Inn’s buildings attest to the seafaring history of Maine’s coast

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from THE BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE July 10, 2005
By Patricia Harris and David Lyon
GLOBE CORRESPONDENTS

TENANTS HARBOR, Maine — The East Wind Inn holds down a prime piece of the harborfront in this salty little village where more people tend lobster traps than tend to tourists. Lobster boats sit moored in the snug harbor, sheltered by a spruce-covered island. We knew we had really arrived when the brief whiff of bait greeted us as soon as we opened the car doors.

Echoing Maine’s seafaring history, the inn’s assemblage of buildings includes a former sea captain’s home, a former sail loft, and a once-private cottage. A grassy lawn slopes down to the sea, and well-tended flower gardens add a splash of color to the blues and grays of fog and water.

We had booked a room with private bath in the Main Inn (the former sail loft, converted to an inn in the 1920s). As we climbed the stairs to the front porch, Gent, the inn’s amiable black Lab, rushed out to greet us with loud woofs and thumping wags of his tail. Our room, number 15, was tucked under the eaves at the back of the building on the third floor. Windows on two walls let in views of the harbor and a lobstermen’s wharf.

The room’s simple decor seemed just right for the setting. The wallpaper mimicked stenciled pineapples, the wooden Shakerstyle queen bed had a beige chenille bedspread, plain white curtains fluttered at the windows. Matching bedside tables resembled old washstands; each had a good reading lamp. Two small stuffed armchairs sat by windows at the foot of the bed.

A separate vestibule with a coat rack and oak dresser opened onto the bathroom, which had a large vanity sink, shower stall, and two large windows. We only wished that it had a deep tub for literally soaking in the views.

The inn has no air conditioning. Instead, our room was equipped with extra blankets. Sure enough, a strong east wind off the chill ocean provided more than enough cooling — and a nice salty tang that no air conditioner can match. It was downright chilly when we woke early the next morning to the sound of a lobster boat chugging out of the harbor through the fog.

In the midst of such industriousness, it was surprisingly easy to do almost nothing. We wandered down to breakfast in the main dining room, a bright square room with windows on two walls and ship models on the others. Our lodging package included a choice of cooked entree along with juice and coffee or tea. After blueberry pancakes and a cheese omelett made with fresh local eggs, we took our cups outdoors and claimed a pair of rockers on the wide porch that wraps two sides of the building. We sipped and rocked until the sun broke through the fog.

Over at the wharf, we found three generations of the same family who run lobster traps and a steady stream of kayakers putting in at the adjacent public landing.

We meandered up to True Hall Realty to study the listings and dream of a funky cottage by the sea. Finally, we stirred enough to drive to the St. George Grange flea market (Route 131 north of Route 73, second and fourth Saturdays of the month, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.). We had good luck at the baked goods table.

Alas, the Chandlery Grill, the inn’s casual waterfront dining spot, hadn’t opened yet for the season. So we grabbed two Adirondack chairs by the water’s edge and read until the temperature dropped and the fog started to roll back in. We retreated first to the porch and then to the main parlor, where a pillow read, ‘‘If You Want the Best Seat in the House, Move the Dog.’’ Gent seemed disinclined to relinquish his corner of the couch, but there was more than enough comfortable seating to go around.

The room is decorated with marine paintings and charts of Penobscot and Muscongus bays, along with a baby grand piano and communal television.

During our weekend, no one touched the piano, and we were the only ones to switch on the TV. The weather forecast confirmed what we already knew: cool and foggy on our peninsula, hot and steamy inland.

The boats in the harbor were mere ghosts in the mist when we returned to the dining room for dinner. The menu wisely emphasizes fresh local seafood, which the kitchen treats with respect.

The lobster and fennel stew is unctuously rich, but fresh fennel leaves from the kitchen garden made a nice, brassy counterpoint to the cream base and sweet lobster. A tangy horseradish crust gave the roasted Atlantic salmon a welcome assertiveness. Maine crab tends to be a subtle crustacean, but its high, thin notes played nicely off a lobster remoulade sauce and couscous scented with orange and lemon. Warm blueberry buckle provided the perfect homey touch to end the meal.

Patricia Harris and David Lyon are writers in Cambridge.

IF YOU GO:

The East Wind Inn
Mechanic Street
Tenants Harbor, Maine
800-241-8439, 207-372-6366
www.eastwindinn.com

What we liked most:
The catbird seat on the harbor.
What we liked least:
We couldn’t try the lobster roll at the Chandlery Grill.
What surprised us:
How much lower the temperatures were, compared with only a few miles inland.
You know you’re at The East Wind Inn when. . .
You have to compete with the inn’s black Lab for a seat in the parlor.
Rates: Doubles with shared bath $89- $129, doubles with private bath $119- $159, including full breakfast. Suites, apartment, and cottage rooms $149- $299. Two-night minimum stay required for most rooms on weekends. We paid $159 for room 15 in the Main Inn, $20 more per night than listed on the rate card for the time period. When we called about the discrepancy, our credit card was credited for the difference.

The main dining room serves dinner nightly April- November; entrees $18-$29. The Chandlery Grill is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily July-Labor Day and weekends through Columbus Day for lighter fare, such as hot dogs ($3) and lobster rolls ($13).

Directions: From Boston, follow Interstate 95 to Portland (exit 52). Pick up Interstate 295 and continue to Exit 28 (Brunswick). Follow Route 1 north to Thomaston and turn right to go south on Route 131 for 9 miles into Tenants Harbor. Distance 190 miles, about four hours.