On target The Arrows guys hit the mark again with MC Perkins Cove BY WILSON ROTHSCHILD
	MC PERKINS COVE MC PERKINS COVE Shore Rd, Ogunquit | 207.646.6263 | www.mcperkinscove.com | Daily 11:30 am-2 pm; 5:30-11 pm | Bar menu 11:30 am-3 pm; 4-11 pm

MC Perkins Cove is located in a small circle of shops on the water, about five miles from downtown Ogunquit — in, you guessed it, Perkins Cove. Chef/owners Mark Gaier and Clark Fraiser, of the acclaimed Arrows restaurant and nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Chefs of the Northeast March, 2005, opened this casual yet elegant spot in June to a virtual bombardment of business throughout the summer tourist season. With the onset of fall and winter, the 400+-customer-per-day business has slowed a bit, and reservations have become easier to make. We dined on a Monday night and there was certainly a respectable crowd.

At the top of a short flight of stairs, the entry-way opens up to a nicely lit dining area with a bar on the right. Cozy hues cover the walls, offset by dark wooden beams overhead, all surrounded by tall, clean windows looking out towards the ocean. It was dark when we arrived, but there was a nice view of the full moon.

We were ushered upstairs to another dining area and bar sporting a large flat-screen TV. After dissuading us from our initial wine selection (perhaps simply "up-selling), our attentive waiter suggested a bottle of Casa de Santar Dao from the "Interesting Reds" section of the wine list. This phenomenal Portuguese blend was definitely packed with big flavors and indeed belonged in the "interesting" section. The table bread accompanying our first tastes of the wine was not so interesting, however, being slightly cold and dry.

The menus are presented on a thin palette of wood, bound on the corners by copper wire to match the copper tables. The menu breaks down as follows: first, chilled seafood from the oyster bar. Next are appetizers, ranging from pizza with chorizo, three cheeses, caramelized onions, and oven-roasted tomato, to deep-fried local oysters in beer batter with walnut sauce. Four salads are offered next and then the main courses, which are separated into grilled items. Each main course is offered with your choice out of six sauces as well as your choice of "Evil Carbos" (go figure?). To add one of six "Virtuous Vegetables," you pay six dollars.

Though the menu seemed to be a bit scattered, making ordering a little difficult, our minds and palates were put to ease when the first course arrived. We split the "smooth" clam chowder. The chef’s take on a dish which is usually best from a down-home chowder house was actually quite impressive. It consisted of a smooth base of potato puree flavored presumably, with clam juice and white wine, among other components. In the center was a small pile of refreshingly simple potatoes and clams. Drizzled with paprika oil and garnished with a thyme sprig, the soup was very comforting. We also shared the whole artichoke with tarragon-mustard vinaigrette and house-cured prosciutto. This was served very cold and garnished with finely diced tomato concassé. The flavors mixed very well, if muted a bit by the temperature of the dish. Next we split the "wedge" salad. This was a clean, crisp chunk of iceberg lettuce served with grape tomato halves and a creamy blue-cheese dressing. Candied pecans may be added for four dollars.

For an entree I ordered the special, a 14-ounce porterhouse style pork chop served with a warm bulgur-wheat and swiss chard salad. The pork chop was cooked perfectly and the warm grain salad was well seasoned. The breaded, fried lemon slices served as a garnish were interesting, though I might remove the peel, use cured lemons, or not serve them at all. My dining partner ordered the New York strip steak with black peppercorn butter along with the yam and potato gratin. Her meal was served on an oblong metal plate. The steak was cooked to medium-rare as requested but was not warm enough to melt the butter on top. The sweet potato gratin, though not rich, was tasty and attractive.

By this point in the meal we were very full, but had to sample one offering on the dessert menu. We decided to keep it simple and order the vanilla crème brulee. The simple yet well executed dessert was garnished with fresh orange and a small flower. The dessert capped our pleasant dining experience nicely.

Wilson Rothschild can be reached at nosliwdlihcshtor@yahoo.com