Roadside Attractions - Stonewall Kitchen

Stonewall Cafe

What: Stonewall Kitchen Cafe, Shop and Headquarters

Where: In York, ME off Exit 7 on I-95 between Boston, MA and Portland, ME; 45 minutes South of Portland, about 1/4 mile off of I-95 (visit the website above for directions)

Stonewall Gardens

Time Spent: About an hour including lunch at the cafe, and a walk through the general store and gardens (and a quick peak in the manufacturing facility).

Why you should stop: In recent years Stonewall Kitchen has been making a name for itself in grocers and kitchens across the country. Their tasty baking mixes, jams, syrups and multitude of other goodies were born out of a combined love of gardening and cooking. The site's beautiful gardens and tasty cafe goodies are a true testament to those loves. They have extensive breakfast and lunch menus, and are open from 8am-6pm Monday thru Saturday and 9am-4pm Sunday (The Kitchen in the Cafe closes an hour earlier). The company originally began as a Farmer's Market stand in Portsmouth in 1991, and has slowly expanded across the U.S. It is truly a small American business success story. If your schedule accomodates a longer stop you can schedule a class in advance at the Cooking School.

Where you should go if you have more time: Ogunquit, ME, is less than seven miles North on US-1 and has some adorable shops and a beautiful walk along the coast on the Marginal Way. The traffic in this area gets heavily congested in the peak season, but if you have the patience and can find a parking space it is well worth the stop.

Harbor Chocolate

The MUST DO NO MATTER WHAT shop in Ogunquit is the Harbor Candy Shop. After visiting this spot, my crew headed north to Boothbay with Dark Chocolate Caramallows, Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries, Milk Chocolate Almonds, Dark Chocolate Fruit and Almond Bites, Chocolate Covered Lemon Rind, Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears, Gummy Lobsters, Jelly Beans, Sour Fruits and Raspberry Malted Milk Balls. There were only 4 of us, not 10, but you get the picture. I mean seriously, this is some of the best candy I've had in my life and it is all made right there. I am still savoring the few morsels I was lucky enough to bring home.

So, next time you're in Maine, take some time and enjoy!