Back to Rockland Maine for Dinner

From Belfast Maine we slowly drove down US Hwy. 1 taking in the sights along the way.  Laurie ran in and out of pubs…looking for the perfect brewpub t-shirt as requested by her sister Bonnie.

We parked in the center of Rockland.  Laurie checked out a couple of pubs for that t-shirt and I took a few photos.

 

This is the Strand Theatre at 345 Main Street.  It was built by a local businessman in early 1923.  As such, it was the first building to be built following the fire of June 16, 1922, which destroyed 4 entire blocks of businesses in downtown Rockland.  It opened its doors on February 21, 1923 (Washington’s Birthday) and it featured a sold out screening of a silent film named “My Wild Irish Rose”. 

The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was extensively renovated in 2005, including a fully restored interior and exterior plus new sound and projection equipment.  The theatre is owned and operated by a non-profit group and it offers movies as well as live performances and concerts.

At the time I wrote this post, the movie “Can you ever forgive me?” was playing at the Strand.  To check out the theatre’s schedule, just go to https://www.rocklandstrand.com/.

I’m not much of a shopper but I do note different or unusual stores selling products that are out of the ordinary.  I certainly thought that Wooden Alchemy was one such find.  An artist named Rob Jones specializes in taking birch plywood and others to create fun, collectable and even useful artistic creations for use at home or as gifts. 

So what’s that large strange object in the store’s show window? 

This is a…are you ready for it?  Can you say “Rhombicosidodecahedron”?  A Rhombicosidodecahedron is one of 13 convex isogonal Archimedes solids.  It has 62 faces, the 12 pentagons of a dodecahedron, the 20 triangles of an icosahedron and 30 squares to fill in the gaps between.  This sculpture has 360 screws holding the 62 sides together with 26,584 glue joints.

Now you understand…right?  In any case, it’s an interesting creation!

Wooden alchemy in Rockland is located at 399 Main Street.  Phone: 207-975-5125.  A second store is located in Daramscotta Main.  Website: https://www.woodenalchemy.com/.

This is a Main Street Rockland glimpse of the Farnsworth Art Museum, our goal for the next day of our trip.  It was supposed to be a bit rainy so we planned for an indoor activity. 

Finally Laurie found a Brewpub that had the type of t-shirt in stock that Bonnie had asked for… This is the Rock Harbor Pub at 416 Main Street in Rockland Maine.  This is a big place, with a dining area combined with the adjoining bar.

This bar at the Rock Harbor Pub and Restaurant reminds me of a good old Wisconsin bar… It just has that look, probably enhanced by the presence of regulars bellying up to the bar.

Rock Harbor also has a tap room in town…I’m guessing at the brewery facility.  This brewery offers 7 different beers including “Spruced Stout”, “Smuggler’s Session IPA; Storm Surge IPA; Twin Screw Pale Ale; Breakwater Wheat; Cooperhouse ESP, and Rouge Wave Double IPA.  The latter offering has an alcohol by volume content of 9%.  That’s a potent beer!  Check out the website at http://rockharborbrewing.com/.

This was our restaurant of choice for the evening.  Rustica Cucina Italiana, at 315 Main Street, opened in Rockland in 2006 so they have 12 years of success under their belt!  What can I say, I just felt like Italian cuisine… You can't eat seafood all the time...well, Laurie could definitely eat lobster every day!

The restaurant seats 60 guests and is open for dinner from 5 PM until 9 PM from Tuesday through Saturday.  They are even open in the winter season.  As you can see, the décor in the dining room is pretty simple. 

The chef/owner prides himself in using the freshest ingredients and in making as much of his cuisine from scratch as is possible.  The restaurant produces house-made sausage, pastas, breads, desserts and a wide variety of stocks and sauces for their various menu items. 

This was my entrée…but first we had Rustica’s Shrimp and Polenta appetizer. ($9.00) I forgot to take a picture of it!  The shrimp were sautéed with garlic white wine butter sauce with tomato and herbs, served with a crispy polenta cake, baby arugula and lemon parsley.  It was very nice…

So back to my entrée…pictured above.  This was the Cavatelli Saltimbocca. ($19.00) The house-made rolled pasta was served with herb marinated grilled chicken, prosciutto, fresh sage, garlic and baby spinach in a brown butter and white wine cream sauce.  It was very good and I’d order it again if I had the chance. 

Laurie had the Risotto Del Giorno… That is the Chef’s choice risotto of the day. ($24.00) Laurie remembers that she thought that it was excellent!  She believes she remembers that the risotto was blended with lobster, artichokes, tomatoes and baby spinach.  It was a fine entrée!

Rustica Cucina Italiana is a popular dining venue.  Call ahead for reservations.  We had to wander the streets for a bit before a table was available.  Phone: 207-594-0015.  Website: http://rusticamaine.com/.  

The former Rockland Railway Station is the eastern terminus of the Rockland Branch, a state-owned track connecting Rockland and Brunswick Maine.  The depot was built in 1917 by the Maine Central Railroad and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  For a while it served as Rockland’s city hall.  The rail line is currently inactive, with seasonal passenger service as recently as 2015.  The line has now been leased to the Central Maine and Quebec Railway and there is some hope that seasonal passenger service will return…

Currently this 101 year old depot is home to Trackside Station Restaurant.  It’s located at 4 Union Street.  Phone: 207-594-7500.  Their website is found at https://tracksideme.com/.   I wonder how many restaurants are named Trackside…this was the second one on our trip with the first unrelated similarly named restaurant in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania.

 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave