Oprah Winfrey recently brought her Book Club to Harpswell, Maine to try a lobster roll (Oprah’s first ever!) and discuss her November book selection Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout. Oprah’s interview with the author took place in front of a live audience of Mainers at the Dolphin Marina & Restaurant in Harpswell. You can check out the interview on AppleTV+.
For those lucky enough to be in the audience, it was a raw and inspiring discussion with Maine’s own Pulitzer Prize winning author. The setting could not have been more perfect, everyone tucked in the rotunda of the restaurant facing the bay, with lobster boats bobbing against a grey Maine sky and rocky shore. The view nearly upstages Oprah herself, in the way Maine’s rugged and romantic coastline has a way of doing. The audience is engaged, and nods continuously in agreement to Olive’s approach to life’s quirks and challenges.
After the interview Oprah sits down with her audience of Book Club members and sings unexpected praise for her first lobster roll. Social media is abuzz. A news article later shares that the family who owns the restaurant had no idea Oprah had never tasted a lobster roll before and made it the same way they always do – fresh off the boat!
The one thing I keep asking myself as I watch this beautiful interview and read all the headlines is – could this really be Oprah’s FIRST trip to Maine? I mean, how could she have gone this far in life without ever trying a lobster roll? As a Mainer and owner of Experience Maine, I’m shocked. What other incredible firsts await her in Maine?
So…Oprah, I challenge you to return to Maine this summer and experience all it’s beauty, unique flavors and natural wonders. We are America’s rugged playground, a culinary outpost of excellence and a purveyor of once in a lifetime experiences! Be my guest, and we will show you what you’ve been missing!
Oh, and bring Gayle.
~Rachel Sagiroglu, Founder & Chief Experience Officer of Experience Maine
Experience Maine is offering a 3 night, 4 day Oprah & Olive Inspired Maine Getaway! You’ll dine at The Dolphin Marina & Restaurant, stay in a sleepy coastal town and have authentic Maine adventures along the way. Book now.
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air”Ralph Waldo Emerson
