While out searching for some sailing wind—and based on an extended four-hour morning sail—the haze was
not going to dissipate and
was going to interfere with the great view at the Castle restaurant. Along about 1 PM, we decided to have a late lunch at Castle in The Clouds anyway. We were seated right away and the service continued to be tops.
Like our final trip there last year, we'd hoped to see Vermont's mountains from there.
As it was still hazy, viewers could only discern Rattlesnake Island as the "furtherest" point on the horizon. Even at that altitude, the weather turned very calm, increased to hot—then much later, drizzly—then thundery. We were fortunate in having been seated at a table with ample shade from some nearby tall pines. At the next hot day there, we'll definitely be looking for that shade.
The side dish of onion rings weren't hot, weren't home-made, and weren't
particularly tasty: While they were otherwise "acceptable", I'd opt for something else as a side dish.
A meal of grilled shrimp, scallops (plus potatoes, asparagus, peppers), arrived on a sizzling platter that—anywhere else—would have been regarded as a fire hazard.
It was definitely the "star attraction" of that lunch.
As the self-appointed and resident-expert on the Lakes Region's baked haddock meal, I tried Castle-in-the-Clouds entree of baked haddock for the first time.
It was
delicious, and I'm calling it 5-stars—the best in the Lakes Region—Eastern Division. (Trumping the Lakeview Inn [4½-stars], and even Johnson's [4½-stars]—though Johnson's have their usual-best in quantity).
My raves didn't go unnoticed by my table partner, and the following day she prepared an even better serving of baked haddock, based on what we learned (and copied) from our Castle in the Clouds lunch.
Our fresh haddock was found—very late in the day—at Wolfeboro's "Mill Street Meat Market" which, surprisingly, stays open most days until 7PM.
