Housed in the stylish Camden Harbor Inn, Natalie’s Restaurant is one of the most mesmeric dining spots in Maine. Both the inn and the restaurant throb with creature comforts. And the best way to experience this is through total immersion. That means not just arriving for dinner but, rather, to stay at the inn, making the dining experience part of an overnight adventure in this sublimely scenic coastal village.
Garden entry at the inn
That’s exactly what I did, and one of the best parts of this pleasurable sojourn was waking up to have breakfast on the covered porch on a serene morning that concluded my stay.
The inn overlooks the harbor, the Camden Hills and the ocean. How good is that? And as dusk falls into evening the porch is equally beautiful to enjoy a sumptuous dinner in an idyllic setting. Star-bright sky, balmy temperatures, soothing sea breezes, it’s all pretty magical.
Clockwise dining porch at night,dusk, morning
My visit last week capped a tour of Camden’s three most exciting restaurants, which I’ve reviewed here (see July 31 post and July 24 post): the newly opened Pig and Poet at the refurbished Whitehall; the superbly fashioned farm-to-table experience at Francine Bistro and Natalie’s. All offer their own distinctive style of cuisine.
Hoteliers Raymond Brunyanszki and Oscar Verest maintain very high standards, and the place runs like a top. The service staff at the inn and restaurant are extremely professional and competent—as solicitous as you’d expect this Relais & Chateaux affiliated hotel to be.
Indoors the sun-porch dining room is a stunning spot
The inn is located on Bayview Street just a stone’s throw from the village center and at the beginning of one of the finest residential areas in Maine, where oceanfront estates and gracious period homes line the leafy broad avenue that eventually leads to the smaller village of Rockport–the quieter town in this bustling summer haven.
The rooms are outfitted in requisite posh. Many have views of the ocean and are beautifully furnished with modern pieces mingling with traditional furnishings. Bedding and linens are equally plush.
The inn’s common rooms are comfortably outfitted
For the last several years co-executive chefs Chris Long and Shelby Stevens, who are a couple in life, further complement each other in the kitchen.
What results is a style of cooking that is conceptually sophisticated–exacting in execution with flawlessly merged flavors that surprise and challenge your palate. Prior to their reign, the kitchen was under the direction of chef Lawrence Klang who now presides at the equally dazzling Danforth Inn’s restaurant, Tempo Dulu (see July 1 review), the hoteliers’ other lodging facility and restaurant in Portland.
I opted for the prix fixe menu ($76), which offers three courses with an optional wine pairing selected by the hotel’s wine director, Micah Wells. There’s also a 5-coure lobster menu ($109) that lavishly features Maine’s prized catch in countless ways.
Torchon of duck served at the bar
After a Negroni cocktail and torchon of duck at the bar, where the popular Mid-Coast mixologist Mack holds sway, I adjourned to the covered porch to dine, instead of the more formal dining rooms inside. Tables are set amongst luscious plantings, and the backdrop of the village, the hills, the harbor and the ocean is beguiling.
Wells suggested that I have an Oregon pinot blanc to start. It had all the fruity ripeness to match my several starters.
A stunning amuse bouche was an intensely flavored morsel of cured salmon with an herbaceous aioli; their soft colors popped from the plate as much as the briny flavors within.
Several hors d’oeuvres included squash with ricotta; shooter of garbanzo beans and the Oregon white wine
This was followed by a shooter glass that held garbanzo beans bursting with mint aioli and lemon vinaigrette. It was so refreshing and soothing–only to be upstaged by the final small-plate fillip that landed before me. It merely begged to be ogled and consumed on the spot: squash and ricotta with local mushrooms and a flicker of pine nuts amid little pools of arugula puree. Divine.
An amuse bouche of cured salmon
To accompany the first and main courses, I switched to a glass of Viré Clesse, a wine from the Mâconnaise in southern Burgundy. With its assertive body and fruity balance it worked beautifully with what followed.
A first course of seared tuna was a minimalist’s vision—with exquisite taste to the core because everything on the plate worked. The tuna was arranged in a diaspora of raspberries, heart of palm and radishes. The artful presentation had life-like energy as the vibrant colors played together with quixotic relevance for such an unusual amalgam of ingredients, especially the edgy, spicy pepperiness of the radishes tempered by the cool fish.
Seared tuna with radish
I shouldn’t have been surprised either by the exotic gathering of the main course–swordfish. Here this local wedge of seared fish peeked out from a cloud of foam made from the alchemy of a siphon filled with yogurt to create a billowy nuance of texture. It nuzzled the fish gently until your fork touched on the vibrant tomatillo sauce in which the fish lolled so sweetly. With black rice, and chayote, the dish was a triumph.
A beautiful presentation of swordfish under yogurt foam
The thought of dessert seemed like gilding the lily. But I’m glad I continued to enjoy a stunning mélange that paired strawberries with a pink peppercorn ice cream set in a sweet taco-like pastry shell. And then a little treat from the kitchen arrived, dulce de leche, with cinnamon chocolate crumble, walnut cake and tarragon ice cream cunningly served tumbling out of a clay pot–one of the most artful follies of presentation at dinner.
Strawberries with pink peppercorn ice cream
A stunning dessert, dulce de leche
The simplicity of breakfast the next morning on the porch with two fried eggs over a vegetable hash alongside house-made sausage was a fine finale to a perfect culinary escape that Camden offers so beautifully.
Fried eggs over vegetable hash at breakfast on the porch
Natalie’s Restaurant at Camden Harbour Inn, 83 Bayview, Camden, ME 207-236-4200, www.camdenharbourinn.com
Rating: 5 impeccable stars
Ambiance: gracious and serene
Noise: subdued
Service: excellent
$$$: expensive
