Last week we met up with our old neighbors The Kiln Guy and the Chef for lunch at the new Maine Tasting Center in Wiscasset.
The Maine Tasting Center opened up last summer, and after driving by it about a million times since then, we finally decided to stop in and see what it was all about.
The place was HUGE!
And while it wasn’t busy when we got there, there was ample seating {both indoors and out} and the staff was super helpful and attentive and happy to tell you all about the place.
Basically, The Maine Tasting Center is a brewpub-style space where they offer locally made beer, wine, cider, kombucha, and even sodas as well as a selection of small plates that spotlight ingredients from Maine farmers and producers.
There are even several outbuildings on the property where they offer cooking classes and workshops. Classes on cheesemaking, pasta and even bagel making are on the calendar for this summer.
They even host pop up dinners {bean suppers, lobster dinners} on site catering and hold private events for groups. {I saw on Instagram that they recently hosted the Garden Club of Wiscasset for a luncheon and tea!}
Green Bee Soda. Have you tried it? They use honey instead of sugar to sweeten their sodas and it’s pretty popular around here. I think I’ve even tried all the flavors. 🙂
Four bun-less mini slider patties made from Green Thumb Farms Jacob’s Cattle Beans and Mousam Valley Mushrooms. Served with wasabi ketchup, cashew cheese, nori-garlic aioli and Morse’s pickles.
Deviled Egg Flight 
A trio of deviled eggs featuring Maine ingredients – one flavored with wasabi and mirin, topped with housemade furikake – one with Ewing Fruit Co. Sriracha – one with Grindstone Neck of Maine smoked trout. Served over Atlantic Sea Farms fermented seaweed salad.
It was my first {and last!} time trying trout in a deviled egg. 😉
Charcuterie & Cheese Board 
Haymaker Cheddar (Balfour Farm), Windswept (Fuzzy Udder), Smoked Ricotta (Crooked Face Creamery), Summer Sausage (Amish Charcuterie) and Spicebush Breasola (a small good). Served with bread, crackers, jam, mustard, pickles and maple glazed nuts.
The presentation was excellent!
Smoked Seafood Board  
Hot smoked salmon (Coldwater Seafood), Smoked mussels (Coldwater Seafood), Maple Pepper Smoked Trout (Grindstone Neck of Maine) and housemade Finnan Haddie pâté (made with Finnan Haddie from Stonington Seafood). Served with nori cream cheese, Atlantic Sea Farms fermented seaweed salad, and a variety of crackers and bread.
There were even pickled fiddleheads. Eeek! {Yes, I tried one. And yes, one was enough}. 🙂
I love the concept of the Maine Tasting Center and how they’re all about showing off small Maine producers and I wish this place lot’s of luck. I really think it has a ton of potential and it was nice to be able to try so many different locally made foods on a small scale.
Maine+Summer+Good Food = A Recipe for Success.
~Mavis
The Maine Tasting Center
506 Old Bath Rd
Wiscasset, ME 04578
Lana says
Looks like my kind of place except those silly metal chairs. I have about decided to boycott any space with those chairs. I purely hate them. I’m with you on the trout in the deviled eggs—-uck.
Terri says
Some things shouldn’t be messed with. Deviled eggs is one of them!
Ashley Bananas says
I recall you saying how you wanted to know where your food was from, or how it was nice to know that it was from this or that local place before, vs it was shippped from out of the country on a boat/plane/truck etc then handled and put in the grocery store. You found your sweet spot!
Cindy Miller says
Thanks for sharing. I too, have been by there a million times and never even knew what it was.
Indio says
I’ve been meaning to check it out too but once I get on route 1 I just keep cruising north trying to miss the wiscasset summer traffic . Wish they would put the bypass in and get it over with.
Have you tried shuck station in Damariscotta ? They make a tasty tofu sandwich for non seafood eaters.