Already famous for its lobster, Maine has earned a well-deserved reputation as a destination for fine dining using locally sourced foods in creative settings.  In addition to lobster and other fresh seafood, Maine is also a leading producer of blueberries, potatoes, apples and maple syrup – foods that are featured prominently in many traditional and modern Maine recipes.

There is no shortage of opportunities to sample and enjoy the harvest of land and sea throughout the state. From visits to local farms, to lobster boat tours, agricultural fairs and award- winning fine dining, Maine's food industry offers culinary discoveries year round.

Food Growers and Producers

• Maine is one of the few states where the number of independent farms is growing rather that shrinking. For those looking for a farm day trip or a farmers' market, the Maine Department of Agriculture's Get Real Get Maine site provides a searchable database where visitors can plug in criteria from pick-your-own blueberries to food processing tours. One example is Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, known for its award-winning cheeses, welcoming individual guests and group tours.
• Maine is home to several wineries, dozens of microbreweries, a world-class vodka producer and a young, but growing hard cider and mead industry. Visitors to these facilities can often take tours to see how these beverages are made and sample the products. The state also offers the Maine Wine Trail and the Maine Beer Trail to introduce visitors to the processes, variety and high quality of beer and wine produced in the state.
• Agricultural Fairs pepper the state from late-June through early-October. These large community-based fairs provide visitors ample opportunity to view prize-winning produce, baked goods and livestock.  Appetites for fair food can also be satiated by fried dough, snow-cones and other favorites offered cheek by jowl with lobster rolls and baked potatoes.  Highlights include: The Fryeburg Fair, the state's largest and last fair of the season, and the Common Ground Fair in Unity, dedicated to organic food production with all fair vendors offering only organic treats.
• If you want to get your hands in the soil, or just see others work the land, the Maine Farm B&B Association has 18 unique members across Maine where you can relax and unwind in a rural setting.  Some stays offer the chance to lend a hand with the farm chores.

Dining Out

• Maine's fine dining scene has exploded in the past ten years, and is being recognized by national and international culinary experts. Portland was named Bon Appétit's America's Foodiest Small Town in 2009 and award-winning chefs and cuisine can be found in all corners of the state. Maine chefs are regularly considered for the prestigious James Beard award, with Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows in Ogunquit, Rob Evans of Duck Fat in Portland, Melissa Kelly of Primo in Rockland, and Sam Hayward of Portland's Fore Street Restaurant.
• The White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport with Executive Chef Jonathan Cartwright is the only restaurant anywhere in New England to win both the AAA Five Diamond and Mobile Five Star awards. It also topped Condé Nast Travelers “Best of the Best” award list for any restaurant at a resort worldwide.
• Maine has been featured by such popular food and travel show personalities as Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern and Bobby Flay.
• Based in Portland and also offering tours in Kennebunkport and Bar Harbor, Maine Foodie Tours offers a variety of tour options for the culinary tourist.
• American down-home cooking and Maine comfort food like seafood chowders and blueberry pie are staples at Maine's many roadside diners – several of which have been in operation for decades.
• Moody's Diner  in Waldoboro is a perennial favorite, but everyone has a favorite near their home town or favorite vacation destination.
• From cracking open fresh lobster at a shack overlooking the coast, to dining on international specialties or enjoying creative meals with locally-sourced products, Maine has a restaurant to accommodate every taste and budget. For a comprehensive listing, the Maine Restaurant Association has a searchable database of over 3000 eating establishments throughout the state.
• Smartphone users can now download Maine's lobster guide app for the ultimate guide to all things Maine lobster.

Food Events & Festivals

• Maine Maple Sunday takes place on the fourth Sunday in March each year. Sugar shacks throughout the state open their doors to visitors seeking to learn how maple syrup is made. Visitors can often sample the fresh, homemade syrup over vanilla ice cream and maple candies, among other sweet treats. Maine's maple syrup can often be purchased at farm stands, in local grocery stores and at fairs and events throughout the year.
• Maine Potato Blossom Festival is held in July and provides visitors with a week of potato-  themed events including mashed-potato wrestling, potato picking contest, multinational parade, plentiful food and other family-oriented events in Fort Fairfield.
• The Machias Blueberry Festival is held in August each year to celebrate the famed antioxidant- rich Maine fruit. The event features a blueberry-themed musical, pie-eating contest, community parade, blueberry farm tours and a craft show among other activities.
• Rockland hosts the Maine Lobster Festival each year and it is one of the summer's most popular events, with five days dedicated to celebrating the clawed marine crustacean.  Amateur and professional cooking competitions, over 20,000 lbs. of lobster and other foods, a lobster crate race, craft show, historical tours and more bring visitors from to this coastal town in early August.
• Apple picking is a fall tradition in Maine with orchards scattered across the state.  After picking a few totes of your favorite varieties, you can enjoy hot apple cider and apple-cinnamon baked goods at most locations. Maine Apple Sunday is held on the second Sunday in September to kick-off the apple picking season.  The Maine State Pomological Society has a list of participating orchards for the kick-off event and listings of where you can pick-your-own throughout the state during the season.
• Portland hosts a premier fall event each October with Harvest on the Harbor. The event features a Grand Tasting on the Harbor, celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations and a marketplace filled with food and wine samples.
• The Pemaquid Oyster Festival, held each September in Damariscotta features entertainment, educational exhibits, and thousands of oysters fresh from the Damariscotta River, one of more than a dozen locations where fresh Maine oysters are harvested.  Maine has 16 oyster companies, and each brand has its own distinctive flavor.
• New in 2014, Seaweed Fest, held in Portland in August, offers several immersions into the wild world of seaweed through interactive workshops and activities that will inspire you to think outside the sushi roll and explore seaweed through a variety of sensory experiences and educational presentations. A cast of creative creatures w share their talents to support Maine's local seaweed movement. Fun for all ages, the festival is designed to highlight the diverse uses and benefits of seaweed and to celebrate those who harvest it and are working to create a viable and vibrant seaweed industry in Maine.

   For more food events and festivals, visit the Maine Office of Tourism website, www.visitmaine.com.

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