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 New
England dining >>> Kennebunk Inn, Kennebunk, Maine
by Eric H.
KENNEBUNK, MAINE -- Of all the great
Maine seaside restaurants with incredible views to choose from,
we had to pick the Kennebunk Inn -- smack dab in the middle of
a pedestrian inland downtown (not to be confused with the famed
tourist-crazy neighboring Kennebunkport) with the only hopes
of waterfront dining happening if a fire hydrant broke.
Lucky us. While others paid high prices
for seafood soaked in breading and butter and crowds akin to
a Superbowl game at the nearby waterfront tourist traps, we found
the Kennebunk Inn to be totally void of pretensions, full of
good-old fashioned New England charm, and offering some truly
creative dishes that also happen to be edible (sometimes creative
chefs can botch up a good dish by trying too hard).
Every one of our several visits has
resulted in a wonderful dining experience. On our first visit
away from our traditional seaside dining destination, the warm,
inviting outside glow of this 1799 Inn (with charming guest rooms
upstairs) hinted at good things to come. Upon entering, that
premonition turned into reality with a friendly hostess bringing
us into a dining room perfect for our anniversary. Elegant, understated
candlelit room with stained glass windows, big-wide windows with
well-chosen window dressing overlooking the placid nighttime
Kennebunk Main Street, old world furnishings, and dampened acoustics
to enhance quiet conversation, the Kennebunkport Inn defines
the meaning of romantic dining.
Innkeepers/chefs Brian O'Hea and Shanna
Katherine Horner O'Hea offer some of the best contemporary American
cuisine we've sampled in New England. A great way to start the
evening is with some homemade breads and a mixed greens salad
with gorgonzola cheese --starches and vegetables have rarely
tasted this fresh. For dinner, noteworthy dishes are the roasted
rack of lamb with rainbow orzo, baby carrots, and rosemary oil;
the cider planked seared salmon with potato rosti, apple chutney,
and fried leeks; and the seared Filet mignon with Vermont cheddar
and bacon gratin potato, house roasted tomatoes, wild mushrooms
and bordelaise. Wonderfully displayed, incredibly flavorful,
and hopelessly addictive, these entrees could have flaunted an
elitist tone somewhere else by offering small portions at high
prices. Here, in alignment with the friendly and pragmatic theme
of the restaurant, ample portions are offered at reasonable prices.
The dinner entree menu changes, as
do the deserts. Anything chocolate will do, as evidenced by several
visits here.
Upon leaving, we studied the Kennebunk
Inn and then glanced at the downtown. While it is not a tourist
town, the authentic "Main Street USA" feel and the
presence of a classic New England piece of architecture like
the Kennebunkport Inn have an endearing quality. In Kennebunk,
one doesn't feel rushed or expected to buy souvenir trinklets
and t-shirts. The Kennebunk Inn reflects the town's spirit by
not forcing its product on your soul and your wallet. It is there
for you to enjoy, in the midst of a grand dining room built for
meaningful conversation, great food and a relaxed feel. It is
the ultimate southern Maine dining experience.
Kennebunk
Inn, 45 Main Street,
Kennebunk, Maine 04043, Tel. (207) 985-3351
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