Bar Harbor Winter Dining?

[JakeN]

We're thinking of exploring Bar Harbor and whatever parts of Acadia are open in February. Can anyone suggest some Bar Harbor restaurants that are open for breakfast and dinner in February?

[hal2010]

We were in Bar Harbor last week and I highly recommend Mache Bistro.

For our deep-fried seafood fix we hit the The Chart Room and West Street Cafe. Talking to people in line for the West Street Cafe you'd think it was the best place in town - we found it was good but nothing exceptional. The Chart Room had better food. Scallops and clams were perfectly cooked without too much breading and the blueberry pie with ice cream was very good.

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West Street Cafe
76 West St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Chart Room
Hulls Cv, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

[disburg]

Hope this isn't too late for you, but here are a few places open here this time of year....

Morning Glory Bakery and Side Street Cafe are the only places I'm sure are open for breakfast this time of year.
For dinner:

McKay's Public House (Full menu and pub-food menu)
Jack Russell Pub (Brew pub with full menu)
Siam Orchid (Thai food and Sushi, 7 days, drinks)
Side Street Cafe (Lunch and dinner, drinks)
Geddy's (Bar and Grill and Local hangout. It seems to me this is the most popular spot with us year-round residents. They are reliably open 7 days all year, decent food, reasonable prices. The G is pronounced as a J.)
China Joy (cheap Chinese-style food for lunch and dinner 7 days, beer, wine, mixed drinks)
Red Sky in Southwest Harbor (Fine Dining)
Town Hill Bistro (Fine Dining in Town Hill, one of the villages in the Bar Harbor area. Close to my house and very good. Try the Hollander and DeKoning mussels farmed by my friend right in bar harbor.)

I'm sure I'm missing a few. FYI, very few places are open every night, but you can generally find SOMEthing open on any night.

Contrary to postings below, Mache Bistro is not open year round, and doesn't open until April this year.

[HDinCentralME]

welcome to chowhound. thanks for contributing.

[mbw1024]

would Mache Bistro likely be open in late October? the 24th to be exact. Looking for a place for my birthday while we're on vacation up there. thanks!

[mainemal]

Can't say for certain, but they were open through the week between Christmas and New Years' this past year.

[Passadumkeg]

I think they are, but may be only Thurs - Sun.

[mbw1024]

Thanks. I will give a call before we head that way.

[BikeToEat]

Looks like Red Sky will be open after Feb 12. Open for dinner on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They are in Southwest Harbor...worth the drive to the other side of the island.

[Passadumkeg]

The old Cozy Cove is open til 2 for breakfast and lunch in SWH too. Diner fare.

[disburg]

Red Sky is very much worth the drive. Creative fine dining, lovely atmosphere (very small) and super-nice owners who will usually also be your servers. Great wines.

[meremortal]

I'm in the same boat, looking for food in the BH area for the next week or so. My sister and her family live here, and she recommends Morning Glory Bakery (breakfast pastry, soups and breads) and Pectic Seafood in Trenton (open 7 days/week!).

Morning Glory Bakery
39 Rodick Street
Bar Harbor, ME
[phone] (call for hours)
www.morningglorybakery.com

Pectic Seafood
367 Bar Harbor Road
Trenton, ME
[phone]
Open 7 days/week, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
www.pecticseafood.com

I also checked out COA's Take a Break -- they post their menu weekly here: http://www.coa.edu/tabmenu.htm

[Passadumkeg]

If one is gonna eat in Trenton, might as well go to Ellsworth and try Cleonise.

[candykat]

We stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn in December of 2008. The Reading Room restaurant was exceptional. It is in the main building of the hotel, directly on the water. Also, nice quaint bar, good service. Let us know if you try this. Good luck. There is not much open in Bar Harbor in the winter months.

[Passadumkeg]

I don't think the Bar Harbor Inn is open right now.

[GabachaYucateca]

Ah!!! This is making me nostalgic. The first winter in Bar Harbor, the only grocery store closed at 5 pm. In subsequent years, it was open until 9. Each winter that I spent there, it seemed that we had more offerings, though still few choices. I spent a lot of time playing darts with an elderly WWII vet with a huge boil on his neck who looked like the Gordon's fisherman in the Thirsty Whale.

[Passadumkeg]

I've spent more time at The Thirsty Whale than I care to admit. I was really surprised how many fewer places were open than the "old days".
GY, Listen to Gracia a la Vida on WERU at 11 on Sat morning at www.weru.org for great Latin music..
Arbor Vine in Blue Hill was open and excellent. Had Duck 3 Ways.

[Benjamino]

I think Geddy's (spelling?) is open year-round too. Not cheap, but decent pub grub and surprisingly great desserts.

[philbkr]

I'm pretty sure Jordan's is open year round. Check it out: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant...

[JakeN]

I believe Jordan's is closed for February and March. Too bad because I really enjoy their breakfasts during my Spring visits to Bar Harbor!

[Mainegal]

Rodick Street, in Bar Harbor, tends to have quite a few places that stay open year round, catering to the Jackson Lab and COA folks--there are a few breakfast place, but not sure on winter status. Mache Bistro is also open year round, great for a nice dinner. Also check Town Hill Bistro (on the island, but not in Bar Harbor). I think Cafe This Way is open for breakfast year round, but can't guarantee it. The college, of course, has a cafeteria and actually quite good food and it's open to the public.

[westernmaine]

We tried to have breakfast at Cafe this Way in December and it was closed. Looked like it was closed for the season. We ended up at the Side Street cafe. Very limited breakfast menu but good quality.

They made their own tea bags for tea and it was quite tasty.

I had baked eggs and salmon.....small portions but was good. Mother and sister had breakfast panini that were good sized.

Not really a breakfast place though.

[JakeN]

I checked the college's web site and could find nothing about their dining room being open to the public. Are you sure about that? For breakfast and dinner?

[Passadumkeg]

Jake, I eat at COA every time I go to town on weekdays, don't go on weekends.
We were in BH yesterday and there was precious little open for lunch. Basically only The Thirsty Whale. Many are only open Thurs-Sun. for supper.
Mainegal is spot on, as usual, except for Cafe This Way.
Give the Rodick St. Cafe a try, open for brunch and diner.
Jordan's is closed, but the cafe down on Main is open.
Even The Thirsty Whale is closing for Feb., but Jack Russell's is open at 4 pm.
Honestly, you are much better dining in Ellsworth, everything is open, except Jordan's and Lobster Pot, and there is some great dining there.
Nothing was open in Northeast or Southwest harbors for lunch, we wound up getting sandwiches and a bottle of Bogle for lunch out at Seawall picnic ground. Great view.

[GabachaYucateca]

I love the fact that you eat at COA when you visit! Oh my, I miss my alma mater! To JakeN, I'd imagine that you could also show up for lunch...breakfast was never nearly as creative as lunch and dinner. And, at least when I was there, it's pretty much a la carte and friendly to a fault, so you'd have no problems wandering into Take a Break and getting food.

[JakeN]

Does either of you know what the breakfast hours are at COA's Take a Break? Sometimes we'll sleep in a bit when on a leisure trip. I sure wish they had some info on their web site!

[GabachaYucateca]

Sorry, don't know the hours now...but maybe at least until 10:30? Just call! I'm sure they don't advertise Take a Break hours because people probably aren't beating down the doors to eat there from outside and everybody on campus knows.

[Passadumkeg]

Jake, I don't know the hours, but call. I love their lamb spinach curry. COA has its own farm and Gab, they are about to add the Rockefeller farm, over 300 acres, on Crooked Road & Norway Dr. as well.

[Passadumkeg]

ps Also check the weekend dining hrs. of COA, I think they differ from weekdays;,Gabacha?

[GabachaYucateca]

Well, as of when I graduated (2000), they didn't serve food at all on the weekends except for an occasional breakfast. That very well may have changed, but I'd imagine that the hours are still VERY limited.

[Passadumkeg]

Still the same. Go Black Flies!!!

[IthacaNancy]

COA dining is closed on the weekends.

[JakeN]

I sent an inquiry yesterday to COA to learn more about hours, etc. If/when they respond, I'll post that additional info here.

[JakeN]

OK, it's been 3 days now, and COA has not responded at all to my inquiry. I find that surprising and disappointing, but perhaps it just indicates a lack of interest by them on outside visitors eating there.

[Passadumkeg]

Phone 'em. They still can't be on break.

[mainemal]

Second the motion on Mache Bistro. Here's my review from this past autumn: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/657122

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MacHe Bistro
135 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

[disburg]

Nice place, but their website says they aren't open till April this year.