Not the typical French toast at Maine’s Holidae House
My French toast, stuffed with cream cheese and blanketed by local fruit, including Maine’s iconic blueberries, was lipsmackingly good. Little wonder it’s one of Jeanette Poole’s signature breakfast dishes. “It’s not the typical French toast I had growing up,” she says with modest understatement.
Because her mom didn’t like to cook, Jeanette had charge of a kitchen from an early age. “I just kept learning how to adjust recipes to make them my own,” she says. She still does as innkeeper, with husband John, of Holidae House in Bethel, Maine. Consider another of her breakfast entrees – what one guest dubbed a “Canadian omelet.” The name stuck. Puff pastry, stuffed with scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon and other delights, is baked to golden perfection.
The Pooles use local provisions when possible, including eggs, honey, maple syrup and seasonal fruit and they readily accommodate vegan, gluten-free and other diets.
Breakfast fuels guests for an active day around Bethel, which styles itself “Maine’s most beautiful mountain village.” Its tranquil downtown is a designated national historic district, but the area also provides non-stop four-season outdoor action: skiing at Sunday River, mountain biking or hiking along the Appalachian Trail, kayaking, autumn leaf-peeping and moose-watching.
And when guests return to their Victorian lodging in late afternoon, they can sample such afternoon delights as homemade whoopie pies (the state’s official treat) and a warming beverage like brandy, port or tea (22 kinds on offer).
Since the Pooles bought the inn in 2015, they’ve retained its century-old character, while updating its comforts. The original tin ceiling in the dining room remains. Seven bedrooms feature decorative light fixtures and hand-painted murals on the ceiling, while Egyptian cotton sheets and large, plush towels hint at luxury.
But the most winning recipe is surely the owners’ friendly welcome, already savoured by folks from 45 states and 35 countries. “I get paid to meet and talk with strangers,” John laughs, “and many of them become friends.” At Holidae House, the best food turns out to be for the soul.
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Holidae House B&B
John and Jeanette Poole, Innkeepers
85 Main Street
Bethel, ME 04217
207-824-3400; 877-224-3400
By Peter Johansen