I’m a planner. Rarely do I venture out without a plan in mind. I know that limits me and that I might miss moments of serendipity, but I’ve learned that I function better that way. Even so, there are those rare occasions when I wing it. It’s a big deal when I do.

So, on an excursion to go strawberry picking at Maxwell’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth, my youngest daughter and I decided we’d grab lunch on the way. I didn’t google restaurants in the area. I didn’t check out yelp reviews. I didn’t even have a place in mind based on a past experience, other than a vague sense that I’d passed some cute little spots when traveling in this vicinity in the past. We were going to let the day unfold on it’s own.

We plugged in our strawberry picking destination into Mapquest and headed to Cape Elizabeth. While we passed a few possible spots, we were holding out for something closer to Maxwell’s Farm. If I was going to be adventurous, I was going to find something new. Or, at least, new for us.

But, the trouble with winging it is that, in my desire to find the perfect spot, I often pass by many suitable ones along the way. This sunny Saturday was no exception. We drove by a few possibilities, but I pushed on waiting for something else and getting progressively more nervous as the distance to our destination steadily declined and my phone app became more insistent that we were about to arrive.

Fortunately for us, when we did arrive, it became clear that our GPS was confused and we had in fact driven to nothing in particular allowing us to push on further and discover, just a half mile past our faux destination, a cute little cafe, the Kettle Cover Creamery & Cafe.

From our drive by it looked promising. A few scattered picnic tables, shaded by large yellow umbrellas that were opened wide against the sun dotted the front entrance of the cafe side of the building. Colorful, bloom filled flowers created a boundary around the al fresco eating area adding welcome amounts of charm.

We needed to stop anyway to try to untangle the confusion of our GPS as we were not spying the strawberry fields that had been promised, and Kettle Cove Cafe & Creamery was beckoning us with lunch and ice cream. That’s a irresistible combination.

I glanced at my dashboard clock which showed 11 am. It was on the cusp of lunch, and I was torn between breakfast or lunch. Truthfully, the time had little to do with the debate in my head. I can be torn between breakfast and lunch any time of day or night. So, I was excited to see a bagel breakfast sandwich on the menu which could pass for either breakfast or lunch.

Without hesitation, I gave my order to the friendly staff behind the counter. My daughter debated a little longer but settled on a Crescent Caprese. She was lured by the pesto, one of her favorites. It did sound tasty. The menu description reads,

“Grilled Ciabatta bread stacked with local heirloom tomatoes,melted mozzarella cheese, Kalamata olive tapenade and basil pesto. Served with a crisp pickle spear.”

After placing our order, we went outside to find a spot. Tables are at a premium but fortunately the other patrons were happy to share and we snagged a couple of seats on one end of a picnic table. The wait was peaceful as we enjoyed the views and relaxed in the sunshine.

The staff brought out our sandwiches. I absolutely loved my grilled bagel breakfast sandwich. Having been pressed in the panini, it had just the right amount of crunch. My daughter also enjoyed her more exotic choice too.

The best part of finishing our lunch, was heading over to the other side of the cafe for ice cream. Not just any ice cream, but local hand-made deliciousness.

 

We scanned the menu and while I was intrigued with the locally sourced kelp selection, I stayed with my old stand by, cookies n’ cream while my daughter opted for the salted caramel. Her’s was a little melty so they served the cone upside-down in a dish so that she wouldn’t lose any of the ice cream goodness.

So, while we discovered a lovely new destination, the truth is that, according to their website, they’ve been around for 30 years. Clearly I need to let more adventure into my life and scope out more of these gems. I might have to head back again and check out Kettle Cove beach while I’m there too.

Over our yummy meal, we googled a few things and got our bearings so that we could continue on for our strawberry picking adventure. It turns out Maxwell’s Farm has multiple fields and the one that is open varies depending on which ones are ripe at the time. The day we were there, the field turned out to be just beyond Kettle Cove Cafe & Creamery. It was perfectly planned so that we could enjoy a wonderful lunch before gathering our berries.

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things to know
Name	Kettle Cove Creamery & Café
Address	2 Bowery Beach Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107
Phone	(207) 799-3533
Website	Kettle Cove Cafe & Creamery
Favorite ♥	Breakfast Sandwich