This April, Treat Yourself, Don’t Cheat Yourself!
After a far-too-long winter, April is the month to step up and be good to yourself. We’ve earned it! With longer days and brighter skies, everything is opening up – from early spring flowers to inns, cafes, and restaurants. It’s said that the name April originated, in part, from Aphrodite, the goddess of love and seafaring. So, what better place to celebrate our wonderfulness than Maine’s MidCoast and Islands! Here’s an April Treats calendar to help plan your escape.
April 1 – April Fools’ Day and National Fun Day
It’s no coincidence that April Fool’s Day and National Fun Day both fall on April 1. Winter is over and now it’s time to have some serious fun. Unwind, get a little silly, and put the ordinary stuff of life behind you. In Maine’s MidCoast, you’re come to the right place to put boring behind you and treat yourself right!
April 3 – National Chocolate Mousse Day
Is there a more decadent treat than a rich, airy chocolate mousse? Dark or bittersweet, mousse is a dessert to be savored in small spoonfuls. However, on this special day, why wait for dessert? Order a silky-smooth chocolate mousse for breakfast or lunch at one of these great spots. Rockland’s Atlantic Baking Company, Moonbat City Baking Co. in Belfast, and for a full-on Chocolate Mousse Pie, stop by Wild Oats Bakery & Café in Brunswick.
April 7 – National Beer Day
In Maine, “National Beer Day” is also known as “We’re Sorry and Won’t Do it Again Day!” Alcohol Prohibition got its start in Maine and it wasn’t until April 7, 1933, that beer could be consumed legally again in the U.S. To help set things right, the MidCoast has become a magnet for craft breweries in nearly every town and on one remote island. You can plan a best-of-the-beers journey in the MidCoast with the Maine Brewer’s Guild at https://mainebrewersguild.org/visit-breweries/plan-your-route/.
April 12 – National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
Few treats can rival a grilled cheese with its crispy outside and soft, gooey inside. In Maine, grilled cheese can include exotic cheeses, rustic breads, and of course, add-ons like lobster and fresh crab meat. Cooks Lobster House in Bailey Island is famous for its grilled cheese with lobster chunks on sour dough bread. The Eat Soup Truck in Rockland’s Landing parking lot does grilled-cheese six fantastic ways. Other great grill cheese spots include Camden’s Zoot Coffee, Thomaston Café, and King Eider Pub in Damariscotta.
April 16 – National Eggs Benedict Day
Shown above: “Renee’s Benedict,” one of 8 different Benedicts offered at Mae’s Café & Bakery in Bath. Photo by Kerry Michaels, @kerrymi
How do you like your eggs Benedict? Ham, salmon, or sliced avocado? Muffin, thick toast, or bagel? Eggs Benedict is the decadent star of any brunch most MidCoast breakfast spots include benedicts on the menu. Here are four of our favorites: Mae’s Café & Bakery in Bath, serves up Benedicts eight-delicious-ways. Flip in Brunswick features an amazing lobster Benedict on a homemade biscuit. Rockland’s Home Kitchen & Café has seven different Benedicts to choose from. Hey Sailor! in Searsport serves their Benedict on heavenly, house-made English Muffins. More coffee please!
April 17 – Malbec World Day
What’s so special about Malbec? It’s a very popular, French red wine, that happens to be very difficult to grow. A few decades ago, winegrowers discovered that Maine’s coastal climate and rocky soil are ideal for producing this wonderful, dry wine, along with other great varietals. How good is it? In 2021, Lincolnville’s Cellardoor Winery won “Best Malbec” and a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. So, raise a glass to finding a great Malbec and other ‘grand cru” wines here in the MidCoast.
April 20 – National High-Five Day
There’s nothing like a good high-five to celebrate when things go right and when you’re feeling great. So, while you’re traveling in the MidCoast on this fine day, offer a friendly, high-five to the person who serves your breakfast coffee or tea, to fellow hikers on a trail, or simply to anyone else who looks like they’d enjoy a high-five.
April 23 – National Picnic Day
Now that we’re officially a month into spring, it’s a great time to pack up a picnic and head outdoors. You can get extravagant with the food if you like, but often food is secondary to where you are outside. To work up an appetite and find a great picnic spot, visit any of the eleven state parks in the MidCoast. You can hike, enjoy wildlife, walk along beaches, and do so much more in these beautiful ocean and lakefront areas. Plan your picnic at a state park or lighthouse here!
April 30 – National Oatmeal Cookie Day
Lucky for us, oatmeal cookies round up the April Treats calendar. Oatmeal cookies let us indulge our fresh-cookie cravings while knowing it’s a little more nutritious. Add dried fruits, dark chocolate, even peanut butter, and the cookie gets even healthier. Atlantic Baking Company in Rockland is an artisanal bakery making breads, pastries and cookies from scratch with passion, every day for 20 years. (You can order their oatmeal cookies online and have them shipped to you!) Wildflours bakery in Brunswick offers a yummy vegan version of the classic cookies. Near Lincolnville Beach, Dot’s Market offers barista drinks and teas with their large oatmeal cookies. Sterlingtown Bakehouse in Union opens early with fresh baked cookies and locally-roasted coffees. Let your inner cookie monster have its way!
