As huge fans of Top Chef (especially Top Chef Masters), we were thrilled when not just one, but TWO chefs from Maine were featured last season. Chef Clark Frasier and Chef Mark Gaier are life partners and own the restaurant Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine which focuses on sustainable food. We decided we must make it a stop during our whirlwind tour of wedding venues in Maine. The fact that it was the day after my birthday (and after our amazing meals at Eventide and Hugo’s) was just icing on the cake.
There are lovely gardens out back.
And I just loved the inside. Exposed beams, trees, lanterns. I loved it.
I want to find those lanterns for the wedding!
I loved the wood boxes and metal watering cans to hold the breadsticks. And the baskets to hold the bottles of water. Nice touches. All very rustic and my style.
Here was the menu for that night:
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Of course, I tried the Blue Honeybee cocktail. Why “of course?” Two of my favorite things: honey and wild Maine blueberries.
This had blueberry infused vodka, fresh lime, Maine made mead and soda, and garnished with orange marinated blueberries.
Yum!
They served 3 different homemade butters. I had trouble deciding which I loved most. They were all so good.
We decided to continue our tasting menu adventure by going with the “Chef’s Collection” which was a 6 course menu of oysters, prosciutto, silver striper, duck, lamb, and dessert box.
We started with 3 different types of oysters. Fried oysters with green goddess sauce, poached in cream with chives and shallots, and chilled with green garlic and chive vinaigrette.
I loved the crispy of the fried oyster with the green goddess sauce. Great compliment.
The prosciutto was slightly smoky and salty. The greens on top were a nice counter to the rich meat.
The silver striper was pan roasted with kohlrabi fondue, sweet garlic pickled collard greens, and shaved carrot and buttermilk cheese salad. Great textures and flavors combining into a very nice dish.
Our next dish was the duck, and it had a few different versions. The menu titled it as “Duck, strawberries, and rhubarb” and had 3 components:
1- Smoked duck breast with duck cracklings, rhubarb chips, and a microgreen salad (top left part of the picture below) served with a sparkling sake and strawberry mimosa (top right). All components of this were well paired and tasty.
2- Duck confit “cube” with strawberry gelee and port wine sauce (bottom right). This was so rich and decadent. I LOVED this part of the dish.
And 3- Duck saucisson with pickled rhubarb with rhubarb-tarragon mustard and potato pancake. This is in a separate picture because it was the only component of the dish that had peppers, so it was on Mike’s plate and not mine. Mike enjoyed it.
Next up was the lamb, which was also prepared in 3 ways:
1- Fried belly with tarragon vinegar (Umami, rich, and delicious)
2- Braised shank with fennel puree and fennel salad (I don’t love fennel, but it was the perfect foil for the shank)
3- Grilled lamb with huckleberry gastrique (My favorite! The slight sweetness from the huckleberry was great with the grilled flavors0
It was a beautiful dish,
And cooked perfectly with crispness in the right places.
The entrees ended and Mike and I both noted how the meal just kept building and building on itself. It was a solid, surprising, and delicious meal that we again said was even better than our impression leave Jean Georges just days before.
And then the dessert came out. To be honest, I have no idea what any of this was. We were in such blissful fullness and this wasn’t written on the menu I photographed, so I will say that everything was good but I don’t remember anything specifically standing out. I remember thinking that I was glad for the smaller portion sizes because it allowed me to sample without feeling like I was wasting food.
And they were lovely enough to bring me out a birthday treat.
Which consisted of donuts in all different forms and a smoothie of sorts. Again, I remember it being good but not outstanding.
Though you cant beat a whole cherry in a fried pastry!
And then there was still a tower of cookies to come! I really enjoyed these last little nibbles as we headed out.
Overall, we were really impressed with Arrrows. Sure, they relied on the trios and some food magic that has become in some ways “cliche” in fine dining lately. But I’m sorry, I love the cliche. I love when a chef can make my food taste great and look artistic. I love being able to sample small bites and I enjoy tasting menus like this. In fact, I would say I’m pretty much a sucker for it.
Total Nom Points: 8 out of 10
PS- I cannot believe I got to go to Jean George’s, Eventide, Hugo’s, and Arrows within 4 days of each other, surrounding my birthday. Have I mentioned how gosh darn fortunate I am? I am thankful every day for this life I get to live. It is fantastic!
