Restaurant Review – Dunstans, Scarborough, Maine

We started our Route 1 road trip for 2012 this year in Scarborough, Maine.  We went to the place where we ended last year – Dunstan’s Schoolhouse Buffet.  It actually is in an old schoolhouse.  This makes for a very unique eating experience.

When you enter, you’re seated in one of a few different school rooms.  Each is decorated to look like a classroom – only with tables instead of desks.  After we were seated, a welcoming waitress came to take our drink order.  She was energetic and always made sure that we had everything we needed.

Now, I know what you’re thinking; “It’s a buffet, how good could it be?”  I understand the skepticism.  I would be too.  I have an OCB in the mall down the street from my house.  That’s my parent’s restaurant of choice for some of the holidays.  So, I know about the trays full of boring food.

I’m glad to say that isn’t the case at the Schoolhouse.  First of all, for an added $7.95 you could get a fresh cooked Maine lobster added to your meal.  We decided not to, because the buffet was good enough.  Speaking of which, theirs is some of the best buffet food that I’ve had because of their unique selections.

My clear favorite was the grilled swordfish.  Yes, swordfish on the buffet.  It was cooked wonderfully and had an incredible, smoky, wood grilled flavor.  I also enjoyed the steak tips which were in what I believe was a burgundy sauce.  They were pink in the middle and very flavorful.  Another favorite was the scallop alfredo pasta.  It tasted great, even though the scallops were cut very small.  My wife, on the other hand, liked the shellfish.  She had a plate full of mussels and clams with plenty of melted butter for dipping.

Did I forget to mention the roast turkey?  I’m not talking about the turkey roll that most other buffets use.  I mean a whole roast turkey.  I am fond of the dark meat and at the Schoolhouse I could get all I wanted.

Of course, you have to be careful to leave room for dessert.  There are no frozen pies and plastic brownies here.  Everything on their dessert section looks and tastes homemade.  I couldn’t decide, so I had a slice each of their Maine blueberry pie and their coconut cream pie.  I still can’t tell you which was better.  The blueberry pie was bursting with succulent fruit.  The coconut pie had a rich, dense center with a light and fluffy whipped cream on top.  They had many other baked items as well as ice cream.

Overall, Cheryl and I had an excellent time here and it was a great start to our 2012 road trip.  For the two of us, including tax and tip, it came to around $40.  The quality of the food we had, and the friendly service, was well worth the price.  If you are ever in southern Maine, along Route 1, we highly recommend Dunstan’s Schoolhouse Buffet.

Question: Have you ever been here?  How was your experience?

Dunstans

The Schoolhouse

Our “Classroom”

© Nick Zaccardi 2012

Disclosure of material connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post.  I have no material connection to the brands, products or services I have mentioned.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Route 1 in Maine – Machias

After our pleasant blueberry muffin breakfast in Lubec (See the last post), we were on the road again.  Route 1 meandered its way down the coast to Machias.  It might not look like much as you enter the town, but I assure you, there is something for every taste here.  We started by taking a side trip down Route 92, a “rollercoaster” road that takes you through the historic town of Machiasport.

We ended our extra-curricular adventure at Jasper Beach.  It is so named because the entire beach is made up of smoothed semi-precious jasper stones, also known as chalcedony.  It is one of only 3 jasper shorelines in the world.  It truly was a remarkable place.  Not only was it beautiful to look at, but there was another unique feature.  Whenever a large wave would break onshore, the resulting movements of the stones would create a very eerie sound.  It was almost like an audience clapping.  So what we witnessed was the seashore applauding the ocean!

From there, we headed back to Route 1.  Along the way were some other interesting sites.  Our first stop was at Fort O’Brien State Park.  Here you can see the remnants of the fort and great views over Machias Bay.  This is a place loaded with history.

Machias Bay is the scene of some Revolutionary War action.  In 1775, the English warship Margaretta entered the bay.  It was then engaged by some Colonists on a sloop with barely any weaponry.  The Colonists, led by Captain O’Brien (for whom the fort is named), captured the warship.  This incident helped to convince the leaders of the revolution that America needed a navy.

It also proved the need for a fort to protect this bay.  Not long after, Fort Machias was built on this spot.  It was destroyed by the British in 1814 and Fort O’Brien was constructed on the site in 1863.  But that is not all there is to interest history buffs.  Closer to Machias is the Burnham Tavern Museum.  The original tavern was built in1770, and was the meeting place for local patriots to plan their strategies.

Another interesting place along Route 92 was the Maine Wild Blueberry Company.  We decided to stop there to see if they gave tours of the plant.  As we opened the car doors in the parking lot we were almost knocked over by the incredible smell of blueberries – it was intoxicating!  We were told that the plant was closed due to some renovation of the processing equipment, so after a few more deep breaths, we continued on our way.

The name Machias actually means “Bad Little Falls”.  So as we approached the center of town, we stopped at a park to observe the falls that gave the area its name. It was a pretty little gorge through which the Machias River dashed over the rocks and out to the bay.

After this busy morning Cheryl and I were ready for a “pick-me-up.”   So we had no choice but to visit one of the best known local landmarks – Helen’s Restaurant.  This was definitely on my to-do list.  I had been here before.  When I was in college, my parents took us for a week’s vacation in nearby Eastport.  That is the first time I had a sampling of this incredible place.

As we walked in, the first thing I noticed was the changes that had taken place.  It had obviously been through a major renovation.  It used to be dark and dreary on the inside.  Now it was bright and cheerful.  I remember having to walk through the bar to get to the restaurant portion – now they were separated.  It was a good change in appearance, but did it affect the food – I hope not!

We started by sharing a sampler plate of appetizers.  They were really good, but they were not the main attraction that we were here for – Helen’s homemade PIES.  (It is illegal and immoral to spell Helen’s PIES with lowercase letters.)  When we were done our prelims, I asked the waiter what kind of PIES were on the menu today.

“Well, we’ve got strawberry, apple, and, of course, blueberry.”

“Does the strawberry PIE have rhubarb in it?”  (I love strawberry rhubarb.)

“No, sorry, just fresh, local strawberries.  Then there are the PIES in the cooler – chocolate cream and coconut cream.  We also have a recent addition to our PIE menu.  When we first tried it out, a reviewer for The Best of Maine magazine was here.  He tried it and exclaimed, ‘This is the god of all pies.’”.

I could hardly wait to hear what this incredible delicacy might be.

“It is a chocolate-coconut cream PIE on a graham cracker crust.”

I knew immediately that this was the PIE for me.  Cheryl went a step lower for the coconut cream.  When they arrived, I could clearly see that the things that mattered most didn’t change in this wonderful place.  And as I prepared to dig in, I distinctly saw Cheryl’s slice bow in reverence to mine – though she now refuses to admit it.  The fact is – we found a slice of heaven in Machias…

Jasper Beach

Fort O’Brien

Battling PIES

A Satisfying Stop

Sunrise Cafe – Somerville, MA – Caribbean

Once you’ve had the real thing, you tend to be a little more critical of the food you order.  I have a lot of friends from the Caribbean – Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados, and the like.  I love it when I get to sample their cooking.

Just yesterday I was working in Somerville, MA.  At lunchtime my wife and I explored the area.  Right across the street from where we were working, we saw what looked to us like a little “hole in the wall” restaurant.  The sign announced Sunrise Caribbean Cuisine.  How could I pass up trying a place like that.

We knew we were in the right spot when we walked in and didn’t hear any English being spoken.  I think they were talking a kind of Creole French.  The smells were also very inviting.

The menu was just what I wanted to see.  I ordered a dish called Griyo.  Griyo is cubes of pork that have been seasoned, deep fried and topped with raw onion and bell pepper rings.  How could you ever go wrong with a dish like that.  But you have to realize, my secretary is Haitian, and Griyo my favorite dish that she cooks.  My big question was how this restaurant food would compare to the real thing?  As I said before, I”m a tough audience.  Cheryl was a little less out there.  She ordered a salad topped with grilled chicken.

The food didn’t take long to arrive.  When it did, the smell that came with it was intoxicating.  I could taste it with my eyes, since it even had the onions and peppers on top.  I must admit, it tasted absolutely perfect.  The seasoning, the temperature, the doneness, and juiciness of the meat were in a combination just as I thought that it should be.

Along with the meat was a side of a spicy slaw, a house salad with creamy French dressing, what looked like poached onion rings in a mildly spicy sauce as well as a heaping bowl of rice and beans.  Everything was wonderful – the fried meat was crisp on the outside, the crunchy heat of the slaw, the creamy rice and beans – YUM.  Then every so often I would take a bite of the salad so that the dressing could cut the spice a little.  The flavors were awesome.

When you’re eating the fried pork cubes, a couple of them have a chunk of fat on them.  Don’t tell anyone, but those are the ones I look for.  (If I’m really lucky, I find a cube that is only fat!)  They may not impress the health food crowd, but to me they taste like heaven on earth!

Cheryl seemed to like the salad as well.  She said that the chicken had a little spice to it – maybe some jerk seasoning, but she wasn’t sure.  Of course she kept stealing some of my rice and beans.  That’s okay, there was plenty to share.  We even had a little of everything to take home in a doggy bag.

All in all it was a great experience, I wasn’t disappointed in the least.  I only wish I had a camera with me to show you how good it looked.  Now I’m going to have to go back to try the fried goat…