9/5/2023 0 Comments Spat kennebunk“I prefer that people find the plate of food I’m serving accessible and understandable-in a best-case scenario, that they associate it with something they had a long time ago.”įollowing a classic salad of baby lettuces with roasted gold and candy cane beets, generously scattered with Roquefort crumbles, our entrees continue the nostalgic theme. “I don’t go in for international, global ingredients for the most part,” the chef says. Neither of these starters is complicated, but they are delicious and intensely satisfying. We also share a warm best version of johnnycake topped with generous slices of silky smoked salmon and a dollop of crème fraîche-a New England/New York mashup and another Charles signature. As the server come up and presents them, she explains that the tartar sauce is conveniently in the shell beneath tell me this is the each oyster, the way Charles has served them for decades. Coated with cracker crumbs, the oysters are crisp, plump, and piping hot, each of them served in an oyster shell. Ever since Charles described them a few days ago, I’ve had her fried oysters on my mind. Tucked into a cozy table near the fireplace by general manager Tara Padilla, we order cocktails: a lavender mead mule for my friend, made with particularly zesty house-made ginger beer, and a refreshing Tekiwi-tequila, Cointreau, kiwi juice, and lime-for me. On a chilly Friday evening, a friend and I are instantly warmed by both the friendly greeting and the mood at Spat, which is nearly full with a lively crowd. “Pearl in New York was meant to be a little breath of Maine, and Spat is meant to be a little piece of what New York might have been like at the turn of the last century, when there were oyster bars by the hundreds,” Charles says. Downstairs, Spat Oyster Cellar is a cozy low-ceilinged space designed to evoke an old-school New York City oyster bar. One side of the room is dominated by a massive fieldstone fireplace that is flanked with wine storage cabinets on the opposite side is a long bar with classic bentwood bar stools that match the dining chairs. A fan of minimalist design, Charles kept the look of the large dining room deliberately spare, painting the vaulted ceiling and walls a subdued greige ( Benjamin Moore’s Weimaraner) and stripping and refinishing the wide boards of the pine floor. The three-story building had to be stripped to the studs, delaying her opening until last summer. In the spring of 2016 Charles bought and renovated the building that had most recently been the Italian restaurant Abbondante, only to have her plans for opening the following season dashed by a catastrophic flood when the sprinkler system burst over the winter. However, the Fried Oysters with Pearl tartar sauce were another story…these were incredible!!! The combination of the tater sauce and perfectly fri.With 150 seats, including a spacious outdoor terrace, and unforeseen setbacks, the Kennebunk restaurant has been a bigger undertaking than the tiny New York original. The Cerveza Medico from Woodland Farms Brewery in Maine is a light, crisp Mexican-style lager made with corn and really went well with any of the foods selected tonight.Īppetizers: The Salt-Crusted Shrimp with Pearl tartar sauce was good, but not a favorite out of the appetizers. The drinks were very good along with nice options for beer and wine.įor me…I really enjoyed a local beer being offered. Not only did she take care of our large group, she also took care of other tables and always with a smile! The restaurant is nicely decorated with a huge fireplace for you to enjoy cocktails on the sofa. While the food was awesome, our waitress Tracey G was incredible. We had a party of 15 and our table was prepared and ready well before the 6:15 pm reservation time. Blake Rįlag as inappropriate Difficult to put into words how incredible the dining experience was here. The shoe string fries were really good! And you get so much of them! Bacon jam and pickles really added the unique flavors to the burger from fresh made ingredients. I would go back just for that clam chowder!īurger was good. The depth of flavor and the tenderness of the clams was absolutely amazing. The wife went with the mini lobster roll and fresh Cesar salad.Ĭlam chowed - hands down the favorite chowder of the trip. The clams where good, but afterwards we both agreed we should have just gotten more oysters and left the clams off. We had some fresh oysters and clams for appetizers! Love some fresh oysters! We were seated in the waiting are by the fireplace and drink order taken. Flag as inappropriate We save this place for our last night in Kennebunkport! This place is very nice and has a great outdoor area with a fire pit.
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