Another survivor of the fire was the residence at 231 Main Street, which today houses McKay Public House, a restaurant that my wife and I have frequented for years. It serves excellent pub grub, as well as some classier dishes, all in a relaxed, residential-like atmosphere. Indeed, Bar Harbor has all sorts of restaurants, from foodie favorites like Mache Bistro, with its fusion-Mediterranean dishes, to Jeannie’s Great Maine Breakfast, where many locals choose to start their day.
Did we ever find the best lobster roll in town? Turns out harbormaster Differ was right: You can hardly miss with any purveyor of Maine’s signature seafood in this coastal burg. That said, the name Side Street Café did come up among locals quite often. Just sayin.’