Hold on to the warmth: Crab Toast & Spritzer Cocktails from Hidden Pond, Maine

This week, our guest writer Maggie Battista shares fond remembrances of her summer. As the weather turns cold and the leaves turn a vibrant rainbow of colors, Maggie shares flavors of Earth (and gorgeous photos) of her time in Maine.

Finding Home at Earth: Instant Love for a Restaurant and a Summer Spritzer to Make at Home

I rarely feel instantly at home in a new-to-me restaurant. If the host isn’t warm and eager, like they’ve been waiting for just me all day, then no swift comfort manifests. If the server doesn’t immediately feel like all is well with the world now that I’ve sat in their section, well, I may have a great meal but I still won’t feel like I’m home.

It’s a hard bill to fit, no doubt, but worthwhile. Once I do feel totally accepted in a new environment, you’ve won me for life. I want to be in your restaurant all the time. I want to eat up your entire menu – filled with food that tastes nothing like I could make at home, but I get excited to try anyway. I want to tell the world about you, sweet restaurant – that’s the sort of impression you leave on me, lucky us.

There are a couple handfuls of restaurants that have made me feel like I belong exactly where I am. I now add Earth at Hidden Pond to that short list. Every check box was checked, every smile was genuine, and those drinks, wow. I snuggled into a table with their take on a Summer Spritzer and a lively stream of dishes, familiar and fresh and tasty. In the end, they even offered warm donuts and a sunset.

I suppose the sunset was completely random, but the super friendly experience was entirely purposeful, made for me and all the other customers. Summer isn’t quite summer without a signature cocktail and Earth left such a mark that their Summer Spritzer is now all mine. You can make it at home now, too.

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Read up on shrubs at EATBOUTIQUE.com

Fruit Spritzers from Hidden Pond
Fruit Spritzers from Hidden Pond
Servings
1serving
Servings
1serving
Instructions
  1. Combine shrub, St. Germain, tonic, and lemon juice in a mixing tin and shake vigorously. Strain the liquid over fresh ice into a wine glass. Top with Cava. Garnish with lemon wheel and straw.
Recipe Notes

Made by Matt Dyer of Earth at Hidden Pond.  For a full write up of how to make a shrub, go to EATBOUTIQUE.com for the Strawberry Shrub Recipe. Link here: http://bit.ly/1RWys8n

Food Gift Love Maggie Battista Book Table Maine Kennebunkport Resort Collection

Maggie is the founder and director of Eat Boutique , an award-winning small-batch foods retailer and blog. Eat Boutique and Maggie’s work have been featured on the Cooking Channel, Daily Candy, Food52, Style Me Pretty, and in the pages of the Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe. Her first cookbook, Food Gift Love: More Than 100 Recipes to Make, Wrap, & Share, will be released in October 2015 and is available to order now.