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Reviews
- Mae’s Cafe and Bakery featured in The Boston Globe’s “A Tank Away” as a recommended stop for breakfast or lunch in Bath! (06/02/10)
- Don’t take our word for it, visit tripadvisor.com or mrbreakfast.com to read Mae’s Cafe reviews!!
Coastal Journal review by Gina Hamilton Coastal Journal staff
BATH — In the lazy, heady days before the children – ours and otherwise – came, brunch was a standard of Sunday life. We would settle in to a favorite restaurant or cafe with a very large and unwieldy Sunday New York Times (remember when the Sunday New York Times used to be large and unwieldy?), a fresh pot of coffee, a dish of something tasty, often with eggs, perhaps some fresh baked goods, and a nice glass of juice with perhaps … perhaps … a bit of champagne in it, or a bit of vodka in it.
We could spend hours trading the Book Review back and forth and drinking coffee and ordering perhaps … perhaps … another Mimosa or Bloody Mary and eventually toddling home to sit on the deck in the watery sunlight and enjoy the rest of the day without doing much of anything else.
Well, times and family size have changed, and so has the size of the New York Times, as well as the size of our to-do list for Sundays, which now includes housecleaning, laundry, yard work, dog care, and everything else that can’t be done during the week. So having time to laze about having brunch is a rare thing, and it was quite nice that we spent an hour or two enjoying a delightful meal at Mae’s Cafe, at 160 Centre Street (442-8557).
| Mae’s has breakfast all day, which right there makes it unique in the midcoast. Open from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., it also serves a nice nuncheon if that’s what you’re looking for, too.
We are especially fond of Mae’s in the summer months, because it has a patio where you can sit with your well-behaved dog, and we often take advantage of that special offering.
Mae’s also has a justifiably famous bakery, offering cakes, quiches, rolls, pies, croissants, muffins, scones, and cookies of many kinds and flavors. They take special orders, too, for things like special event cakes, such as wedding cakes and anniversary cakes and the like.
On Sunday, we arrived sans Times, but with youngest child in tow, to sample Mae’s brunch menu. (They probably wouldn’t have minded if we had brought the Times, but we had a pellet stove to clean and a Super Bowl to prepare for, so we had to make it quick.) Mae’s has a great brunch menu, including eight kinds of Eggs Benedict and 13 kinds of omelets. We adults sampled Morse’s Mountain ($8.50), one of the house specialties that includes two eggs, one sausage patty or two slices of the best bacon this side of the Adirondacks, two small blueberry pancakes and home fries. The dishes came with a slice of absolutely ripe pineapple. We echewed the champagne this time, although I can tell you from previous happy experience that Mae’s Mimosa is quite a light and lovely thing, in favor of juice and coffee.
Said child ordered not one, but two breakfasts, including the Lighthouse ($4.50), which was an order of one slice of French toast and one sausage patty, and Steak Quesadillas ($12.95), which came with grilled steak, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and Pepper Jack cheese, garnished with salsa and sour cream, and a side salad.
Mae’s decor is Maine Cottage, and we were seated in one of the bay windows where we were able to watch the world go by. Given that it was early February, a substantial part of the world did in fact go by, and some of them stopped into the bakery for breakfast rolls while we were having brunch.
Mae’s also serves as an art gallery, and is supportive of local artists, musicians, and other cultural institutions throughout the year.
Our poached eggs were perfectly done, and we ordered a side of multi-grain toast to help mop up the yolk, thus leaving our blueberry pancakes for a delightful dessert. Our adult companion horned in on the toast a bit, but we graciously shared.
As for the young person, he quickly demolished his French Toast, then moved on to the Steak Quesadillas. He chowed down with the gusto not seen in persons beyond 17 years of age, and while we relaxed with coffee and juice after demolishing our own brunch, we watched with amused amazement at the sheer amount of food the boy was able to put away, as did our server, Angela, who came by regularly to refill our coffee and take away the remains of our brunch.
As he promised, he was more than up to the task of completing the two hearty portions of brunch, as well as gulping down a cup of coffee or two and a glass of milk.
It is also inexpensive enough … even in these difficult days … to treat your family to brunch at Mae’s from time to time without breaking the bank. Brunch for the three of us came out to about $46, even taking into account two meals for our son, which was certainly not necessary, because the portions are quite ample all on their own.
If you haven’t been to Mae’s yet, spend a nice brunch there. They take reservations, which are strongly recommended on days like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but you don’t need a special occasion to spend a Sunday morning at Mae’s. It’s definitely worth it. |
Recent remarks from our Guest Book:
- 12/31/09 “We love Marcia’s Flatbread and good strong coffee!” Dave, Clara, Steve and Marie
- 06/12/10 “What a charming place! And the food is great too!” Anne, Miami
- 6/7/10 ” We drive here from Kittery, you are our most favorite breakfast place in the state.” John and Martha
- 7/25/09 “We come back here every year just to pamper ourselves with your delicious food and atmosphere.” – Phyllis, Alex and Eric
- 7/31/09 ” Thank you for the greatest food in all of Bath!” -Jamie Quigley
- 8/7/09 ” We so enjoyed the lovely booth we were seated in (complete with special lighting and pillows) the food was excellent. It was great to have a POT of tea and coffee refills….very accomodating also to my request for an egg white omelet!” -Alice
- 8/01/09 ” Thank you so much for our custom deck seating and excellent service, you made our day!” Lapierre Family, Hollis, NH
Quotes from some Recent Thank You Notes:
- ” Thank you so much for the wonderful food, the warm atmosphere and the nice wait staff. The Rehearsal Dinner was a huge success!!” Bonnie B.
- “Thank you for hosting a great Wedding Reception! Our guests all had a wonderful and memorable time and commented on the excellent service and food.” -James and Kate
- ” Thank you so much for the delicious and absolutely beautiful wedding cake! Some guests admitted to having up to FIVE pieces!” Mr. and Mrs. Adam Boyd married 08/01/09
- ” It went WONDERFULLY! I shouldn’t have spent two months worrying beforehand! The quiches, the rolls and then that beautiful, luscious cake-you all deserve a huge round of applause!” Laurie and Jeff
December 10, 2006 The Coastal Journal
“Mae’s Café and Bakery continues in their tradition of gentle excellence”
BATH- Sunday Brunch, in the best sense of the word, is a long, lingering, casual meal, with as many cups of coffee as one could wish, a light but hearty food entrée, such as Portobella Eggs Benedict or Cinnamon French Toast, piled with fresh berries, and the sense that the diner has all the time in the world to spend in a window seat or on the deck watching the world go by, while idly engaging in conversation about books, art, theatre, and politics, or skimming the Sunday New York Times Book Review. The biggest question of the morning should be, “champagne or no champagne?”
It should come as no surprise, then , that the successor to Kristina’s, Mae’s Café and Bakery on Centre Street, continues to be an extremely popular brunch destination. Indeed, it is one of the few places in Bath where Sunday Brunch, in the classic sense, can even be had anymore.
Mae’s is also an art gallery. Local artists show their works, displayed on Mae’s walls. Each room at Mae’s has a different kind of appeal. The regular lunch room is an open-windowed affair with bookshelves filled with fun paperbacks while waiting for one’s lunch. The room is also open at dinner and for brunch. There is an upstairs room that is occasionally used for brunch and dinner, but is more often used for special parties. A small room on the other side of the bakery is also open for lunch, dinner and brunch. And in fine weather, there is an outdoor deck. Furniture ranges from classic New England to cozy and funky, depending on where you are seated.
Mae’s also has a lunch menu and a dinner menu. The lunch menu features salads and sandwiches that appeal to a palate that is ready for more than iceberg lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Mae’s signature Tarragon Chicken Salad, for instance, includes a little surprise-red grapes and walnuts, which give the salad a sweet-and-savory flavor sensation. Try the chicken salad sandwich with one of Mae’s own croissants, as tender and flakey as if you had purchased it from a patisserie in Avignon.
Freshly made soups are also the order of the day at Mae’s luncheons. These soups tickle the palate with flavors like butternut squash, lobster chowder and more.
While brunch and lunch are casual and relaxed, Mae’s dinner is a different animal all together. Mae’s provides a mix of vegetarian entrees, poultry, fish, and beef. Each, however, has a distinctive and delicious twist. Try the Apple Roasted Chicken with a brown sugar curry sauce. Even something as simple as broiled scallops, a standard Maine dish, is altered under the chef’s ministrations with a lobster sauce and buttery bread crumbs.
Because Mae’s makes its own excellent baked goods on the premises, desserts are a true joy. A lunch dessert might be a gingerbread man with chocolate chip eyes, eaten on the way back to work. And the cookie will be freshly baked and delicious, to be sure. But if you have time for real dessert, you won’t be sorry. Try the signature Mocha Hazelnut Dacquoise Torte…be sure to ask for two forks, because you won’t be able to finish this by yourself.
You can order holiday torten, cakes, cookies, and fresh-baked rolls to take home, too. Service at Mae’s is cheerful and efficient, coming by at a time when the diner does not have a mouth full of food to ask if anything further is needed, a refreshing change in service!
Mae’ s Cafe is a special-occasion kind of place that will become a tradition for more than Mother’s Day Brunch.
E-mail from recent visitors -
Hello! My fiance and I recently visited Bath and stayed at the Inn at Bath. Elizabeth highly recommended Mae’s, so we decided to come for breakfast. We both fell in love with your place! The dining room was so clean and bright and the menu and service were fabulous. Everything we ordered was delicious; we even took home some goodies from your bakery, including the cinnamon bread. We wish we had a Mae’s closer to us in Boston! … We have friends who frequent the Bowdoin College area and we have highly recommended Mae’s to them. We look forward to visiting you again!
Sincerely,
S. Miller and B. Kelley
Hi There!
We’re spending a week in the area and found your menu at our rental house up on Kennebec River. We just dropped by and enjoyed a very sumptuous Sunday breakfast! Your establishment is a joy to experience and your wait staff is very attentive and pleasant. We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our first and certainly not our last visit to your cafe! Well Done!
Regards, Jim Young & Ethel Abelson June 3, 2007
Yankee Magazine
WEEKEND GETAWAYS, Spring 2005
- Peninsular Wanderings in Casco Bay
- …Start with a drive to Bath and enjoy Brunch at Mae’s Café, a restaurant in two connected houses. There’s dining outside on the deck as well as in rambling rooms inside. Whatever your entrée, be sure to sample the famous pecan buns.
Chow MAINE
The Best Restaurants, Cafes, Lobster Shacks &Markets on the Coast
- by Nancy English Countryman Press 2005
- >All three meals with a wide choice from a larger menu and excellent baked goods.
- “Mae’s Cafe is the new name of what was for 27 years Kristina’s . The former owner has happily moved on, and since July 2004 Katie and Andy Winglass have been running things. The same bakery staff operates the ovens that bake the “World’s best sticky buns,” as Katie Winglass called them, along with pies and scones, and the dinner rolls that come with every dinner entree. The restaurant still serves an enormous breakfast, with big omelets, Belgian waffles, and cinnamon twist bread made especially for French toast, or just plain eggs and bacon….The menu is now slightly more casual, with pizza, large salads, and lunch offered throughout dinner….Chicken pie and daily quiches are on a list of light fare.
Maine Sunday Telegram/ Sunday October 31, 2004
Taste and Tell: C.Z. Cramer
“This summer, Kristina’s a dining institution in Bath for 27 years, became Mae’s Café. Andy and Katie Winglass purchased the restaurant from Kristina, who has retired.”
There is no need to wring your hands over the loss of a good neighborhood restaurant-it’s still there. The Winglasses simply renamed the place after their youngest daughter Mae, who is now 3, and then got back to business.
The same sense of airy light and space pervades the pretty interior of the big clapboard mansion on Centre Street.
Interesting artwork hangs on clean white walls, the wooden floors in the first-floor dining room gleam, and the loft dining room upstairs, with its handsome wood paneling, is still a romantic, intimate dining spot.
A pan-seared crab cake was served on a nest of baby red leaf lettuce dressed with a tart lemon vinaigrette. Translucently thin red onion slivers were scattered on top. The arrangement made a sort of warm salad with the tender cake at the center, the crabmeat seasoned with bits of sweet red pepper.
Fish chowder was rich with flavor and full of fish. It was chowder made for cold rainy days along with one of Mae’s warm, soft bakery rolls that rendered the packaged oyster crackers superfluous.
Mae’s menu carries on the house tradition of good salads and good dressings. The line up that day included Caesar and Greek, mixed greens topped with bleu cheese, walnuts, apple slices and other fall ingredients and a Cobb salad with grilled chicken, bacon, bleu cheese and hard-boiled egg. Bleu cheese, ranch balsamic herb vinaigrette and raspberry vinaigrette dressings were all homemade.
Designer sandwiches ran from tarragon chicken salad on croissant, grilled chicken breast with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing, and a smoked turkey club wrap to a Caldwell Farms beef burger on bulkie roll and a crab melt.
Dinner entrees were straight-forward crowd-pleasers: broiled haddock in white wine butter, grilled duck breast with fruit chutney, grilled steak, chicken and veal.
Entrees came with bakery rolls, a salad, vegetables and a choice of wild rice or oven roasted potatoes. Thoughtfully chosen, tasty and attractive side dishes that turned main courses into meals were always an added value at this restaurant and they still are.
A gigantic peanut butter and chocolate fudge brownie was so over the top and sweet that it was too much to consider eating at one sitting. For my taste, it was a kids’s dessert, but kids come in all age groups, don’t they?
Mae’s desserts are made daily-you should scrutinize those bakery cases in the entry before making hasty decisions. There are pies and cakes, big saucer-sized cookies plus special confections.
If, like me, you have often stopped over the years at this bakery café on the way from here to there, you will be happy to discover Mae’s. Good food at good value is still served all day, and service is as warm and hospitable as ever.”
FOOD ***1/2
ATMOSPHERE ****
SERVICE ****
Bottom Line: “A wonderful place to meet and eat, spacious and attractive, where the food is hearty, prices are fair and the in-house bakery adds much to the subject of dessert.”
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