Far from home, close to food

I don’t get to travel as much as I’d like. Work and lack of sufficient funds often prevents me from being the jet setter I aspire to be. However, when an event arises that allows me to splurge; I try to take full advantage.

So this past weekend I found myself right in the heart of Vacationland – Biddeford, Maine – to attend the wedding of one of my best friends, Marc Malon.

This was my second time in Biddeford, a place that’s very easy to fall completely in love with, and I wanted to use my limited time there to try some authentic Maine cuisine.

Not sure of where to venture, I passed a quant looking little restaurant on an early Saturday morning run, and decided that it would be my eventual target.

So before my afternoon flight yesterday, I ventured out with my friends Agatha and Meg to Buffleheads, a restaurant in the Hills Beach area of Biddeford.

Close your eyes and imagine a small restaurant on a beach in southern Maine, and I guarantee you it’ll probably look like the inside of Buffleheads. Small wood tables and local pictures on the wall make you feel right at home, and the food will make you want to stay there.

I started off with a cup of the Buffleheads seafood chowder; a surprisingly light and creamy mix of fresh seafood and potatoes served as a great way to start off a lunch.

When it came time to choose my entrée, I felt that I’d be cheating myself if I didn’t leave Maine without having some lobster – so I dug into the best lobster roll I’ve ever had. Large, succulent pieces of lobster, perfectly dressed in mayo in a wonderfully buttered and toasted roll, it was almost enough to make me want to pick up and move to Maine. Served with a pickle, coleslaw and thick-cut French fries, I thought it was a steal at a little over $13.

Knowing the odds are stacked against me being in Hills Beach in the very near (or far) future, I decided to get dessert – a refreshing and wonderfully delicious piece of strawberry rhubarb pie with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Walking away paying only $24 (including tax and tip), Buffleheads is a great find in a pretty secluded area in a pretty secluded state. When you’re far from home, sometimes you need a little slice of home to make things right – Buffleheads serves a great slice of home, and a damn good lobster roll.

Buffleheads
122 Hills Beach Road
Biddeford, Maine
207-284-6000