Over the fourth of July I made my second annual visit to Rye Beach, New Hampshire with my fiancé and his family for their yearly holiday festivities. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read about the serene, but small, stretch of beach that his family calls home here is a link to last year’s post. There is a fun little blurb on the area and reviews of two MUST visit restaurants. I was more than just a little excited to get my fill of Petey’s Seafood again this year. I had a plate of their famous fried clams in front of me less than 2 hours after my arrival (We don’t like to waste any time!).
This year’s vacation was just as relaxing, adventurous, and delicious! While I could spend from dawn until dusk lounging on the beach (the sunsets are a sight to be seen in Rye) we had an overcast day to use as an exploration opportunity during our stay. We decided to take the ocean scenic route up to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and then cross over into Maine and continue back to the shoreline to travel to our final destination of York, Maine. The New England style homes (so much history in some of these!) and the rocky shore line make for a gorgeous drive, even on a cloudy day.
After reaching York, which is just a few minutes over the border, we headed for Fox’s Lobster House. We received a high recommendation for the restaurant and were assured the view alone would make the trip worthwhile. Upon pulling up, I quickly realized that the views would definitely not disappoint. The restaurant is situated on a stony high point along the shore and overlooks Nubble Lighthouse.
The restaurant looks like a typical little seafood eatery. It had an outside walk up window and picnic area as well as a slightly more upscale indoor seating area. Aside from some nautical décor, the restaurant is pretty unassuming. Our place settings consisted of a paper placemat with instructions on how to eat a lobster (it would come in handy for my meal ahead!). The menu had enough seafood items to choose from to make our heads spin. All of our eyes danced around from section to section but we decided to stick with the basics. It’s not every day you come to Maine and the state is known for Lobster, so Lobster was the obvious choice.
While we waited for our broiled lobsters and lobster rolls, we warmed our bellies with some clam chowder. A trip to New England is never complete without this rich, velvety delicacy. New England clam chowder is up there with one of my all-time favorite American dishes. This cup from Fox’s held its own up against my long list of chowder suitors that I have consumed over the years. It was definitely a thicker stock, but full of flavor. It had WHOLE clams in the soup which is certainly an anomaly in the chowder world. If I hadn’t had a large lobster ahead of me I would have asked for seconds.
My lobster arrived and I was ready to get down and dirty learning how to eat it. You see, this is only the second time I have ever ate a full broiled lobster myself (at least in memory). For a girl who grew up spending summers in northern Maine; it’s pretty shocking that I didn’t hop on this bandwagon WAY sooner. With the help of my placemat’s tutorial and the expert lobster feasters sitting beside me, I enjoyed an extremely fresh, sweet and succulent lobster. The smallest size, which is what we selected, was 1 lb & 1/8. It was a perfect portion for lunch paired with my cup of chowder. Also, comparable to New Jersey prices I thought the $15.95 that they charged me was not only reasonable but well worth the cost. My fiancé opted for the lobster roll and while I dis not partake in taste testing due to the mayonnaise that is involved he made sure to make it clear how great his lunch was. You don’t get much better than eating lobsters at an oceanfront restaurant in Maine.
After our food was taken away we all sat finishing our beers, looking out at the spectacular view from our window seats and having some great conversation. Later, we wandered up the hill to take some photos closer to the lighthouse before beginning our trek home.
Fox’s Lobster House is seasonal and operates from April through October each year. Find out more on their website: http://www.foxslobster.com/
York, Maine doesn’t only have this restaurant and lighthouse to offer. There are public beaches, York’s Wild Kingdom which includes Maine’s largest zoo and amusement park, historical estates and museums, and plenty of boutiques and souvenir shops to take advantage of. It’s definitely a family friendly town or perfect for a romantic getaway.
…all for the love of the dish
Missy