We had a fine and productive day exploring Rockland, Maine's pleasant downtown shopping and dining district. It's a nice area for walking, with the pretty park-bordered waterfront just steps away, and views of the busy harbor. The weather was pleasant and sunny, if a little cool.

Rockland boasts many foodie delights, including Rock City Coffee Roasters and the associated cafe, the busy Brass Compass Cafe with its legendary Lobster Club Sandwich, a fine kitchen shop, bakeries, taverns and more. There's really no excuse to go hungry while shopping in Rockland! Lorna tends to shop longer than I do, so I waited at the Rock City Cafe and put my notes together over their delicious coffee.

Best of Show had to go to the delightfully quirky and unexpectedly well-stocked Sweets and Meats, about two blocks south of the bend in Route 1 along the waterfront and a very short walk from the Brass Compass. I found such an amazing variety of local Maine foodie goodies there that I didn't know what to select. It's not just that there was so much good stuff, but a lot of it is very hard to find even for seasoned Foodie Pilgrims! 

I finally opted for the Urban Farm Fermentory Oak Barrel Aged Kombucha - that's something you don't see every day! The Urban Farm Fermentory is a Portland-based outfit doing some exciting and creative things that exemplify the growth of foodie awareness in the Pine Tree state. It's a mark of dedication and vision that Sweets and Meats carries these fascinating products, and it shows how sophisticated Maine's Golden Triangle has become, with Rockland as its center.