Soup for you! and meat for me

Whenever I’m cruising to Sugarloaf from the coast, I have two must stops: Whitewater Farm, in New Sharon, and Soup for you! in Farmington.

Whitewater Farm doesn’t look like much from the road, it’s a ranch-style building with a bunch of truck-trailer boxes facing the parking area; on Route 27/2, between the 27 split south and the blinker in “downtown” New Sharon. Those trucks are for local farmers, who stock up on animal feed here. Many of those same farmers sell their meat, poultry, eggs, cheeses, and produce to the shop, which retails them to the public.

Now don’t go expecting some fancy market. Inside, freezers line the walls, each filled with specific products, including pork, lamb and goat, beef, veal, chicken, turkey, cranberries, rabbit, blueberries, ice cream and butter. In the refrigerator are the eggs, cheeses, milk, etc. Also here are dog chows and treats. Here’s a hint: the local chicken pot pies are really delicious, ideal to keep in the freezer or those what am I going to whip up tonight nights; and the maple sausage is really yummy.

Now, on to Soup for you!, a few doors up from Reny’s (another must stop, I must confess). Em Reeve concocts six fresh soups daily, including (and clearly noted) vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free ones. I rarely get past the soups, but there also are made-to-order sandwiches and wraps, smoothies, and coffee drinks–including a full page menu of them.

Back to those soups, buy hot and fresh and dine in (or take out, sizes range 8 to 32 ounces, prices $3.39-$9.39). You can always ask for a sample taste, too; a nice plus. If the Thai peanut chili or mushroom marsala are on the menu, both are divine; love the chicken barley, too. Soup comes with fresh bread. Just note: cash only.

An autumn ramble

Even though the color is a bit from peak, it’s still gorgeous in the Bethel area. If you’re looking to slip away for a day or two, you won’t go wrong here in the next week or so.

My overnight began with a backroad noodle through the village- and lake-speckled rural countryside between m Augusta and Bethel. Trust me on this: Arm yourself with a DeLorme Map and Guide and just mosey through Leeds, Turner, Buckfield, Sumner etc. The rewards are well worth a few wrong turns; actually getting lost is half the fun.

Once in Bethel, I met a friend for lunch, a pulled-pork sandwich at BBQ Bob’s Orange Trailer, adjacent to the Good Food Store on Route 2. Despite retreating to a car to finish lunch due to an afternoon sprinkle, I give this picnic table enterprise high marks. Wasn’t too crazy about the cornbread, but the pork was delish.

Then off to the Crocker Pond House, an architect-designed B&B down a rural byway off Route 2. What a find! Stuart (he’s the architect) and Ellen Crocker’s B&B blends angles, projections, big windows, balconies, soaring spaces and intimate places into a cozy whole. Family rooms have sleeping lofts for the kids, a great idea. So quiet at night, too. How quiet? While in the living room, I could hear the soft psiu psiu of the cats padding down the hall. And outside, acres of undeveloped land, with a big lawn, a private pond, and trails deep into the woods. And breakfast? Stuart’s magnificent blueberry pancakes.

For dinner, I hit $5 burger night at the Jolly Drayman at the Brier Lea, an extremely popular Monday night happening in Bethel. No little patties here, these are big burgers topped with lettuce, onion, and tomato and served with a generous side of fries. All for $5.

Next morning, I wandered around Bethel, then drove over Paradise Hill, a must for foliage viewing without stress. Drive out past the Bethel Inn, then keep going, bending to the left on Paradise Hill Road. It climbs up to a ridge with panoramic mountain views off both sides, before dropping. At the T intersection, turn left and you’ll be back in downtown Bethel. A quick loop, but one with big rewards for leaf peepers.

Lunch: S.S. Milton. First time I’ve returned since it replaced Mother’s ages ago. I’ll definitely make it a must on my returns to Bethel. Good food, well prepared, friendly service, and a comfy space: a warren of small rooms in an old Victorian on Main Street.

Next stop, Cafe DiCocoa for chocolate chip cookies (yup, these rival those at Old Gourmet for top honors so far) and tea for the road. (Note to self: Return in winter for one of the ethnic themed prix fixe dinners).

Final stop, in Turner at Nezinscot Farm. What a gem, a family farm/fiber store/frommagerie/cafe/and so much  more. I purchased farm-made cheese, meats, relish, pickles, Anadama bread (some of the best I’ve had, right up there with that from Friar’s Bakery, in Bangor) and yes, a cookie (excellent!, a contender).

Saddleback Surprise: Cook new honcho

The announcement just landed in my inbox. Warren Cook, the former prez and co-owner at Sugarlaof who resigned from the mice lab after allegations of resume enhancements, is taking over the reigns at Saddleback. He replaces GM Tom McCallister, who’s been in the position for 31 years.

Cook is well respected in western Maine, where’s he’s big booster of local causes. He’s known for telling it like it is. When Sugarloaf celebrated its 50th anniversary, at the big bash, he announced: “I sold this area to the two biggest a**&()#@ in the ski industry,” referring to Pres Smith of SKI, then Les Otten of ASC. And he’s considered my most to be an all-around good guy. He really had no reason to embellish his resume, and why he did so remains a mystery.

Saddleback is getting a strong leader in Cook. Another step forward for the ski area, one that still remains quite a sleeper. (hint: great choice for value-conscious or budget-minded skiers and riders)