Spending the winter in Ellsworth, Maine
Happy 1st of March you guys!
In January, we accepted a travel nurse position in Ellsworth, Maine. last year, we were in Rockport, which is about 2 hours south of Ellsworth. Ellsworth is about a 40-minute drive to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park! during the winter months, it is surrounded by locals and then by May/June, it is FLOODED by tourists.
Since we are here in the winter, there is NOT MUCH to do as in going out to restaurants and doing activities (unless you are an avid snow sports person… we are not #grewupwithnosnow). But, we do have some places to share with you that you can visit in Ellsworth!
Snowfall on Main Street
Restaurants/ Breweries:
Provender Kitchen & Bar is located on Main street. It is a restaurant that serves modern bistro dishes and amazing cocktails in a rustic setting with dim lighting. The food is a bit pricier than other restaurants on Main street, but the vibes are worth it. It is not on the menu, but I would recommend getting an espresso martini. The winter hours are: Wed-Sat 11:30 am - 8:30 pm Click to go to Provender
the espresso martini
86 This is a wrap and burrito restaurant. they serve burritos, nachos, soups, and salads. Our recommendation is the Rockabilly it is a burrito with chipotle pushed chicken, black beans, rice, "Brazilian" chimichurri, chipotle crema, and cheese. it is located on Main Street and the winter hours are: Mon-Fri 11 am -7 pm, Sat 11 am -4 pm Click to go to 86This
Fogtown Brewing has two locations. Bar Harbor and Ellsworth. The Bar Harbor location is closed during the winter season, but the Ellsworth location (on Pine St.) is open for winter hours on FRI: 4 pm - 8 pm, SAT: 4 pm - 8 pm, and SUN: 4 pm - 8 pm starting late May, they do offer live music at their beer garden every Friday. Fogtown also offers wood-fired pizza. honestly, the pizza is good, but it is not worth it for the price. however, the beer is great! Our favorite beer at Fogtown is the stout, the Night Nurse Double Shift. Click to go to Fogtown
Airline Brewing Company has two locations. Amherst and Ellsworth. The Ellsworth location is open 7 days a week from 11 am- 10 pm. The brewing company also serves English pub fare with a good variety of great beer. Oliver actually is helping can beer at the Amherst location and we would recommend the Peanut Butter Stout. Click here to go to Airline Brewing
*** local favorites:
Momos Cheesecakes***. Now this place is a hidden gem. It is a 24-hour open grab-and-go cheesecake store! the owner makes it right at her home and the bakery is attached to her house. You pay with the honor system here as well. They do offer payment options of cash, check, and Venmo. The options are ENDLESS, like seriously ENDLESS. She also started selling tiramisu… so definitely recommend that. Click to go to Momo's
Imago Dei Bakery***. another in-home bakery that makes… Donuts! Ran by a Jesus lovin’ mother, these donuts are top-notch. We have decided that these donuts are the best donuts we have had in our LIFETIME. The donuts are sweet potato donuts that use organic extracts and whole-food ingredients. The menu changes daily and they also offer delivery. Click to go to Imago Dei Bakery
Imago Dei Donuts
Activities:
I will not list any winter sports such as going to a ski resort because Maine is full of winter adventures. I honestly don’t know that much about it to give you any recommendations.
But we do go to Acadia National Park often and do winter hikes/runs around the park. The trails can be snowy/icy so microspikes are recommended.
Snowshoeing is also great at Acadia! Snowshoes can be rented out at most outdoor stores, including L.L. Bean.
The winter months are long and brutal here in Maine. We are super excited for spring to start here in Maine. Until then we are mostly spending time at the indoor gym and getting our van fitted to live in it in the summer.
greetings from Acadia National Park