There are a million ways to enjoy summer in Maine! From camping trips and nights under the stars to coastal adventures and refreshing swims in the ocean, amazing meals and much more — summer here can be whatever you want it to be! So when Stonewall Kitchen invited us down to York for a Daytrip exploring their cafe, home store, and the surrounding area, we couldn’t wait to kick off the season with a trip to the beach and lots of delicious food along the way. Come along with us!
The day started with fresh Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread that we whipped up alongside an egg and a cup of dark roast from Vermont Coffee Co. We love to bake, but haven’t been making the time for it with our crazy schedules. Stonewall Kitchen makes it effortless with dry mixes that only require a few wet additions. This quick bread needed some water, oil, and vanilla extract before taking a trip into the oven. I was so delighted how simply it came together and was especially thrilled when our end product matched the photo on the packaging. Not to mention, it was moist, delicious, and paired superbly with the bold dark roast!
All fueled up and ready for a great day ahead, we hit 95 South towards York. Rays of sunshine beamed through the sunroof as singalongs played through the speakers. The Stonewall Kitchen campus is right off exit 7, and we were immediately greeted by their beautiful gardens in full bloom. With summer flowers of all colors, it was a delightful sight to arrive to. The road in to Stonewall Kitchen is lined with lampposts featuring illustrated lighthouses by Alan Claud. We’ve admired his work for years and love this display and their commitment to working with local artists!
We have been to the Stonewall Kitchen Cafe a few times for breakfast, but have yet to enjoy their lunch options! When the team recommended the dishes featuring lobster, Cam and I zeroed in on the menu. He tried the lobster BLT, an elevated twist on one of our summer favorites, as the simple sandwich really shows off good ingredients— how can you go wrong? And I tried their lobster Cobb salad, which was the perfect balance of rich and refreshing.
After lunch, we strolled through their stores, first to grab provisions for later and then to check out their new assortment of home goods. For our picnic, we picked out some of our favorites like the blueberry jam and dilly beans and also tried some new to us items like their white fig spread and chocolate sea shells! Their home store featured a beautiful array of staples and decorations for elevating a home. Stonewall Kitchen always has beautiful displays and I was immediately drawn to the Lemon Basil Collection by Michel Design Works, which perfectly complemented my outfit! With a new home on the horizon for us, I look forward to coming back to the Stonewall Kitchen Home store for some goodies once we have a place to furnish!
With our picnic baskets loaded, we said farewell to Stonewall Kitchen and set off to explore York! Our first stop was to Nubble Lighthouse, a charming island light right off of Cape Neddick! The rose hip bushes were in full bloom and it sure felt like summer. From there, we continued on to Long Sands Beach, where we found a sandy spot to spread out. We decorated our cheese board with fruit, crackers, and Stonewall Kitchen staples to enjoy alongside a spritz. For the drink, we poured their Blueberry Lemon Mint Mixer over some seltzer and threw in some berries for an afternoon refresher. As we were picking away at the provisions, we noticed the waves lapping closer and closer to us, so our afternoon on the beach didn’t last as long as we had hoped.
As we were cruising through Cape Neddick earlier we had spotted the sunny patio of York Beach Brew Co, so we headed there once the waves kicked us off the beach for a happy hour pint! Without the gentle breeze, the sun was feeling ever so warm, getting us excited for the season ahead. From there, we made our way down the beach for dinner overlooking the ocean! We watched the sun cast beautiful golden light over the ocean as it made its way below the horizon. It was bitter sweet knowing the days are getting shorter again, but we have so much to look forward to for the rest of the summer season!
Thank you, Stonewall Kitchen, for inviting us down to explore your neck of the woods! We look forward to a summer of beach picnics and cheese boards with our favorite spreads. Cheers!
