Of Maine’s vaunted summer colonies, Prouts Neck has this distinction: The Black Point Inn lauds over this oceanfront peninsula of sober respectability and privilege as though inhabited by the goldbugs of Manderley on the mount. Years ago this nearly 150-year-old lodging institution did not draw crowds to enjoy culinary pleasures in its dining rooms but rather was the focal point for a summer of leisure by the sea as though feasting on tickets to birth and background instead.
The classic summer cottage look of the Black Point Inn
Now the Black Point Inn—which has always been open to the public– is not merely an appendage (and a convenient one) for members of the Prouts Neck Association. But rather has attained a finer focus to serve inspired food and lodging to the general public, inn guests and summer residents. While the cloistered facilities on the peninsula still boast private beach, tennis, golf and yacht clubs, it nonetheless ultimately behooved several dozen key association members to cough up $20 million 10 years ago to buy the aging inn. By design it became the association’s de facto club house as well as a public place to get a good meal and fine cocktail beyond the social hub of private homes where residents enjoy the glad rags of roving cocktail parties, triscuits and gin.
Tables by the windows in The Point Dining Room
Its two dining rooms, The Point and the Chart Room, are now headed by chef Daniel Dumont, whose bio and press release refer to him as the only certified master chef in New England, having earned this distinction as a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. I’m not sure how his training—so enjoyed by many other chefs in Maine—differs from the typical graduate of the CIA. But no matter, I’ve been to both of the inn’s restaurants and they are indeed extremely good.
Earlier this summer, just by chance, a group of us trekked down Black Point Road to dine on the seaside deck at the Chart Room, where nicely casual attire (no flip-flops) and ambiance prevail. We were wowed by the food (see my July 17th review) and enjoyed being seated at a corner table that soaked in the stunning views of the beach before us. It was a magical night.
The bay side of the Black Point Inn where the Chart Room convenes
Earlier this week I asked a friend to join me to dine at The Point, the formal dining room off the lobby of the hotel. I’ve looked in on it over the years but never ventured in.
Dining at The Point began with cocktails and an amuse bouche
It’s a grand, old fashioned room with a huge central fireplace, paneled walls and large tables set so far apart as if to be in separate counties. Privacy is key and a quiet hush prevails. If it seems a bit daunting, it’s saved by the big pictures windows at one end of the dining room that show off a luscious view of the ocean through the clearing that used to house the old pool—in its day a popular scene for lunch serving mediocre food.
The Point’s menu is more like the climacteric of Continental cuisine. I don’t mean this in a snarky way, but rather very finely crafted dishes are prepared as though cocooning in a first-class dining room of a luxury liner. It reminds me of Oceans, the stunning oceanfront French-inspired restaurant at the Cape Arundel Inn in Kennebunkport right across the road from the Bush compound.
We had a beautiful table in front of the windows overlooking the grounds and ocean beyond. Cocktails come in huge stemmed glasses. None of this single-digit ounce-by-ounce pouring as it occurs in Portland’s trendiest haunts. In fact, I asked for my usual gimlet—what’s become known as the Golden Gimlet made with Rose’s lime juice—knowing that the bar usually stocked it. As it happened they were out of it, but the waiter, aiming to please, sent a staffer out to fetch some, which he said he had at his home very nearby.
Maine crack and corn cakes
A basket of freshly made rolls arrived, and an amuse bouche that held snippets of cured meats to accompany perfectly made martini and gimlet.
Parisian style gnocchi with lamb Bolognese
The menu holds some very enticing dishes, most of which are based on seasonally local ingredients. As such we started with Maine crab and corn cakes, and I opted for the gnocchi set in a lamb Bolognese. These are two preparations that can be indicators of a kitchen’s abilities. Badly done and typical crab cakes can be heavy with filler. And if the gnocchi are not light enough to float up towards heaven, then I don’t want them.
These two dishes passed their tests flawlessly. The crab cakes in a crunchy breading held tons of crab meat. Garnished with a fresh tomato relish and basil aioli, it was a fine dish.
The gnocchi were prepared Parisian style instead of the usual potato pasta dough. These were beautifully done from a classic pâte a choux dough that’s pushed through a piping bag and poached before being finished off in the sauté pan to lightly glisten these little orbs. Flavored with fresh rosemary and nestled in a bracing lamb Bolognese this was a superb dish. It could have been ordered as a main course but it was just the right amount to have as a starter.
Foie gras and local duck breast
We didn’t expect two complimentary dishes from the kitchen, but out they came before we even had a chance to dig into the main courses waiting in the wings.
And so we reveled over two stunning dishes, one of seared foie gras with pistachio puree and apricot gastrique. The rich silkiness of the liver worked so well with the sweet-sour apricot and very textural pistachio. The second dish was seared local duck breast set on a bed of mushrooms steeped in balsamic and shallot puree.
So far the talents of chef Dumont were in superb form and we didn’t mind overfeeding ourselves to tackle our main courses: Brined Niman Farms pork chop and pan-seared diver scallops.
Brined pork chop and seared diver scallops
Had I not been overly fed already I would have lapped up every tender morsel of the brined chop that came with a potato puree, glazed vegetables and sautéed fruits. My dinner mate’s pan seared scallops served with little puffs of truffled potatoes was another winning dish.
Dessert was chef Dumont’s take on s’mores. In reality it held luscious layers of genoise filled with chocolate pastry cream and topped with a housemade marshmallow disk.
S’mores
What’s so intriguing about dining in this formal setting is that it’s all softened by the sea breeze, the ocean vistas and the old-style grandeur of the inn itself. That and the wonderfully inspired fare from chef Dumont carves out an evening well worth the drive down Black Point Road.
One word of caution: The roadway at the start of the Prouts peninsula is watched over by a Scarborough police cruiser—a sentry who is actually on private duty paid for by the association. An armed officer with a radar gun keeps drivers at a steady 25 MPH. Woe to the lead-foot motorist who breaks the speed limit only to be pulled over, with flashing lights and much commotion to receive a ticket for speeding. It’s hard with our revved up heavily torqued cars to maintain a 25 MPH crawl. In Prouts Neck take it slow because you don’t want to miss the fine food that awaits at the end of the road.
The Point at the Black Point Inn, 510 Black Point Rd., Scarborough, ME 207-883-2500 www.blackpointinn.com
Rating: Excellent stylish fare in the American-Continental manner by chef Daniel Dumont
Ambiance: somewhat formal in the grandeur of an old-fashioned seaside inn
Service: Impeccable
Tables: spacious and well spaced
Parking: on the inn’s grounds
$$$: Fairly expensive
