The winners

Wine Spectator recognizes Maine

By Joan Lang

If you’re operating under any delusions that Maine is not a good place to drink wine, think again. Wine Spectator magazine’s new annual Dining Guide honors no fewer than 19 Maine restaurants with worthy wine lists — not as many as that damn Massachusetts, by any means, but more than New Hampshire or Kansas, for that matter.

For two decades now, a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence has been the definitive wine kudo, shorthand for “good wine list,” and “worth visiting.” The 2001 Dining Guide lists more than 2300 restaurants around the world with such wine lists, the result of arduous research, surveying, and cross-checking (like the old saying goes, someone’s gotta do it). Think of it as the Oscar of the wine-list world. Here’s who won in Maine this year:

Arrows Restaurant (Berwick Road, Ogunquit; 361-1100). Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier’s contemporary American restaurant has become the dining destination in Maine. Using produce from their own gardens, the two chef-owners create a constantly changing menu that’s complemented by the romantic farmhouse setting and a 350-item wine list, heavy on the French and California selections.

Back Bay Grill (65 Portland St., Portland; 772-8833). Under chef Larry Matthews Jr., Joel Freund’s 10-year-old American-style bistro just keeps getting better. The wine list is encyclopedic, with 550 choices, making it easy to find a match for everything from Terrine of House Cured Gravlax and Smoked Salmon to Hand Rolled Fettuccini with wild mushrooms and pesto cream.

Bethel Inn Country Club (1 Broad St., Bethel; 824-2175). The ultimate four-season getaway sports golf, skiing, or just plain loafing, including dinner in one of the firelit dining rooms. The classic New England menu runs to seafood, prime rib, and veal and duck with a choice of more than 200 different wines (many of them from California) to wash it all down.

Blue Hill Inn (Union St., Blue Hill; 374-2844). At this venerable old antiques-filled inn in beautiful Blue Hill, expect a certain white-glove formality along with your six-course meal, with its contemporary French prix-fixe menu and a carefully chosen 130-selection French/California wine list.

Bradley Inn (3063 Bristol Rd., New Harbor; 677-2105). Here’s another small, romantic inn where you can enjoy firelight, four-poster beds, and an ambitious contemporary American menu (i.e., Pomegranate Glazed Quail and Caramelized Nantucket Bay Scallops) courtesy of chef Judith Carinhas. The 100-selection wine list boasts a California bias and remarkably reasonable prices.

Cape Neddick Inn (1233 Rt. 1, York; 363-2899). Chef-owner Michele Duval prides herself on creativity using native ingredients (house-smoked seafood, Maine farm-raised roast chicken), with a 130-item California wine list to back it up. Monthly winemaker dinners, complete with a six-course special menu, are a wonderful diversion in the winter.

Cork Restaurant (51 Bayview St., Camden; 230-0533). Considering the name, you’d expect nothing less than the fine 120-selection wine list showcased here, but there’s also a series of cozy dining rooms and an internationally influenced menu that changes every day. In season, many of the herbs, lettuces, and vegetables come from the chef’s own garden.

Gabriel’s (47 Middle St., Portland; 775-1510). The seasonal American menu’s become much more accessible with owner Michael O’Neill ensconced at the stove, a good match for the interesting selection of nearly 300 different wines, mostly from France and California. The upstairs “loft” is a more casual alternative to the dining room.

George’s (7 Stephens Lane, Bar Harbor; 288-4505). A popular BH destination for more than two decades, George’s offers a nice combination of comfortable surroundings, an intriguing Mediterranean menu (the owner is Greek), and a nice California-intensive wine list with more than 125 different wines to choose from.

Gypsy Sweethearts (10 Shore Rd., Ogunquit; 646-7021). This charming little Main Street restaurant situated in a circa-1800s private home showcases locally harvested seafood and produce, plus a well-priced 80-entry wine list (heavy on the Californians) and the added incentive of weekend breakfast in the height of the summer season.

Hurricane (52 Oarweed Cove Rd., Ogunquit; 646-6348). With its wonderful view of Perkins Cove through dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, Hurricane offers a great setting for Daniel Moffat’s updated, New England-style menu (everything from Herb Encrusted Venison Tower to Steamed Grey Sole) and the 110-bottle international wine list. Watch for monthly wine dinners, too.

Lake House (686 Waterford Rd., Waterford; 583-4182). This destination inn located in a platonic country village an hour north of Portland features chef-owner Michael Myers’s ambitious contemporary Continental food and an impressive 100-item wine list that runs heavily to moderately priced French and California classics.

Le Domaine Restaurant Francais (Rural Rt. 1, Hancock; 422-3395). Who would expect a romantic country French inn in this small coastal village? After a sampling of Nicole Purslow’s classic food and something from the 165-selection wine list (strong on Chablis and Rhone, in particular), just toddle upstairs to bed.

Maine Dining Room/Harraseeket Inn (162 Main St., Freeport; 865-9377) Amid the hustle-bustle that is Freeport is this grown-up inn and hotel, with Theda Lyden’s refined contemporary New England food and more than 120 different wines to choose from. The Broad Arrow Tavern with its burgers and wood-oven pizzas is a more casual option, but the real attraction is the Sunday buffet brunch.

Porcupine Grill (123 Cottage St., Bar Harbor; 288-3884). Named for the group of islands in Frenchman Bay, this charming little seasonal restaurant serves a locally based daily menu emphasizing roasted and grilled meats. With 430 choices, the moderately priced wine list is a real standout; check out the Italian selections in particular.

Porter House Restaurant (Route 27, Eustis; 246-7932). Twelve miles from Sugarloaf, this restored 1908 farmhouse is a charming destination for Beth and Jeff Hinman’s American grill cuisine (think steak, roast duck, and plenty of local seafood), plus a 75-item wine list that boasts some of the most reasonably priced wines in the state.

Seascapes (77 Pier Road, Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport; 967-8500). At the end of the peninsula amidst lobster boats and endless water, here’s a restaurant where the contemporary American cuisine (i.e., Marinated Portobello Mushroom and Bronzed Jumbo Sea Scallops) and ambitious 145-item wine list manage to live up to the beautiful setting.

White Barn Inn (37 Beach Ave., Kennebunkport; 967-2321). The K-port of affluent legend is embodied in this gracious inn and restaurant, recipient of just about every dining award known to man. Located in a converted 170-year-old barn, the restaurant is romantic yet formal, with a show-stopping four-course prix-fixe seasonal American menu, and a 335-item wine list that’s positively mind-blowing.

Whitehall Inn (52 High St., Camden; 236-3391). Crisp white linen and classical music rule at this grand old-fashioned inn, with its traditional New England menu (heavy on the fresh local seafood) and dependable 110-item wine list. All very upper crust, Muffy.

Joan Lang can be reached at joanmlang@aol.com.