On a recent ski escape my husband and I headed out to find dinner in a tiny little lake town tucked into a woodsy, rural part of northern Maine.
What we found was delightful. Tiny Rangeley, Maine (rangeleymaine.com), with just 1,200 residents, defies its locale. It’s a quaint and beautiful setting for what could be considered a foodie paradise.
From upscale gourmet to classic pub fare to fluffy pancakes, you can find it all in Rangeley. And you’ll need that fuel, for skiing at Saddleback Mountain, hiking all over (including a headway to the famed Appalachian Trail), snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and in the summer, water sports.
We headed into Rangeley on a Tuesday night after settling into our A-Frame rental up on nearby Saddleback Mountain. We crossed our fingers something would be open (in what we thought was the middle of nowhere) and vowed to not be too picky. No need for all that: We found just about every kind of restaurant you could want.
Rangeley is no sleepy town.
“This is just what we do,” a local sitting next to me at the bar of our choice that night, Sarges Sport Pub (https://sargessportspub.com). “We get out and hang out. And we eat well.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Rangeley was founded by aristocracy: Squire James Rangeley named the town after his family after inheriting 31,000 acres of land in the area. He arrived in 1825 and set up an English type system with landlords and tenants. He built a sawmill and gristmill and cut a 10-mile road to connect the town to the rest of the world.
At about the same time, fishermen heard that brook trout bigger than eight pounds could oft be caught at Indian Rock, where the Rangeley and Kennebago Rivers met. The railroad coming to town drew more visitors in search of fishing, wildlife and beauty. Soon, families began erecting lake spots. Today, the lake home population is multi-generational and tight.
By the early 1900’s, Rangeley had become a summer destination that attracted thousands. Today, while the year-round population is still tiny, the visitor flow runs strong every season.
We found ourselves heading to town nightly, and never running out of amazing food options.
There’s the upscale yet comfortable vibe at the Rangeley Inn and Tavern (https://www.therangeleyinn.com), one of the last still-standing grand hotels built in 1909 and lovingly restored by new owner Travis Ferland and team circa 2012.
In their Tavern, a fire crackles, drinks are poured just right and the chef loves to celebrate locally sourced fare in creative ways. It’s the perfect spot to linger over dinner and dessert. I’m told summers there are sublime; you can step out the back door, hop into a kayak and get out into nature, and then circle back for great food and drink.
Apres another day we chose the Corner Bar and Kitchen (https://www.cornerbarandkitchen.net), just a few steps down the street. Before we even sidled up to the bar, I knew I’d like the place: A sign in the entrance read “No, we don’t have Wifi. Talk to one another!”
The Corner Bar features classic and creative cocktails and small bites. From their house baked nuts to their generous charcuterie board, we loved it all. And how can you go wrong at a spot that features a deviled egg of the day?
Another day we craved good pizza and found it at the Red Onion (https://therangeleyredonion.com).
There’s more, too, like the prime rib and lakeside setting at Parkside & Main, a spot I thought will be just right when we bring our grandkids up (and for a summer visit they have lovely outdoor seating).
And while the town was packed with visitors, it’s small enough that you began to bump into new friends and saunter around like a local right away.
We were there to ski, and the skiing was great. But had we just headed north to deep dive into a food paradise? The winding ride is worth the time.
