Main Dish
While in Well’s, Maine we could not resist stopping by Congdon’s After Dark food pod and beer garden! Congdon’s after dark is located next door to Congdon’s doughnut’s on 1090 post road, you can’t miss it, just follow the traffic! Congdon’s after dark opens daily at 4 pm and stay open until 8pm. We went on a Saturday night and let me say it was packed! Lots of food trucks and lots or people but that did not deter us at all, Jim, Naz and I were up for the challenge and the food!
When you walk to the food truck area the aroma from all the trucks is incredible, you are pulled in so many directions with the smells and sights of what everyone is having. I opted to go to the Knew Potato Caboose food truck. This truck is a dedicated gluten free truck, they have all of the French fry goodness you could possibly ask for. I got a dish called Little Red Rooster. It starts with hand cut fries and is topped with grilled chicken, sweet baby rays bbq sauce, bacon, ranch dressing , scallions and I added cheese curds for good measure! This was not only hearty and full of flavor it was amazing! The fries really stood up to all of the added ingredients. The bbq sauce was full of punch but the ranch tamed it down. Jim, Naz and I loved this dish! I would go back for this dish!
Jim went to the Crepe Elizabeth food truck. He had the ham and cheese crepe. This dish did not disappoint it was cheesy and full of ham. Crepe Elizabeth has both sweet and savory crepes. Jim finished his crepe and helped me finish my loaded fries!
Congdon’s after dark is family friendly, dog friendly with plenty of parking. They do close on bad weather days and the food trucks vary nightly so be sure to check Congdon’s After dark website and Facebook page for food truck listing and any updates they have.
We could not leave wells, Maine without going to Congdon’s Doughnuts! They have lines down the road each day so getting there early is the key as they do run out of doughnuts.
Congdon’s doughnuts is known for its doughnuts of course but you can also go inside and have breakfast, but we were not there for that. We came strictly for the doughnuts! They have raised doughnuts, filled doughnuts, chocolate doughnuts, plain doughnuts, fritters as well as Gluten free Doughnuts that they source for a gluten free bakery. Jim got a variety of doughnuts along with some gluten free doughnuts for myself and to take home to Robby.
There were six doughnuts in that box but one of them did not make it out of the parking lot! These doughnuts were delicious, I now understand the hype and following Congdon’s Doughnuts have!
Even the gluten free doughnuts were fantastic! They are smaller than a regular doughnut but just as delicious!
All in all Congdon’s After Dark and Congdon’s Doughnuts we’re both Fantastic and worth the drive!
We are looking forward to another visit before summer is over.
Check both Facebook pages for hours , menu’s and updates!
Enjoy!
While traveling in the motorhome we spent some time in Wells, Maine. We were visiting our friends Rick and Ann Marie but spent some time checking out a couple local restaurants. The first restaurant we went to was Spinnakers located at. 139 Post Road in Wells, Maine.
Spinnakers is well know for its delicious seafood and if you are gluten free this is a great place for you, they have a Terrific gluten free menu that includes gluten free fried seafood! I have had to cut back on gluten so this was a perfect option for me!
I ordered the gluten free fried shrimp box ($18.99) served with French fries. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and was just as good as any other fried shrimp I have had, no one would ever know it was gluten free. The shrimp were crispy on the outside and sweet and tender on the inside. Just perfect on a warm summer day!
Jim had the fried haddock sandwich ($12.99) that also came with French fries. Jim enjoyed the fried haddock sandwich as much as I enjoyed my dish! The haddock came with lettuce and tomato, the haddock was light, crispy and flakey all in one bite. Needless to say we both cleaned our plates. I almost forgot to mention the fries! The French fries were really good too, they were crispy and tender making them perfectly dippable into ketchup or they offer malt vinegar if you want more of a fair fry!
For those of you that are celiac Spinnakers takes food allergies very seriously and has dedicated fryers, prep tables, bowls, baskets and utensils.
You can find more information on the Spinnakers website and on their Facebook page.
If you finds yourself in the Wells, Maine area and are looking for delicious seafood with inside/outside pet friendly restaurant stop in at Spinnakers!
Enjoy!
Say Hello to Samantha everyone! Samantha is the beautiful daughter of our dear friends Rick and Ann Marie. You may remember Rick and Ann Marie from an earlier post I wrote about Brunch at the Bedford Village Inn.
Rick and Ann Marie along with all three of their kids, Samantha, Nick and Shaun rented a beach home in Wells, Maine a couple weeks ago. Jim and I crashed their vacation for a couple of days as we were staying about a mile away in our motorhome.
While spending a little bit of time with Samantha last summer, I learned that she loves being in the kitchen and learning new recipes. She was telling me that she had been learning to make spring rolls and crab Rangoon’s from one of her friends Mom. When I said I love crab Rangoon’s but have never made them, That’s when we started planning a day and Sam would be teaching me how to make some of the things she had been learning! Needless to say I was thrilled to be in the kitchen with Samantha and another one of her friends Ashley!
Samantha and Ashley were terrific in the kitchen together, they worked tirelessly chopping, rolling and pinching making these delicious dishes together! I was right there next to them learning, watching and laughing with them in the kitchen! The first dish the girls made were the spring rolls. They used cucumbers, carrots, Asian slaw mix, cooked shrimp, cooked shredded pork (found in Asian markets) and some of them had cooked teriyaki noodles in them for a fun twist. They mixed and matched the filling ingredients and rolled them in rice paper wrappers that were softened in warm water.
The girls were free spirits in the kitchen, adding whatever they wanted using however much they wanted, no measurements were used! The spring rolls were terrific and having each one made a little different made an exciting bite!
One of the things Samantha did that I thought was brilliant was to buy a ring of shrimp cocktail and use how ever many of the shrimp she needed and her family could still enjoy the shrimp ring and cocktail sauce at another meal! All of the work was done for her by doing this, no peeling ,deveining or cooking the shrimp it was all done!
Next up we made the Crab Rangoon’s! This dish just like the last there was no measuring involved but I’ll give an approximate amounts! We made easily 4 dozen Rangoon’s, you can half the recipe but feeding this group we definitely needed that many! Samantha used wonton wrappers, 2 blocks of softened cream cheese and about 3/4 to a cup of onion, celery and imitation crab meat(diced).
One of the biggest tips I took away from Samantha was after she diced the celery she put it in a dish towel and squeezed as much of the liquid out of it she could, I was amazed at how much really came out! I think that may have been Sam’s workout for the day as she get every last drop out of the celery she could! Once the diced, onion, celery and imitation crab were well incorporated into the softened cream cheese it was time to make the Rangoon’s! This is where many hands come in handy! Sam showed each of us how to pinch the filled wontons together just right but she also joked that when her brothers help they make them in all kinds of weird shapes!
While Samantha, Ashley , myself and even Jim made the Rangoon’s Sam’s Mother Ann Marie heated about 3-4 inches of oil (peanut oil or vegetable oil work well) in a large pot, the oil should be heated to just under 350 degrees. These can also be baked or air fried!
As we made them Ann Marie fried them in Batches just until the crab Rangoon’s turned golden brown on the edges.
While the Rangoon’s were frying up Samantha and Ashley made the dipping sauce. Again no measurements, Sam did this all by sight and taste! Hoisin sauce and about 2 dollops of Peanut butter mixed well!
Everything that Samantha and Ashley made was phenomenal! Everyone was quick to get to the table and just like that dinner was devoured and loved by all!
A HUGE Thank You to Samantha , Rick, Ann Marie, Shaun, Nick and Ashley for letting us crash your vacation and make some delicious food!
This is a dish that Robby our son made several months ago but for some reason it did not make the blog back then and when we got home from out NY trip Robby asked me to make it again as it’s so good. Well, long story short neither one of us could find the recipe! After some serious searching Robby found the recipe and needless to say I’m getting it posted ASAP as this recipe is a keeper. It’s so full of flavor and you can change up the veggies to what’s fresh in your garden or market! We ALL loved this dish. I served it over rice.
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 pound uncooked shrimp. Peeled, deveined with the tails removed. (Thawed, if bought frozen)
1 can full fat coconut milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime
1 Visalia onion, or white onion, chopped
2-3 veggies of your choice, I used broccoli, carrots and yellow squash
2 teaspoons tamari
2 Tablespoon green curry paste
1 teaspoon sriracha
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Rice for serving, I used jasmine rice.
DIRECTIONS
Prep all of your veggies first as this dish comes together quick.
Mince garlic and ginger.
Prep shrimp, thaw if needed, cut tails off.
Chop onion and veggies to bite size piece’s.
Chop cilantro.
Set them all aside and turn a large non stick skillet onto medium heat and add a heaping Tablespoon of coconut oil into the pan
Add chopped onion to the pan coating it with the oil, when the onion is soft add 1/2 the amount of ginger and garlic and stir. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and continue to cook for a few minutes stirring often.
Add your chopped veggies to the pan and stir well. Cook 5 minutes or until veggies are softened.
Add the can of coconut milk and stir well. Add the curry paste and stir well again. Add the sriracha and 1 teaspoon of the tamari, add juice from 1/2 the lime, stir. Turn heat to low and simmer 5-7 minutes. Add the cilantro near the end of the simmering.
While the sauce is simmering, heat 1 Tablespoon coconut oil into a large non stick pan on medium heat. Add the shrimp when the oil is hot. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, add the remaining ginger and garlic. Sauté until the shrimp turn pink. Add the remaining Tamari and the juice of the other half of the lime.
When the shrimp are pink and everything is mixed add this to the pan with your veggies and stir to combine.
Serve warm over rice.
Enjoy!
If you have been to Tendercrop Farm in Dover N.H. Recently you may have noticed the Local Lunchbox food truck there. Jim and I stopped over to Tendercrop to pick up some of our favorite steak tips but Jim could not resist stopping at the food truck to grab a burger. Everything they make is made to order and the meats they use is from Tendercrop Farm. Their menu is simple with burgers, cheese burgers, sausage peppers and onions along with fresh squeezed lemonade or strawberry lemonade. Jim had the blue cheese burger with caramelized onions, lettuce and blue cheese crumbles alone with a Diet Coke.
Jim really enjoyed his burger, one he would order again! I had the strawberry lemonade! It was so refreshing. It was sweet but still a little tart, perfect on a warm summer day!
It was a gorgeous day to sit outside right there at the farm. We could watch some of the animals they have and enjoy the sunshine!
They have plenty of picnic tables to sit and enjoy the day!
The Local Lunchbox can be found Thursday through Sunday at Tendercrop unless they have a Saturday event. You can keep up with the current menu items and their location on their Facebook page. If you want a quick lunch and are near Dover point road in Dover, NH. The local Lunchbox does not disappoint!
Enjoy!
Stay In Touch
Follow me!
