The Best Breakfast in Maine

This summer I spent a long weekend with friends in Middle-of-Nowhere Maine, somewhere north of the Where-the-Heck-R-We Campground. (OK, so the town we stayed in wasn't called "Middle-of-Nowhere," but the campground does exist.) We had planned on eating at different places to try out the regional cuisine, and whenever we asked anyone for a good breakfast joint, the response was always: "You must try the Front Porch Cafe." Never dismissing the locals' advice on good eats, we headed to Dixfield and ate there the first morning... and every morning thereafter.

The cafe's decor screams "country kitchen," and is adorned with cutesy knick-knacks, inspirational plaques, mismatching salt-and-pepper shakers, and homemade juice served in mason jars. Owners Clint Bailey and Sammie Angel will welcome you like family and chat with you as if you've lived in Dixfield your whole life. You can sit in one of the wood tables inside or watch the world go by at a table on the enclosed front porch (the cafe's namesake), but the highlight of the Front Porch is, without a doubt, the food.

Anything you order is delicious, like the "The Bullrock" pancakes ("just like Mama use to make"), and the over-easy eggs fresh from the chicken coop, but the cafe's most famous creation is the "H. W. Park"--two huge pieces of French toast stuffed with fresh berries and cream cheese. The cafe makes other seasonal variations, like banana walnut or apple cinnamon, which melts in your mouth like warm apple pie. They're open for lunch as well (when they serve a selection of sandwiches and homemade soups), but breakfast is served all day, making it hard to resist repeating the morning's delectable temptations.

How to get there: Dixfield is about two hours north of Portland on Route 2.

Front Porch Cafe: 6 Hall Hill Rd, Dixfield, Maine, 04224. +1 207 562 4646.

Ok, so we know this headline might be cause for debate. What's your favorite Maine breakfast joint?

Photos: Jeannette Kimmel