Over at the former Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier Arrows property, The Velveteen Habit has opened to incredible word of mouth reviews among the locals – so we had to steal away from our work at The Hartwell House Inn to stop in and take a taste of what they’re doing.
Opening the door to the 160 year old farmhouse revealed owner Benjamin Goldman greeting us from the podium — and a few steps around the corner revealed director of operations Brent Bushong manning the bar. Great to witness this team present, passionate, personable and very hands-on for the day to day operations of their impressive new concept.
A quick look at the cocktail, wine and beer lists affirmed that some noteworthy thought has gone into the beverage program at The Velveteen Habit – Goldman’s certified-sommelier touches were evident in the playful array of quality labels, varietals and vintages creatively collated.
The fare is refined, thought provoking and artfully plated – easy to see that Executive Chef Chris Wilcox has a penchant for the local and seasonal and it will be exciting to watch the menu evolve and blossom alongside the ambitious ‘Kitchen Garden‘ (complete with honeybee hives), which will eventually ‘supply the restaurant with 85% of their produce’.
Our initial visit was a quick pop-in – and we got a chance to sample some of their excellent cheese selections (including a Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and a Bayley Hazen Blue)…
A small plate of heavenly-light and cushiony Potato Gnocchi was a quickly devoured thing of notable culinary beauty.
The Lobster / Hash Brown dish was a refreshing departure from the more common crustacean concoctions perma-resident on coastal Maine menus.
And the dessert menu cast its own spell, as well – there was no way we were getting out of there without trying the Wild Maine Blueberry Coffee Cake with an extraordinary Lemon-Thyme Sorbet.
We’re certain we’ll be back for a deeper dive sometime soon – but for now, very exciting to see The Velveteen Habit leveraging some of the tried and true farm-to-table greatness this location was known for – and taking it somewhere completely their own, someplace colorful, sometimes slightly edgy, vigorous, approachable and delicious.
Restaurants like the Velveteen Habit are what makes being a foodie fun.
Visit The Velveteen Habit online at: thevelveteenhabit.com
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