A taste of Maine

* General stores, convenience stores and sometimes gas station marts sell whoopee pies and Italian sandwiches. Dojny said whoopee pies are "probably the precursor to some of the Hostess cakes - it's like a devil's food cake, round with sticky sweet frosting," Dojny said. And an Italian is "what the rest of the country would call a submarine sandwich, a hoagie or a hero - cold cuts layered with cheese and condiments in a crusty roll."

* If you're renting a house and feel like cooking, seek out local corn and other fresh produce at farmers markets and roadside stands. Check newspaper classifieds for pick-your-own farms - strawberries in early summer and raspberries in August. Up in Aroostook County, you may see bags of potatoes left out for the taking; you pay by the honor system - dropping money in an unsupervised jar.

"It restores your faith in humanity," Dojny said.

* Check out Maine's growing upscale restaurant scene. "Many chefs have moved to Maine because the food scene is so vibrant and the ingredients are so fantastic," Dojny said. "Dishing Up Maine" includes recipes from Maine's top chefs, and Dojny's restaurant recommendations include Fore Street in Portland, Primo in Rockland, Cleonice in Ellsworth, and Burning Tree in Otter Creek, which is near Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

You may find fiddlehead ferns on some menus. These wild greens are a favorite of old-timers, but they've turned trendy in recent years. "They taste sort of like asparagus - crunch and green," Dojny says. "They are a little weird-looking, but they are just delicious."

If You Go:

DISHING UP MAINE: By Brooke Dojny (Storey Publishing, $19.95).

TWO LIGHTS LOBSTER SHACK: 225 Two Lights Road, Cape Elizabeth; 207-799-1677. Lobster is daily market rate. Sides under $10; entrees $10-$20.

HARRASEEKET LUNCH AND LOBSTER: Town Landing, South Freeport; 207-865-3535. Sides under $10; entrees up to $24.

FORE STREET: 288 Fore St., Portland; 207-775-2717. Entrees $17-$34.

PRIMO: 2 South Main St., Rockland; 207-596-0770. Entrees $23-$38.

CLEONICE MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO: 112 Main St., Ellsworth; 207-664-7554. Entrees $19-$25.

BURNING TREE: Route 3, Otter Creek; 207-288-9331. Entrees $18-$26.

MORE FROM ROAD TRIPS

Road Trips Section Front

God bless the 20-hour road trip America's best driving roads How to make a speed run Badlands battle for off-roading Pack your bags for the Misty Mountains   Slide show: Olympic National Park Road Trips Section Front   Add Road Trips headlines to your news reader: