If milder temperatures have you daydreaming about the warmer months to come, you aren’t alone. And if fine dining is your thing — or if you want it to be — there are some really fabulous experiences to be had in the Pine Tree State for $150 each or less this summer.
On a farm or by the water, here are four exclusive dining experiences in Maine for under $150.
Barn Suppers at Turner Farm on North Haven
Located on the island of North Haven, Turner Farm is a certified organic farm that grows vegetables, herbs and flowers. It also produces pasture-raised beef and pork. On Thursdays and Fridays from June 17 through Sept. 23, the farm hosts Barn Suppers, which are family-style, multi-course meals that feature seasonal produce, local meats, bread and desserts. A cocktail hour, wine and local beer is also served. To get there, you have to take a boat — but you can book and pay for passage across to the farm at the same time you book and pay for dinner.
Cost: Dinner, which includes drinks, is $135 per person. The cost for those under 21 is $85. The cost of the ferry, which leaves from Rockland, is $35 each.
The Well at Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth
Located on a 122-acre working farm, The Well at Jordan’s Farm sources much of its produce locally — including from the farm it’s situated on. The menu changes daily based on what’s fresh, available and in-season when it’s open between June 1 and Sept. 29. Reservations are being accepted now and are recommended. The menu doesn’t include any examples of dishes, but reviews reveal that there’s often a fish course and the house-made doughnut to end the meal is a favorite.
Cost: The five-course Chef’s Tasting Menu is $85 per person, plus 18 percent gratuity, tax and drinks. There’s also a three-course Family Style Menu for six adults or more. With that option, dishes are served on large shareable platters and include salad, bread, veggies, starches, protein and dessert. That’s $75 per person, plus 18 percent gratuity, tax and drinks.
Earth at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport
When you dine in the wood and stone appointed dining room at Earth at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, you’ll find a menu that changes depending on what’s fresh. So the March menu featuring mushroom bisque with duck confit and porcini mushrooms and a sea bass with truffle mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and beech mushrooms is a totally different experience than the June menu when local produce begins to come into season. Reservations are required.
Cost: A three-course dinner is $83 per person. Four courses are $92. There’s also private dining available in the six-person Potting Shed (minimum food and drink order $600) and 12-person Painting Shed (minimum food and drink order $1,200).
Aragosta at Goose Cove in Deer Isle
Bright, airy and near the water, Aragosta at Goose Cove in Deer Isle is an oceanfront restaurant that offers a tasting menu and brunch as well as seasonal patio dining from an a la carte menu. The sample menu includes oyster with yuzu and roe, halibut with tidal broth and spinach and rhubarb with lemon and shortbread. But the menu changes with the growing season because the restaurant sources ingredients directly from local fisherman and farmers.
Cost: The tasting menu served either in the main dining room or at a communal table costs $150 each plus the cost of beverages, tax and tip.
