Maine: Top Camps and Cuisine!

When parents choose to send their kids to camp in Maine, the family enjoys incredible camp experiences and more! Families adopt the “Pine Tree” state as their home away from home where they can return summer after summer. The stunning natural beauty, amazing active adventures, and top-notch cuisine are a few great reasons why Maine is called “Vacationland.”

Just as Maine campers experience incredible out-of-camp trips, their families also enjoy many well-known and off-the-beaten path places to relax, restore, and explore. There are bustling cities and quaint towns, and so many amazing restaurants (did you know … Portland is considered “the foodie capital of the Northeast”)! And Maine’s delectable staples - lobsters and whoopie pies - abound. When it comes to active adventures, there is no shortage of places to hike, bike, kayak, raft, view by boat, and beyond.

Recently, the 2023 James Beard Restaurants & Chef semifinalists were announced and Maine restaurants were recognized in several categories. The full list is here: https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2023-james-beard-awards-semifinalists And, here are the Maine highlights:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Krista Cole, Sur Lie and Gather Restaurant, Portland, ME 

Best New Restaurant

• wolfpeach, Camden, ME 

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Atsuko Fujimoto, Norimoto Bakery, Portland, ME 

Outstanding Hospitality

• The Quarry, Monson, ME 
• Sur Lie, Portland, ME 

Outstanding Bar

• The Jewel Box, Portland, ME 

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

• Sara Jenkins, Nina June, Rockport, ME 
• Jason LaVerdiere, Flux, Lisbon Falls, ME  
• Courtney Loreg, Woodford Food & Beverage, Portland, ME  
• Tony Pastor, Fore Street, Portland, ME  
• Isaul Perez, Isa, Portland, ME 

We can’t wait to check these out! Congrats to all the Maine restaurants and chefs.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.