State of Affairs - Moving into summer

To say these past several months have been difficult is obvious. All of us have made tremendous sacrifices to help keep ourselves and our community safe. This is especially true in the small town of Lubec. Here at Cohill’s we have tried to approach the summer with caution as we figure out how to move forward with our business in a manner that is safe to both Ellen and I, and our guests. To date, we have largely done that by keeping our rooms closed and focusing on carry out as a dining option. For all of you that have been buying food from us, we are so very grateful!

For the next two weeks, we will continue with our carryout menu, expanding it a bit on Friday’s and Sundays as we also prepare to welcome our first set of guests into the Inn. Online booking is still closed until mid June, but after that, we will begin to take guests in accordance with the State of Maine’s direction. At this time, the 2 week quarantine is still in effect and as such, we will require all guests to attest that they have followed the rules of quarantine.

However, it is our understanding that the Governor has a plan, soon to be announced, which will attempt to loosen those regulations and supplement them with new guidance that attempts to balance the needs of our industry with the safety and well being of Maine residents and our guests. We support 100% the difficult challenge that all elected officials face right now as they walk what is an incredibly difficult balancing act between industry and heath and well being. As these new guidelines are released, we fully expect to see more out of state guests begin to arrive and we will be adjusting our processes accordingly.

Now to the Pub. As many may have known, we had always planned on a dramatic change to our pub for 2020. Changes that would allow us to focus on providing our guests with a unique opportunity to enjoy what is arguably the finest view in town. This past winter, we began the process of remodeling before COVID hit. We probably could have used a little insight on that one, but none the less, we had started the process and it needed to be completed.

The changes were sweeping and dramatic. New flooring and furniture; new paint and a new back bar. A new draft system to take advantage of all of the great micro brews that exist in Maine. Tables that allow for a more intimate seating experience and tables that allow for sweeping views. A lounge area for relaxing and communing with friends. All in all, lots of changes. Not the least of which will be our food and drink offerings along with our operating hours.

Beginning the weekend of June 26th, we will attempt to open the pub Friday - Sunday. We are still working on our hours and how we will limit space to meet any social distance requirements. We will update this site as those details become available. Our menu will focus on small plates that pair with our wines, beers, and custom craft cocktails — food and drink that will encourage you to lounge and enjoy versus rushing to the next destination.

Moving into July, we will be announcing both a wine and beer club. These will be on separate nights during the week with no more than 10 people to experience a unique pairing of wine, beer, cocktails and food. These will all be communal events where we focus on bringing people together for camaraderie and conversation. It is our hope that these will be attended by diverse groups of people that can use a common love of food and drink learn more about one another.

“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”

— Anthony Bourdain

These events will be reservation only. A link to sign up will exist on this site and in our newsletter. Be sure and sign up so that you get first notice on what is happening.

We realize that for most of us, our world has been turned upside down. We have a raging virus that has killed more than 100,000 souls in the span of 3 months. A number that is truly unfathonable. We have a country that is being uprooted by deep-rooted prejudice and racial bias. Something that is so very hard for many of us too grasp. We have a community of small businesses that are on the brink of failure due to all of the above.

So, in the spirit of positivity, we hope that our changes, as big and as small as they are, will allow people to come together over food and drink and a beautiful view, as a means of listening, learning and loving.

Peace-

Ellen & Glenn

Additional Hours of Operation

As we end May and move into June we are going to continue to expand our take out options. As before, Saturday features items that must be ordered online. We will now be offering take out Friday night from 4-7. For these items, you order and pickup at our window. The menu for Friday will be posted here each week and also be included in the email list. For Sunday’s we will still offer up several ‘brunch’ type items but we will also continue to offer Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Grilled Chicken Sandwiches. With that said, lobster can’t be too far behind. Sunday window opens at 10 and runs until 2.

Menu for Friday, May 29th: 4-7

• Jambalaya (limited quantity)

• Haddock Chowder

• 3 Cheese Ravioli

• Shepherds Pie (limited qty)

Menu for Saturday, May 30th: (remember to order online) 4-7

• BBQ Baby Back Rib Platter

• BBQ Country Style Rib Platter

• BBQ Chicken Qtr Platter

• Red Cabbage Porterhouse Steak with grilled cauliflower and carrot and mashed potatoes (VGN)

Menu for Sunday, May 31st: 10-2

• Angus Burgers

• Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

• Hot Dogs (All Natural)

• Loaded Bloody Mary’s

• Pain Killers

• Breakfast Sandwiches

• Kale and Cheddar Scones

Thanks again for all your support as we all work to get through this current time.

Memorial Day Weekend

As you can see, we are slowly expanding our Take Out offerings. As of this weekend, we have the following schedule:

• Friday night cocktail hour from 5-7.

• Saturday is pickup (order online) from 4-7

• Sunday Brunch 10-1 (order at pickup window)

• Memorial Day Monday 11-2 (order at pickup window)

For Memorial Day we will be featuring Burgers and Dogs, some refreshing cocktails (Margaritas, Pain Killers, Ice cold Beer, Chilled Wine, and anything else that we can muster up. Come on down and enjoy what looks like a beautiful weekend.

Cheers,

Glenn & Ellen

Cocktails To Go

As everyone hopefully knows, we are now allowed to sell cocktails to go, at least for the foreseeable future. This weekend we had a great response to our Bloody Mary’s, Mimosa’s, Manhattans and a couple of old fashions. Navigating the ‘cocktail to go’ scene will require a little experimenting to sort out how to best provide you with a great cocktail experience.

This past weekend we essentially worked the drinks like little kits, with the spirit concoction portion in a sealable plastic flask and the mixer in a cup. While this worked, we were not overly excited about the look and feel of a cocktail experience. So, this week we will begin down a different path.

First up, we will offer cocktails in sanitized and sealed mason jars. When you purchase the first cocktail their will be a small ‘glass’ deposit of $1 added to your bill. This will simply cover the cost of the Mason Jar and it will be yours to keep. However, from then on, if you return the Mason Jar for your next drink, we will take it back, sanitize it, and provide you a drink in a fresh Mason jar with no deposit fee attached. In the end this should work just like the bottle deposits that we are all used to.

Additionally, we will be selling Yeti 10oz tumblers with the closing lid. You can purchase the Yeti from us, at our cost, and we will sanitize it, make you a cocktail, seal it up, and off you go. Bring the Yeti back each time you want a cocktail, and we will repeat the process.

We ask that you only bring back in the Yeti’s and Mason Jars (you keep the lids) that you purchased from us because we will need to seal them up and our sealer will only work on a specific size jar. We will try this out and see how it goes. Again, these are uncharted territories for all of us, and we appreciate your patience as we work through the process.

One big advantage to the Yeti tumbler is that Glenn will be able to use his Square Ice cubes for cocktails that require one, and for those that don’t, the Yeti will keep your drink cold until you get home to drink it :-) We use our 10oz tumblers in warm climates for cocktails and they are amazing.

If we feel that this is being well received, we could add the larger tumbler size for larger cocktails like the Bloody Mary’s (hint, this coming weekend we are taking the Bloody to a super size/complete breakfast meal experience)…. Details on that will be out Wednesday.

Yeti 10oz Tumbler plus magnetic lid will be $25. We hope to get bulk pricing on them which will lower this a bit, but this is what you pay in the store or at Amazon.

Don’t forget, if you have not already signed up for the newsletter, be sure and check it out. Newsletter recipients not only get special discounts, but they learn about the weekly menu before anyone else.

Stay Safe and thank you all for your support!

Mothers Day Specials

Hi EveryOne!

Cohill’s is Happy to Welcome Chef/Baker Extraordinaire Laura of Juji’s Kitchen (jujiskitchen.com) and her fabulous breads and fresh baked goods to the menu.

In addition to the Buttery Parker House rolls included with this weekend’s Smoked BBQ platters, Laura will be baking Pecan Sticky Buns (Ooey, Gooey, Delicious!) and Savory Kale and Cheddar Cheese Scones for our Sunday’s Mother’s Day “Brunch”!

And, of course, last but not least, Mother’s Day (or any day!) would not be complete without enjoying one of Glenn’s Best in the Downeast Cocktails, To Go!

Sunday, May 10th, 10am to 1pm.  Carry Out/To Go will be a Walk-Up service (order and pay) at the window.  We will be offering the following items to go:

-       Pecan Sticky Buns (Ooey, Gooey, Delicious)

-       Savory Kale and Cheddar Cheese Scones

-       Tide Mill’s Beef Marrow Dog Bones

-       Bloody Mary’s

-       Mimosa’s

-       Espresso Drinks

-       Café Americano

At this time, credit or debit cards only. 

When ordering or picking up, Please Keep the respected distance At All Times.  

Enjoy. Be Smart. Stay Safe.

Cohill’s “Mixing it up!” Making it Fun! Getting through the pandemic ToGether! 

Grateful to Serve the Lubec/Campobello Community,

   Ellen & Glenn, Nuala, Rue and Aoife

May 2nd Carryout Menu

Ellen is going back to two of her classic dishes this week. We have a very limited amount of Shepherds pie along with a spicy mix of Jambalaya. If that doesn't suit your taste buds, we also have a Grilled Chicken breast dinner and a Marinated and Grilled Tofu dinner (Vegan) to choose from.

Carryout Starts NOW

We are excited to announce that we will begin carryout service starting this weekend. As we work through the pub re-model and the constraints placed on regular opening, we will slowly grow not only our menu but also the days we will be servicing food. For now, we start with 2 of Ellen’s classic dishes, the famous Shepherds Pie and a Guinness can along with a vegan option and a selection of bottled wines.

You can place your order by following this link. Pickups will take place Saturday from 4-7. Orders must be placed online and paid via credit card. Pickup will take place through our front window.

We look forward to getting back to normal and this is one positive step that we can take down that long journey.

Cheers,

Ellen & Glenn

March Happenings

To All:

Ellen and I wanted to send out a quick note to let everyone know that we are thinking about you all and hope everyone is staying well and safe.  We know that these are trying times for everyone and that by sticking together, we will all get through this before you know it.

Things in Lubec are starting at act like spring.  A few warm days a few chilly days and a lovely spring snow storm.  The birds are showing up and the sun is now rising earlier and earlier each day.  Summer will be here before we know it, and while no one has any idea when daily life will go back to normal, it is still reassuring to know that the weather is getting better by the day.

Soon we will have a chance to see these beautiful Lubec summer sunsets -

The pub reconstruction project is in full gear.  As I write this, the floor is almost done and the painting process has begun.  Based on our current schedule, we anticipate doing a special takeout option this coming weekend for the 25th of March.  This will include one of our all time favorites along with a couple of beer and wine choices.  The ordering process will be online and pickup will take place on Saturday.  We will shoot out another email in the next 24 hours with the exact details on what we are serving (hint, hint) and how to place your orders.  As we move forward more options will be available.

Lastly, the Governor has indicated that we may begin taking room reservations for May 1 and beyond.  I believe that we are going to keep our reservation system closed until mid May, although this is obviously going to be a fluid decision.  This is largely so that we can understand and prepare for housekeeping of rooms given the potential for transmission of the virus.  We need to make sure that not only are the rooms ready for you, but also to minimize the potential risk to us.  This is a challenging time and we appreciate your understanding.

We do hope that with everything that has transpired, that come summer we will have a robust season in town and that the fall may be a time for folks to catch up on missed vacations.  As anyone who has been to Lubec in September knows, it is perhaps the prettiest time of the year.

Stay safe, love one another, and we will see you this summer!

Cheers,

Glenn & Ellen

Spring is rapidly approaching

As we wind our way through deep Maine winter, spring is rapidly approaching. While in Maine that can mean both sun, rain, and yes even more snow, it also means that we are also working our way closer and closer to season 14 at the Inn. This year will present us with lots of changes, including a remodeled pub, new furniture, a new menu, and much more. We will continue to update this space with more details on these and other changes, including our new emphasis on small events.

In the past we have had some wonderful small, intimate events that focused on things like food, wine and whiskey. We intend to create a full calendar of these events for 2020 which will be posted here under our events section. We would also encourage you to sign up for our Newsletter as that will be another vehicle we use to share upcoming events, and Inn/Pub specials.

Lastly, we intend to push forward with even more Dog centric activities. Dogs have always been a key component of life at the Inn and 2020 will be no different. Stay tuned for details about ‘Yappy’ Hour, a once a week gathering of dogs and their owners on our deck to enjoy a drink and a snack. We are also experimenting this winter with our own scratch made doggy snacks that have the same level of all natural ingredients and passion as the food we serve in the dining room. Lastly, Glenn will be offering up Dog portrait sessions where you can spend an hour getting professional level portraits of you and your beloved pets. We will have details of all of this in the upcoming month.

Cheers,

Glenn, Ellen, Rue, Aoifa, Nuala

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Happy New Year 2020

It is hard to believe that 2019 has come and gone and now we find ourselves in the beginning of a new decade. For Cohills, Season 14 is sure to bring about a number of changes to the pub which we are super excited about. First up will be a transformation of the Pub/Dining area. Work has already started on a much needed interior face lift. Our goal is to create an environment that makes lounging, eating, drinking, and soaking in the beautiful views much more enjoyable.

Second up will be another major transformation, the menu. While the quality and style of food will echo our past, we will be bringing the menu inline with the above goals. Featuring more small plates that are conducive to lounge seating, and a dramatically reduced number of tables that will allow us to focus on the overall dining experience. Reservations will be highly recommended!!

As the winter progresses we will update the site with images of the transformation and begin to disclose some of our new menu items along with dining schedule/hours.

Here is to a wonderful 2020 for all. We look forward to seeing everyone this coming summer.

Sláinte,

Glenn & Ellen

End of the Year Gift Card Discounts

Now through the end of the year, we are offering a 25% bonus on all electronic gift cards. To purchase your gift card, follow this link and enter the code: HOLIDAY2019. Gift cards will be redeemable in the pub or can be applied to your remaining balance on stays at the Inn. Once you purchase the gift card, you can use the discount for yourself or gift it to another person.

If you have questions or difficulties, please be sure and let us know.

CLICK HERE TO BUY GIFT CARDS

Unlocking Bonus Features at the Inn and Pub

New for 2020 will be bonus rewards for those that book directly via our website and not through Booking.com. Our goal is to reward you, the customer, for booking directly with us instead of a 3rd party agent. All you have to do is book directly with us, using the link on our website or by calling us. Upon checking in, you will be rewarded with a random gift. This could range from a room upgrade; a free drink for two in the pub; or even a discount on your dining experience. To be eligible simply follow this link to make your booking. We look forward to seeing you in 2020.

Regards,

Glenn & Ellen