Holy crap. This site is unusable. It has a location under "My Locations" that I do not want to see, yet I cannot change or get rid of it. I logged in a few days ago and the redesigned site was awful. Decided to log in again now to ask a question, but no, it simply isn't worth my time or effort. This used to be a useful, informative, fun website. But now, forget it.

Are you nuts? You've taken a great site and ruined it. You took a logical, user-friendly, easy-to-navigate interface and rendered it unusable. Over the past years, through Chowhound, I learned about new foods and restaurants and enjoyed interacting with fellow food enthusiasts. But you've ruined it. This new format is dreadful.

I second Stripers in Kennebunkport. George and Barbara Bush came for dinner one night I was there in May. Have found the food and service to be consistently good, and there's a pretty view. Have also enjoyed Tia's Topside in Kennebunk, right before the bridge crossing into Kport. Sit on the rooftop deck for the best view.

Salt and Straw Ice Cream Parlor (http://saltandstraw.com)? That's in Portland, Oregon.

What about Grafton? They have two locations in Vermont you can visit. Was there a few years ago. Met the cows and saw the cheese being made. Cheese was good, too.

http://www.graftonvillagecheese.com/o...

If you have a car and don't mind a short drive, Cookie Jar Bakery in Cape Elizabeth/South Portland has great doughnuts and good sandwiches (tuna, egg salad, etc). They have three small tables, so you could eat there or take it to Fort Williams Park, just down the road, for a picnic.

http://www.cookiejarbakers.com/

Also recommend The Front Room, if you can get in.

http://www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com/

York Harbor Inn

Try farmers' markets

That's such a nice thing for you to do.

Several years ago, people in the UK told me they did not have Thomas' English Muffins or Philadelphia brand cream cheese there, and my uncle used to send them English muffins. Does anyone know if either is available in the UK now?

Try Stripers in Kennebunkport or Tia's Topside in Kennebunk, right before the bridge to Kport.

York Harbor Inn, perhaps, or the Cliff House in Ogunquit?

I am 99% sure The Sweet Shop NYC, on East 73rt St., in Manhattan, carries JoMart chocolates (I'm almost certain about the chocolate-covered marshmallows. If you don't want to make the trip to Brooklyn, you could give them a call. The chocolate-covered marshmallows Sweet Shop sells are delicious.

http://www.thesweetshopnyc.com/

If you're looking for something a little different, there's a good crepe place in Dover, called O'Crepe! Café. Small place with table service.

http://www.ocrepe.com/menu.html

Shall I assume Kathy is the owner?

Thanks, jpr54_1. The plate is one of the "Sandwich" patterns, found in an antiques shop. If you're interested, it often shows up on ebay.

Thanks to all for replying. Made the latkes with four medium shredded red potatoes, one medium shredded onion, one egg, and a little flour. The potatoes were new/fresh, and, to my surprise, the latkes came out perfectly. For whatever reason, the reds worked much better than the Yukon, Idaho, and russets I've used in the past.

You could try the York Harbor Inn, which should be open.

We're planning on either Pearl East or Lys Chinese, per your suggestions, one for Christmas and the other for New Year's, unless there's a storm. Will report back. Thanks for your help.

Those selections sound tasty. Can I assume the dress code is casual, and sweaters/slacks suffice?

Thanks for the tip about the Pearl East tasting menu. Unfortunately, I don't see the tasting menu online, or even a sample tasting menu (I assume the selections rotate). Do you recall the price per person?

I found a menu for Lys Chinese.
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/...
https://www.grubhub.com/nyc/lys-chine...
Many dishes we would not venture to try, but also several we would.

Thanks, again.

I realized after I posted that I should have stated it's a party of two.

I've driven past Pearl East countless times but knew nothing about it. Doesn't look inviting from the road. Just looked them up and the menu looks nice and it got good reviews. Definitely a possibility. Thanks!

Wondered about Lys Chinese, but for some time, their signs were in Chinese only, which didn't help me. They have an English sign now. Do they serve Americanized Chinese cuisine, as well as traditional?

ChinaCat,

I agree with what you wrote about Fore Street. For us, it was a joke: poor service; slow service; appetizer portions which were laughably small and laughably expensive; institutional sides; and poor-quality, improperly cooked meat that was doused with sauce.

I was hoping other people would reply, as I am ISO the same. I can tell you that Warren's Lobster House in Kittery is open and is doing buffet. There's no info on their website as of yet, but they're taking reservations. The York Harbor Inn in York is also having buffet; last year's Thanksgiving info is on their website.

Try a Dust Buster or some other small, handheld vacuum.

Thanks, everyone, for all the helpful suggestions. I'll probably try a combination of methods suggested.

Also, I never heard the bundt pan trick before. Will try it.