in Belfast just in time for me to swing by the offices of GO Logic, a Belfast- based architectural firm committed to sustainable design. Their offices are located in a former Masonic Temple and the striking building is both beautiful and historic. GO Logic partner Matt O’Malia asks if I’d like to sneak a peek of the view from the roof of Belfast’s tallest building. We ascend for a bird’s eye view of Belfast Harbor.

5:30 p.m. @ Belfast Bay Inn

Mac and I check into the beautiful Belfast Bay Inn and we instantly feel at home and at ease. Judy greets us with a smile; we try to introduce ourselves but she knows who we are. “You must
be Mattie and Mac,” she says. A moment later, Ed, Judy’s husband, joins us and the four of us hit it off instantly. Judy shows us to our stunning suite that has every amenity of home that you could imagine.

7:00 p.m.

Meanwhile in Belfast

Ed suggested we try a new pizza place, Meanwhile in Belfast. We see through foggy windows that the place is packed. Inside, the delicious smell of herbs, fresh tomatoes, and the wood-fired oven remind
us how hungry we are. I order the Carpenter calzone and Mac orders the Hot Summer pizza. Everything is just delicious. I peek around and spot Matt from GO Logic with his family at the table behind us. That’s the thing about a small community like Belfast: there’s always a familiar face to be found.

Saturday

8:30 a.m. @ Belfast Bay Inn

We receive a knock on the door at 8:30 a.m., the time we agreed for breakfast to arrive. We are greeted with hot coffee, fresh orange juice, chocolate-chip banana bread, and French toast with strawberries.

9:45 a.m. @ City Drawers and Man on Main

Downtown Belfast is a very walkable area and Belfast Bay Inn is located
in the perfect spot, right downtown. We head out
the front door and walk up to City Drawers and Man on Main. Dee, the owner, warmly greets us and shows us around the women’s and men’s stores. Mac picks

out some new sunglasses and a pair of amazingly soft boxers made from bamboo. On the women’s side I grab some TokyoMilk candles and a Coryvines sports bra that Dee recommends when I tell her I love spin classes.

10:30 a.m. @ Vinolio

Mac hangs a sharp right turn into Vinolio as we are walking down Main Street. He can’t resist a tasting room for olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mac wants one of everything but we settle on a bottle of the Sicilian lemon balsamic vinegar and some olive oil infused with herbes de Provence.

11:15 a.m. @ The Purple Baboon

A beautiful turquoise beach coverup catches my eye. I’m dreaming of warm summer days and this coverup transports me to memories of summer in Maine. Mac grabs two Belfast coffee mugs to add to our collection at home.

11:45 a.m. @ Dot’s

We jump in the car and head to Lincolnville. This stretch between Belfast and Camden, where Lincolnville Beach provides unobstructed views of the expansive Atlantic Ocean, is one of my favorite drives. I do it often when I’m in

the midcoast for work, but today it’s all pleasure. We stop by Dot’s and grab lunch. Mac orders a smoked turkey sandwich and I order the curried chicken salad, but we trade half for half, like we always do.

1:00 p.m. @ Cellardoor Winery

We arrive at Cellardoor Winery and are greeted by Carissa and Mackenzie. The winery isn’t quite open for the season yet but there are a few scheduled tastings today. Mac and I cozy up to the tasting bar after Carissa shows us some of the stunning interior updates to the event space. We pick up a bottle of my favorite Cellardoor wine, Perfect Stranger, and a bottle of Mac’s, Sweetheart.

3:30 p.m. @ Green Tree Coffee and Tea

This is another favorite spot of mine. I love the assortment of fresh loose- leaf teas. We settle on a bag of Pillow Bliss and a bag of Moroccan Mint.

4:30 p.m. @ Parent Gallery + The Juice Cellar

We head back
into Belfast and in the car we decide to divide and conquer. I see Mac duck into the Juice Cellar for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. I swing into Parent Gallery hoping to see Joanne Parent, a friend and Art Collector Maine artist. I
am drawn to the light and energy in her paintings. Instead, I meet Joanne’s father, Neal. It’s clear that this is a very talented family as Neal’s photography and Joanne’s paintings adorn the walls of the gallery.

5:15 p.m. @ Quench: Provisions for the Savvy + Conklin’s Maine Mercantile

I head towards Quench. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mac walking into Conklin’s Maine Mercantile. I know Gary and Mary, who run
the store, pride themselves on offering products for
the home that are made in the United States. I open the door of Quench to a wonderful aroma. Jen, the owner, has curated a unique assortment of Maine-made products to enhance the everyday routine. I decide on a “Mainah” scented shaving bar for Mac, a rosemary mint bar of soap for my mom, and a new keychain for myself that Jen made as part of her Quench Metalworks line.

7:30 p.m. @ Delvino’s Grill and Pasta House

As we
walk towards Delvino’s
for dinner, we spy the sun through the trees as it
sets behind Front Street Shipyard. We grab two seats at the bar. Mac and I each order a glass of wine as we start flipping through the menu. I decide on angel hair with marinara and Mac chooses chicken marsala. We revel in how wonderful the weekend has been between bites of delicious food. He tells me about how earlier in the day he stopped into Conklin’s Maine Mercantile, Brambles, and Coyote Moon. We finish dinner and come up with a plan for Sunday.

Sunday

9:30 a.m. @ Moonbat City Baking

Company Despite having just snacked on a delicious breakfast at the Belfast Bay Inn, Mac and I decide to kick our Sunday morning off right with a trip to Moonbat City Baking Company. We grab a few blueberry muffins, croissants, and two cups of coffee to go. These will be nice thank-you treats for my family, who is watching our dog, Piper.

10:30 a.m. @ Belfast Harbor Walk + footbridge

We drop our treats off at the car and walk down Main Street until we arrive at the new Belfast Harbor Walk. We wish we had Piper with us as we walk by dogs and their owners out for a stroll on this sunny Sunday. We walk through Front Street Shipyard and cross the footbridge over to East Belfast.

12:00 p.m. @ Marshall Wharf Brewing Company

We didn’t plan it this way, but our walk ends in front
of Marshall Wharf Brewing Company and 3 Tides. We decide to try small samples of the eight beers on draft at Marshall Wharf. My favorite is the Sexy Chaos, a stout beer with hints of vanilla beans and oak chips. Three Tides is closed on Sundays— all the more reason to come back this summer.

1:30 p.m. @ The Green Store

Mac and I both find gifts
for friends and family.
We love this store and applaud its commitment
to an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. We buy some small children’s toys made from bamboo
for Mac’s mom, who is a preschool teacher, and for my pseudo-nieces, identical twins Eva and Kendra Bowe.

2:00 p.m. @ Belfast Bay Inn

Mac and I are sad this weekend has
come to an end. Ed and Judy ask if we can stay
just one more night and
for a moment we consider it. Ed and Judy have perfected their craft. Their attention to detail, delicious in-suite breakfasts, recommendations for local attractions, and overall kindness have been the best parts of our weekend.

2:30 p.m. @ Belfast Co-op

We have noticed a
theme this weekend— sustainability. The Belfast Co-op partners with local farms to source organic products whenever possible. We grab a few things and check out.

As we drive south on Route 1 back towards Portland,
I feel grateful for the midcoast community that has welcomed me. We drive by Lincolnville Beach and promise each other we’ll be back for a meal at the Whale’s Tooth Pub and a ferry ride over to Islesboro this summer.