reviewed by Diane Hudson July 2005
I thought I died and went to heaven,” says chef Allan Fisher of leaving Manhattan to work at Chebeague Island Inn.
“I get the best arugula I’ve ever tasted from Ted Sparrow’s farm in Gardiner” and “the freshest eggs ever from Ted’s daughter’s egg farm. And,” he adds, jubilantly, “Lisa Turner of Laughing Stock Farm in Freeport tells me to make a list of whatever I need, and she just grows it for me!”
Miraculously, it all makes its way out to this lovely island surveyed by guests enjoying cocktails under the shade of the wraparound porches of this great golden ‘summer flammable’ from Maine’s bustling 1920s.
Tastefully restored, the dining room is lovely inside or out, with a screened-in porch overlooking sunset on the bay.
The grilled quail with green papaya salad ($12) and the warm asparagus salad with fresh oregano, garlic, bacon, hard-cooked eggs, radicchio, toasted panko, and extra virgin olive oil ($7) were divine. Fisher’s exper-tise–honed by studies at the CIA as well as years of absorbing ideas in Japan–has resulted in surprises and delights like the Bangs Island Spicy Mussels ($11). Masterfully prepared, the tender mussels were steamed with ginger, lem-on-grass, jalapeno, and finished with brown sugar, Asian fish sauce, cilantro, and butter. The sourdough bread makes for great dipping.
Ordered medium rare, the roasted soy-Dijon lamb chops ($29) were just perfect–tender, and tasty, accompanied by very good blue-cheese-spinach smashed potatoes.
Im-mensely satisfying, with a tantalizing hoisin lime sauce and accompanying braised triple-cabbage lasagna, the baby whole chicken ($23), from a local farm, was prepared “Peking Duck style.” Our guide for this adventure was a good bottle of South African KWV shiraz ($28).
One cannot skip dessert at a summertime inn, especially when brilliantly prepared pies and crisps are offered at only $4 per generous serving. Our strawberry-blueberry pie was heavenly, amplified nicely by a three-scoop homemade ice cream dessert including cappucino gelato, mango sorbet, and rich, creamy vanilla.
As the sunset died behind Portland’s city skyline, we were convinced we’d gone to diners’ heaven.
Chebeague Island Inn, Chebeague Island. Open daily for lunch and dinner, brunch on Sunday. www.chebeagueislandinn.com or 846-5155. Boat schedules avail-able through the website.
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