Thursday, May 23, 2013
By NANCY HEISER
(Continued from page 1)
Earth’s surroundings say rustic, chic and lively; the service is skilled, and the food exceptional. A visit to the Kennebunkport restaurant, which is open evenings, can include a stroll among the vegetable gardens, where nary a weed is to be seen.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
DINING REVIEW
EARTH (at Hidden Pond resort), 354 Goose Rocks Road, Kennebunkport. 967-9050; hiddenpondmaine.com
*****
HOURS: 5:30 to 9:45 p.m. (last reservation taken)
CREDIT CARDS: All major
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $10 to $18; entrees, $18 to $39; $45 for wood oven roasted lobster
VEGETARIAN: Yes
GLUTEN-FREE: Yes. Will accommodate any dietary restrictions.
KIDS: Welcome
RESERVATIONS: Highly recommended
BAR: Full. Includes specialty cocktails and mocktails, three single-malt scotches and four beers on tap. Sommelier selects wines, an international and distinctive list of about 75 bottles ($30 to $630); half are under $100. About 20 choices by the glass, $9 to $17.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
BOTTOM LINE: Earth, which opened in June, brings an exhilarating flair and sophistication to Maine. Prepare to be blown away by the food -- its creativity, artistry and depth. All senses are involved in this dining experience. Dishes are expensive, but the food is exceptional. The service is skilled and unstuffy. The atmosphere of Earth's spacious dark wood building with vaulted ceilings, a massive fireplace, porch and gardens is at once rustic, chic and lively.
Ratings follow this scale and take into consideration food, atmosphere, service and value:
* Poor ** Fair *** Good **** Excellent ***** Extraordinary
The Maine Sunday Telegram visits an establishment twice if the first dining experience was unsatisfactory. The reviewer dines anonymously.
Lamb chops are slow roasted and tender, and come with a delicious and novel sidebar: artichoke hearts filled with braised, ground lamb shoulder. A gorgeous ricotta-stuffed squash blossom adds color and buoyancy to the plate ($39).
Grilled skirt steak with wild mushrooms is richly flavored, chimichurri adding an exotic note ($39).
Buttermilk fried chicken, deboned and juicy, is served over bacon-braised Swiss chard. Add sweet potato corn bread and pickled watermelon rind, and you've got a divine Southern alchemy ($30).
The kitchen assembles a strawberry shortcake like none other. Dabs of whipped cream flavored with lemon verbena nestle next to three buttons of warm biscuit, underscored by fruit and candied fennel. It's spread on a large plate with swirls of connecting sauce and white space. It's kind of like an Alexander Calder mobile.
Do I exaggerate? Maybe. But the flavor meld surpasses any strawberry shortcake I remember. A rectangle of an intensely dark chocolate cremeux, topped with banana ice cream shaped like an egg, is another luscious finish.
Oh my.
Looking for a destination meal? Head for the barn, the gardens, the fire. Savor an extraordinary dinner. You've found heaven. At Earth.
Nancy Heiser is a freelance writer who lives near Portland. Her work has appeared in national and regional publications.
Tweet
Copyright ©2013 MaineToday Media, Inc.
Jobs
Cars
Real Estate
Maine Yellow Pages
Facebook
Twitter
Further Discussion
Here at PressHerald.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include: