Matsumoto Joe: My Go-to Cafe in Bar Harbor, Maine

After the disappointing dearth in cafes outside of Portland, Maine, I was ready to declare Dunkin Donuts to be the best coffee east of the Androscoggin river. Then I went to  Bar Harbor, which looks deceptively like any other sea-side tourist town but maybe three times larger.

I found this cafe purely by chance. I was returning to my car after lunch to grab my laptop and head to the Jesup Memorial Library and write. I had been thinking about wanting a latte but was unsure where to go. I was going to check Yelp recommendations from the library, when I spotted two people carrying lattes as they turned the corner from the road where my car was parked. The short walk brought me to a sign in Japanese that I must have missed before. I went in without hesitation and had the best latte in all of Maine. The café is called Matsumoto Joe, named after the town of Matsumoto, Nagano, where the American owner lived for seven years before starting a café in Bar Harbor, Maine. This place is so authentic that I was instantly reminded of one of my Go-to cafes in Japan, such as Insomnia in Matsue, or Blue Bird in Hiroshima. 

Amazing Small Town Libraries of Maine

There have so far been only a few libraries in the world that have really impressed me. They are usually very modern and only found in large cities, as in Seattle  or Taipei, but somehow I got to researching the libraries of Maine’s small towns.

Most of them are over a hundred years old, in gorgeously restored buildings. The few I was able to explore had lavishly decorated rooms. I visited 13 libraries in Maine, but was most impressed with three:

1. Jesup Memorial Library, Bar Harbor, ME

The building used for the Jesup Memorial Library was finished in 1911, and donated to the town by the widow of Morris Jesup. I absolutely loved this building, especially the second floor which overlooks the central plaza. It was a bit hot both days I went there, but it if were not for the heat I would love working here. 

  

2. Belfast Free Library, Belfast, ME

The Belfast Free library opened in 1887, but has obviously been extensively remodeled since then. The library looks larger on the outside than inside, which means that not all of the space is being accessible to the public. My favorite room was on the second floor. An open reading room in the design of a nineteenth-century living room, the perfect place to work.

3. Portland Public Library, Portland, ME

A few years ago this outdated structure got a posh makeover. The library now boasts a beautiful foyer with a sun-lit seating area and spacious aisles. I enjoyed strolling through the library and seeing this beautiful structure.

Other libraries I visited:

Camden Public Library, Camden, ME

Rockland Public Library, Rockland, ME

Bangor Public Library, Bangor, ME

Gardiner Public Library, Gardiner, ME

Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, ME

Patten Free Library, Bath, ME

Auburn Library, Aurburn, ME