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Best Food in New England
25 choices: One may be in your hometown
by Johnette Rodriguez
Certainly a list of 25 foods at 25 places doesn't do justice to the scores of fabulous eateries all over New England that still serve old-timey foods. What follows is intended to jump-start your own expeditions -- to give New England's newcomers an idea of what to look for and to prod longtime residents into appreciating the great dishes right under their noses.
1. Apple Pie
Freund's Farm Market
324 Norfolk Rd.
East Canaan, CT
860-824-0650; freundsfarmmarket.com
Although the apples come from nearby New York State, the blend of different kinds -- tart, sweet, firm, and tender, with not too much sugar and spice -- makes Freund's apple pie can't-stop-eating-it good. The homemade crust lets the juices seep into the top edges; transporting it oven-hot in your car is the best kind of air freshener.
2. Cheddar Cheese
Grafton Village Cheese
533 Townshend Rd.
Grafton, VT
800-472-3866; graftonvillagecheese.com
You know what they say: "Apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze." The best topping for apple pie is a slice of cheddar -- a savory, creamy contrast to the apples and spices. Grafton uses only Vermont Jersey milk in its award-winning cheeses: six cheddar ages (one to six years, mild to sharp) and three flavors (maple-smoked, sage, and garlic).
3. Pumpkin Pie
Cottage Street Bakery
5 Cottage St.
Orleans, MA
508-255-2821; cottagestreetbakery.com
Drive down Cape Cod to pick up Marc Launoy's light-as-a-feather pie, its filling a mix of half-and-half, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, and a homemade blend of spices. What makes this one a sure-fire winner is that the pumpkin's earthiness isn't overwhelmed by the spice or the sweetener, and the crust is light and tasty.
4. Blueberry Pie
Wild Blueberry Land
1067 Rte. 1
Columbia Falls, ME
207-483-2583
This pie has that sweet crunch of small wild berries, that woodsy tang when the juice flows, plus a wisp of thickener and a delicate, delicious complementary crust (in this case, a Dutch crumb topping). And, the building's shaped like a blueberry -- all the more fun.
5. Indian Pudding
Durgin-Park
340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA
617-227-2038; durgin-park.com
This dessert, devised by early settlers and seamen, has always used commonly available ingredients: cornmeal and molasses, eggs and milk. ("Indian" comes from the cornmeal, which was originally referred to as "Indian meal.") Durgin-Park's has a wonderfully smooth texture from long, slow cooking.
6. Grape-Nut Pudding
Moody's Diner
1885 Atlantic Highway (Rte. 1)
Waldoboro, ME
207-832-7785; moodysdiner.com
Moody's concession to Grape-Nuts purists is to make both a custard version and a pudding version, served on different days of the week. The custard is baked; the pudding is cooked double-boiler-style, with eggs separated. It's the vanilla in the custard that's always hooked us -- just right.
7. Boston Cream Pie
Omni Parker House
60 School St.
Boston, MA
617-227-8600; omnihotels.com
Reader Comments
Comment from Denise Chamie on March 4, 2009
12, #14 and #21 are three of my favorites, Jonnycakes (made with Kenyons stoned ground meal of course), and Clear Quahog Chowder, and who could live through a summer in RI without going to Haven Bros. in Providence to have a Lobster Roll.......I miss it all.
Thanks for the memories.
Denise
Comment from Brooke Burton on March 4, 2009
A great list. I think there should be a best seafood pasta category for all of us Italian food lovers!
I suggest Daily Catch in the North End.
Comment from leo king on July 8, 2010
living in wv and far away from my beloved new england,[to me that\'s nh/me] and a lover of great seafood i would be remiss if i didn\'t tell of 2 of the best,ie BROWN\'S lobster pound on 286 in seabrook beach nh.and i must say my all time favorite BOB\' Sclam shack in kittery next to kittery trading post on rt.1a.from the best clams to one of largest and most tasty seafood platters i have ever had the good fortunes to indulge in.and thier chowders are not thickened like wallpaper paste,good lord i\'m torturing myself just speaking of it.next time your in the mood for belly tickling food you really should try these places.my dream is to someday being able to move back home and live out the rest of my life eating new england.i hope you will add these to your reccommended eateries.leo g. king
Comment from Sandra Olsen on April 4, 2011
Being from Florida, my first lobster roll was from Red\'s Eats on a vacation to Maine. That\'s a high bar to set - no other lobster roll measures up to Red\'s.
Comment from demin martin on April 20, 2011
Its very nice. and very yummy. i love apple pie very much.
gluten free chocolate
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