Down East July 2011

July 2011

The table of contents from the July 2011 issue of Down East.

Features

Best of Maine: Readers’ Choice

Once again this year, we let our loyal readers weigh in on the subject of the best of Maine. The editors won’t claim to agree with all your choices, but Maine is an independent-minded state, so we fully appreciate them and are pleased to see that we pretty much all agree on one thing: our shared affection for all things Maine.

 

Rebirth of a Mill, Rebirth of a City

The revitalization of the Bates Mill is on track to redefine downtown Lewiston.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
 

The Vegetable Boat

One small boat brings the bounty of summer to Maine’s island inhabitants.

 

Here’s to You, Lewiston

After less than six months in business, the youthful founder of Baxter Brewing is already expanding to meet the demand for his canned suds.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
 

In Good Company

The story of Edgecomb Potters is one of artistic and business success. Most of all, though, it is a love story.

  • By: Virginia M. Wright
  • Photography by: Amy Wilton
 

Best of Maine: Go!

Where To Catch A Concert, Learn To Build A House, Impress Your Guests, Take An Island Hike.

  • Photography by: Mark Fleming
 

Best of Maine: Shop!

Our Guide To Traditional Moccasins, Artistic Belts, Cool Cottage Furniture, Ultralight Backpacking Gear.

 

Street to Eat

Here’s a sampling of the plethora of restaurants that populate the approximately 2.5-mile peninsula portion of this major artery.

 

Island Summers

A rustic cottage on a tiny midcoast island proves that when it comes to summer fun, size truly doesn’t matter.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
 

L-A Loves Arts

How Lewiston-Auburn quietly became one of Maine’s cultural capitals.

  • By: Meadow Rue Merrill
 

An Accidental Tourist

Portlander Elizabeth Peavey decides it’s high time to “visit” her own city as a sightseer.

  • By: Elizabeth Peavey
  • Illustrations by: Dean MacAdam
 

History, Reinvented

Lewiston-Auburn has managed to retrofit many of its most historic structures into buildings that manage to fit their modern uses while retaining their historic charm. Here are some of the more noteworthy buildings to keep an eye out for in L-A.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
 

Best of Maine: Eat!

A Menu Of The State’s Best Airport Food, Tangiest Barbecue, Snappiest Pickles, Even Top Tofu!

 

Departments

Bad Egg

How does Jack DeCoster keep getting away with it?

  • By: Colin Woodard
 

Editor’s Note

For my birthday a few months ago, my wife bought me an iPhone. Like more than a few Mainers I had been slow to embrace the idea of the cellular telephone, not out of any Luddite impulses, but for the simple reason that the coverage in so much of our big state was so abysmal. I had tried making do with a cheap, pre-paid phone I kept for roadside emergencies, but it had all been for naught.

  • By: Paul Doiron
 

Cuba Libre

Havana owner Michael Boland attempts to replicate his Bar Harbor successes in Portland.

  • By: Michaela Cavallaro
 

Blueberry Treats

While nothing beats homemade blueberry pies and muffins, we don’t always have the time to make them from scratch. For those in need of a quick, easy bite of Maine, consider trying the new wild Maine blueberry turnovers from the folks at Robinhood Free Meetinghouse/Gagne Foods (25 Wing Farm Parkway, Bath, 207-386-5071. www.gagnefoods.com). Makers of the famed seventy-two-layer cream cheese biscuits (still as flavorful as ever), the company has expanded its frozen offerings in recent years.

 

Diving into Summer

Time off in 1914 meant cool dips and boat rides in the Saco River.

  • By: Joshua F. Moore
 

Where in Maine?

Can you identify the town that boasts fun sculptures and powerful falls?

  • Photography by: Alan Lavallee
 

North by East

A cleanup pulls three thousand ghost lobster traps, baby boomers recall Portland’s wild days, and more.

 

Digging for Deering

A comprehensive history of the Portland suburb is a valuable addition to Maine’s historical library.

  • By: Edgar Allen Beem
 

Letters to the Editor

Read what our readers have to say about Maine.

 

Up to Camp

We all need a place where there is nothing to do.

  • By: George Smith