inside Maine WEB WISE DEAR DIARY Anglers have always kept fishing diaries to record their catches and other bits of infor- mation gleaned from hours spent on the water. Lately, though, fishermen have begun trading in their pocket note- books for something better suited to the virtual age. TripTracks Fishing Logbook (www.triptracks.com) allows users to record data about their fishing trips using a simple calendar format. You can access your info from any computer with an Internet connection. Even better, TripTracks is a boon for Maine's Comfortably Quirky fisheries because it allows state biologists to monitor fishing Café This Way is delicious proof that Bar Harbo pressure at specific locations, is as much a college town as a vacation resort. 10" 20" 30" 40" 50" T he trick to finding a great dinner in a our process has been running on instinct. Brook Trout resort town is avoiding three basic All of us absolutely agreed in the begin- Brown Trout tourist traps: the lobster bib scene, the ning that we didn't want the kind of place Lake Trout eateries that cash in on scenic views by where we'd have to clean lobster guts off Landlocked Salmon serving mediocre food, and the outra- the wall." Largemouth Bass geously expensive places that max out Harris gives the fits-on-a-business Pike the credit card. One of the best ways to card translation: "Eclectic food in a casual Pickerel steer clear of these traps in Bar Harbor is setting." That setting is blissfully free of Rainbow Trout to follow a funky little turquoise sign on fishing nets and fuss. In the evening, Smallmouth Bass Mount Desert Street to Café This Way, white votive candles set atop bookshelves Splake which serves fresh and lively fare flicker against burgundy walls hung Striped Bass beloved by locals and visitors alike. with paintings of flowers and fruit learn which fish species are Resembling a white summer by Neiley Harris, Julie Harris' sis- cottage on the outside and a hip DINING ter-in-law. Other touches - most popular, and even pro- urban coffee shop on the inside, Barcelona-style chairs pulled vides early warning for illegal Café This Way is impossible to around a tabletop of beach pebbles species introductions. pigeonhole. It's a comfortable, quirky under glass, a swirling yellow ceiling TripTracks also produces a valu- place that reflects the passions and per- sculpture that doubles as a sound baffle, able annual report that any sonalities of the three very different part- and hose clamps used for napkin rings Maine angler will want to read. ners who created it nine years ago: create an atmosphere of relaxed sophisti- What was the largest recorded Susanne Hathaway, chef Julie Harris, and cation sparked with subtle humor. Julie Berberian. The same is true of the menu, which togue taken in 2005? "We're not charts-and-graph type peo- Harris describes as "creative and all over TripTracks knows. And it's ple," says Hathaway, who runs the dining the place." She favors Greek and Asian absolutely free to boot. room and manages the books. "Most of cuisine. "Asian is my favorite because I 31 36 DOWN EAST Sept '06 YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO ENJOYING LIFE IN THE PINE TREE STATE love gingery-garlicky sorts of things," The three women behind Café This Harris says. "I buy lots of cookbooks, al- Way - (left to though I don't copy recipes. I just like to right) Julie play with food." Harris, Susanne The happy results include starters like Hathaway, Julie Maine seafood spring rolls, which are Berberian - have packed with sweet chunks of lobster, crab, won a fiercely loyal following and shrimp done up with ginger and gar- with hip dishes lic, rice noodles and a spicy plum-orange like sesame tofu glaze. Harris' passion for playing with food "scallops" also is evident in an appetizer of sesame (below). tofu "scallops" artfully arranged on an iri- descent green rectangular plate. This opener delights the eye and surprises the palate with four grilled medallions of tofu served with cucumber and seaweed salad, and three kinds of vegetarian "caviar" that pops in your mouth like the real thing. Harris has a gift for combining a hand- Laughter punctuates the conversation ful of ingredients in unexpected ways to as the partners talk about the business create fresh and delightful entrées. She they've grown from what Hathaway says sautés lobster meat with cream, Absolut began as "a lark." Newly graduated from citron, spinach, roasted red peppers, nearby College of the Atlantic, she needed crushed red peppers, and rosemary and a job. So did Berberian (a fellow COA serves it over linguine in a dish that is sur- alum who had graduated a few years ear- prisingly light. Other seafood dishes in- lier) and Harris, who had just found out clude pecan-crusted halibut served over the restaurant where they both worked garlicky spinach with Cajun tartar sauce was closing. One day at lunch, the trio and grilled tuna with sautéed apples, prices range from $14 for the bibimbap to decided to take a second look at a busi- honey, and tiny smoked Maine shrimp. $23 for the lemon vodka lobster. ness for sale that the two Julies had previ- The turf side of the menu offers plenty Breakfast brings in droves of locals and ously decided they couldn't afford. A of options for both carnivores and vegetari- hungry hikers for creative and reasonably month later, the three of them owned it. ans. The Greek influence shows up in priced omelets ($6.25) like the "green Their creativity and instincts re- grilled lamb sirloin served over roasted eggs and Sam," which combines spinach, flected in everything from the menu to plum tomatoes, garlic, and kalamata olives kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and feta, design changes over the years, including a and topped with lima bean skordalia, a and "the Smokey," which is filled with cozy bar and a sleek, windowed garage puree of limas, lemon juice, garlic, and smoked trout, red onion, fresh basil, toma- door that opens wide in summer to pro- parsley. Asian inspired entrées include toes, and parmesan. The café also serves vide natural air conditioning and connect bibimbap, a Korean dish of stir fried veg- intriguing variations on eggs Benedict and the dining room with the deck - have gies, a fried egg, and spicy pepper sauce breakfast basics like pancakes and oatmeal served them well. When asked about served over rice in a hot stone bowl. Entrée with blueberries and bananas. their ultimate vision for the café, Berberian cooks breakfast alongside Berberian gestures around the dining Harris, oversees the excellent wine list, and room with a sweep of her hand. "Exactly is the "all-arounder" who helps out in the what we have," she says. KIM RIDLEY kitchen and dining room. She also may be the fastest breakfast cook in town, a crucial Café This Way is located at 14 1/2 Mt. Desert skill in a small place that one morning Street in Bar Harbor, 207-288-4483. cranked out 425 breakfasts in three hun- Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday dred minutes. Berberian can whip up 7 - 11A.M., and Sunday 8A.M. - 11 P.M. breakfast - she has been timed - in thirty Reservations are recommended for dinner, seconds flat. Her secrets: "Hot pans, a lot of which is served nightly from 5:30 - 9 P.M. The communication, and staying calm." café is open from May until late October. SEPTEMBER 2006 37