It’s rare when restaurants reach that highly regarded perfection of high purpose and aspiration, the notion of which is such a subjective idea anyway. But once you find such a place as The Garrison in Yarmouth housed in the Sparhawk Mill along the Royal River, it’s immediately clear that this could be the golden bough we’ve all been waiting to climb, the prize at the end of that exiguous road where no less than some fabulously good food arrives to dazzle the senses.
As I said, the place is off the beaten path. Off Route 1, onto Portland Street then onto Bridge Street to wind down to the front of the building. Park in front of the mill building and walk up to the door, which is so unclearly marked, you’re still not sure you’re at the right place. The only clue was a kind of hieroglyphic G to the right of the door.
The front door
You enter a coat room where an epicene host greets you with an elegant hello. You go through another door—you haven’t seen any dining room or kitchen yet—until you enter one of the most urbanely cool dining rooms in Maine. It’s aglow with soft lights over the long bar and L-shaped dining room, a space that’s both rustic and refined. The open kitchen is on its own, just seen discreetly enough where a huddle of serious chefs works their magic.
This is the domain of chef and owner Christian Hayes whose stunning sense of taste, touch and texture is remarkable. For the last 10 years he made his mark with Dandelion Catering, which he still maintains. But it was obviously time for the magnanimity of a restaurant.
The dining room, the bar and a peek of the open kitchen
You see it in a plate of chicken wings with a sticky glaze of peanuts and scallions; or the brilliant dish of mushrooms surrounding the perfect egg yolk, as brightly deep yellow as though plucked from a rainbow. Dip your fork into the center to allow that yolk to touch everything as though from a sauce made tableside.
Glazed chicken wings
There’s a fine line between “lighter” plates and entrees on the menu. They blur together often in size and substance. Our waitress—the service is excellent—advises that you’re meant to share plates. Order a whole bunch of them. For the five of us this was easy. We mix up entrees like pork belly with a maple chili glaze to the pan seared tuna with cilantro lime dressing and a sprinkling of sesame studded panko.
Yet the plate of venison listed as a lighter plate is rather large for a starter. Though with five forks stabbing each tender morsel, it disappears quickly, it’s so good with the chevre poached blueberries scented with juniper. So too the huge scallops with tarragon apple relish and serrano ham.
Top left, clockwise: Beets, mushrooms, carrots and seared tuna
None of us had the entrée of ghee poached lobster in a curry coconut brother. A friend sitting at the next table who we said hello to after dinner proclaimed, “I hope someone had the extraordinary lobster—the best dish on the menu.”
The pork belly
And with that we all plan to go back to have the lobster and the other delights on the menu that we didn’t quell over.
I’ve been waiting all year for a blockbuster restaurant to open in our little dining world. In Portland the new entrants have been blah, with old standbys—good and bad—closing. Instead we have a jambalaya of hype-up eateries where we’re beckoned to sit down and seriously swoon. It’s all culinary mumbo-jumbo.
Venison
At last The Garrison saves the day.
The Garrison, 81 Bridge St., Yarmouth, ME 207-847-0566
Rating: Better than 5 stars
Ambiance: Cool, collected, relatively quiet in a setting of elegant buzz
Seating: Rectangular tables for 4; the only element missing is round tables for larger groups
$$$: Reasonably expensive
Parking: on-site
