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An enchanting bed and breakfast in the heart of Camden village that Fodor’s considers “An elegant and sophisticated retreat and culinary destination,” this Mansard style Victorian built in 1835 offers a unique experience in pampered luxury.
Archive for the ‘Dining at the Inn’ Category
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
 I just picked up the current issue of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine, not noticing the caption on the cover that reads “Dining at the Hartstone,” and began paging through the articles. For some strange reason, I always flip through magazines from the back to the front, scan over articles and save the heavy reading for my day off, usually on my boat. No magazine could be more fitting to read while floating in Camden harbor. After two page flips, I see a dining photo that looks very familiar. “MJ” (Mary Jo) I yell, “we’re in this issue of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors.” I made an exception and read the article on land. Peter H. Spectre writes a restaurant review for each issue under the heading “Mainely Gourmet.” The magazine features great articles on boating, Maine homes and, of course, dining. Here is the link to the article: http://www.maineboats.com/print/issue-111/mainely-gourmet-111
I’d like to thank Peter and the staff at Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors for the review and encourage anyone with an interest in Maine maritime to subscribe to this wonderful magazine.
Posted in Dining at the Inn, Press | No Comments »
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Join us on Sunday, May 9th as we celebrate Mother’s day.
Menu:
Spring Pea Ravioli with Duck Leg Confit
Baby Spinach with Cumin-Roasted Pears and Maytag Blue Cheese
Maine Blueberry Sorbet
Pan Roasted Maine Lobster with a Rosemary Cream and Herbed Zucchini Ribbons
White Chocolate Soufflé with a Pistachio-Crème Anglaise
Posted in Dining at the Inn, Holidays | No Comments »
Saturday, March 13th, 2010
Note the cuisine changes in the remainder of our event schedule!
In the Kitchen Dinner Series 
Join Chef Michael Salmon and his crew in the kitchen at the Inn for an evening of mingling, beverage pairings and plenty of great food. Three events remain in our “In the Kitchen Dinner Series” schedule. We have made a few changes including adding an Italian Food & Wine Dinner and bringing back one more night of our popular Sushi & Japanese Beer Pairing Dinner. The price is $29.50 per person and includes several food and beverage pairings and a kitchen full of food.
Italian Food and Wine Pairing
April 11, 2010
Specialties from all over Italy will be featured this evening including a full antipasto spread, a wide array of Michael’s homemade pastas and some of his signature Italian entrees like veal saltimbocca and Shrimp Parmesan. Michael’s Hazelnut Tiramisu and Zeph’s Semi Freddo will certainly finish the night on a high note.
Dim Sum and Beer
May 19, 2010
Dim sum, which translates to “to touch your heart,” is the perfect food for a unique dinner party. Dim sum is a broad term for small individual Chinese delicacies, savory or sweet, ranging from the abundant types of filled dumplings to steamed buns and spring rolls. This evening we begin by making numerous dumpling fillings and sauces, create various dumpling forms or shapes and cook the dumpling in variuous methods—steaming, deep-fat frying and a combination steaming-pan frying method used for cooking pot-stickers. Fillings include Thai-Pork, Turkey and Shiitake, and Shrimp. Various offerings will be paired with Far East beers and there will be an endless supply of food.
 Sushi and Beer
May 30, 2010
Various Rolled Sushi including:
California Rolls, Crab and Asparagus Rolls, Spicy Shrimp Rolls,
Spicy Tuna Rolls, Tempura Shrimp Rolls and Rainbow Rolls
Flash-Fried Nori and Tuna Roll with a Ginger-Wasabi Butter Sauce
Crab and Papaya Mamenori Roll with a Sweet Chili Sauce
Chef Zeph’s Japanese Short Rib Sushi
Chef Michael’s Sushi Dushi (sweet “dessert” sushi)
“In the Kitchen” events are at 6pm and are always allot of fun. Reserve your table today!
Posted in Chef Michael Salmon, Dining at the Inn | No Comments »
Friday, March 12th, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Brunch
11:30 a.m. & 12:45 p.m. seatings
Fresh Berry Crepe with a Raspberry Crème Anglaise
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Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict on a Croissant with Hollandaise Sauce
or
Maine Lobster and Asparagus Quiche
with Swiss Cheese
or
Cranberry and Apple French Toast with Cumin Spice Bacon
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Assorted Desserts
$23.95 per person
Easter Dinner
5:00 p.m. seating
Maine Seafood Tartlet with a Chive Custard
Sweet Potato, Rutabaga and Green Apple Soup with a Maple Cream
Maine Blueberry Sorbet
Braised Lamb Shanks “En Croute” with a Celeriac Puree
and Grilled Vegetables
White Chocolate Soufflé with a Pistachio-Crème Anglaise
Easter Candies and Chocolates
$45.00 per person
Posted in Dining at the Inn, Holidays | No Comments »
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Join us March 1st-10thas we participate in the second annual “Maine Restaurant Week”. This is ten day period where participating restaurants showcase their signature dishes on specially priced, prix fixe menus. Our special three-course dinner menu is $30.10 per person and includes a choice of each course. Reserve your table today!
Appetizers:
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shaved Parmesan, Sage and Browned Butter
Celeriac Bisque with Maine Crab Meat and Scallions
Pork and Artichoke Pâté with Pickled Red Onions, Brandied Apricots and Baby Greens
Entrees:
Pan Seared Haddock with Maine Lobster and Sauce Américaine
Roasted Duckling with a Tropical Fruit Chutney and Wild Rice
Pork Scallopini with Herbed Mushrooms and a Dry Sherry Cream
Desserts:
Hartstone Chocolate Trio: Mousse, Flourless Cake and Loaded Ice Cream
Berry Crème Brûlée with Whipped Cream and a Lemon Madeleine
Pear Tarte Tatin with Pecans and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Posted in Dining at the Inn | No Comments »
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
 On Saturday and Sunday, November 14th and 15th we had our first “In the Kitchen Dinner” and it was a great success. The idea behind the “In the Kitchen Dinner Series” is to open up the kitchen and allow the guests to interact with the kitchen staff and watch the food being prepared (some guests even rolled their own sushi!).
The dinner started with a sampling plate (pictured at the left) of three pieces of sushi paired with three different “Hitachino Nest” Japanese beers. At the top of the plate is a Nigiri-sushi (finger sushi) made with Zeph’s Sous-Vide“Japanese braised” short ribs which we paired with the darkest beer, Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout. The next pairing (clockwise) was the Flash-Fried Nori and Tuna Roll with a Ginger-Wasabi Butter Sauce which we paired with the Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew. The third pairing was the Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale which we served with an Uramaki roll (inside out) which was filled with spicy Maine crab meat and grilled asparagus.
After the pairing plate was cleared, guests were invited into the kitchen where we had platters of different sushi made up and Zeph (my Sous Chef) and I rolled sushi as fast as we could and barely kept up with the demand. For dessert we made some “sweet sushi,” a dish I created when we lived in Aruba for a culinary competition called “sushi dushi” (dushi is Papiamento for sweetheart). Sweet rice is cooked with coconut milk and sugar and is formed and rolled like sushi with fresh fruits. It’s a fun way to end a sushi party.
The “In the Kitchen Dinner Series” continues this winter with a great variety of tastings and pairings including: Cheese and wine with hors d’oeuvres, Dim Sum and beer, Spanish Tapas and wine, and another chance to experience our Sushi. For the complete schedule click here. Hope to see you in our kitchen!
Posted in Chef Michael Salmon, Dining at the Inn, Fun for Foodies, Things to do in Camden | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
 This winter we are offering a number of specialty dining experiences to excite your palate.
Lighter Fare – Monday & Tuesday Evenings - “Bistro” nights are back! We are going to change things up a little this year by alternating our weekly menus between French Bistro and Italian Trattoria fare. Available every Monday and Tuesday evening all winter long.
Save the Airfare! – Travel to foreign lands this winter without ever leaving Camden. Join us for our series of specialty “ethnic” five-course dinners featuring some of our favorite foods from a variety of exciting destinations.
In the Kitchen Dinner Series – Join Chef Michael Salmon and his team in the kitchen at the Inn for an evening of mingling, beverage pairings or tastings and plenty of great food. Click here to read more.
Upcoming Holiday Menus – Review upcoming Holiday menus here.
Posted in Dining at the Inn, Fun for Foodies, Holidays, Things to do in Camden | 2 Comments »
Saturday, August 15th, 2009
 As a foodie, I have an avid fascination for mushrooms. Local foragers ring my doorbell several times a week to tempt me with the forests latest offerings which often make their way onto the nightly menu and generate conversation and rave reviews from our guests.
I have been foraging mushrooms in the Maine woods for many years for what a mycologist (a biologist that studies fungi) would consider “choice edible” mushrooms. Choice edible mushrooms are those that are most sought after by chefs and are somewhat easily identifiable such as: morels, chanterelles, hen of the woods, black trumpets, puff balls, chicken of the woods and oyster mushrooms. Beyond this list of edible mushrooms, I have difficulty identifying anything else I find in the woods, which is a shame since there is a whole world of edible mushrooms out there that I should be part of. Thus, I have signed up for a mushroom identification class “Mushrooming for the Serious Enthusiast” with local mushroom expert Greg Marley. Now, into my third class, I am feeling more comfortable with my fungi friends and learning the proper techniques to positively identify mushrooms. This is the cardinal rule of edible mushrooms – “Never eat a mushroom unless it is positively identified as edible” (source: Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America) or you could get very sick and even die. So stick to the mushrooms you know, or educate yourself if you would like to dive into the unknown.
In the next few months I will be blogging about my mushroom experiences, sharing information about different species and sharing recipes, techniques and tips on preparing mushrooms. So stay tuned and happy (and safe) foraging. Also, Greg Marley publishes a great mushroom email newsletter so Email him and request to be put on his list.
Posted in Dining at the Inn, Fun for Foodies, Mushrooms, Things to do in Camden | 1 Comment »
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
 We are very proud to have been awarded an Achievement of Excellence Award by the American Culinary Federation. The fine dining category includes nine prestigious restaurants from across the country including: Charlie Trotter’s (Chicago), The French Laundry (Yountville, Calif.) and The Inn at Little Washington (Washington, Va.). Following is a portion of the press release:
ACF Announces 2009 Achievement of Excellence Award Winners
St. Augustine, Fla., June 18, 2009—The American Culinary Federation (ACF) will honor 16 establishments nationwide with Achievement of Excellence Awards at the 2009 ACF National Convention held at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla., July 11–14.
Achievement of Excellence Awards recognize foodservice establishments that exemplify a commitment to excellence in their area. Criteria for the award include being in operation for at least five consecutive years, nomination by an ACF chapter, member or individual in the foodservice profession, and being a recognized industry leader.
To read more, click on this link: 2009 ACF Achievement of Excellence Award
Posted in Chef Michael Salmon, Dining at the Inn, Fun for Foodies, Press | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Mary Jo and I just returned from a three week trip to Thailand and we thought we would share some of the photographs, recipes and cuisine we experienced. Above are some photos I took on the trip. We will be featuring a menu from Thailand (see below) on Monday and Tuesday, April 20 and 21, 2009. On May 9th, I will be adding a Thai Cooking class to the regularly scheduled cooking classes at the Inn, featuring recipes from the below menu. It is sure to be a very good time and I look forward to sharing some of my experiences with our guests.
- Grilled Thai Beef Salad with Spicy Cucumbers
- Coconut Shrimp Soup with Curry
- Maine Blueberry Sorbet
- Red Curry of Roasted Duck with Pineapple and Mushrooms
- Coconut-Fried Bananas with Lychees and Papaya
Posted in Chef Michael Salmon, Cooking School, Dining at the Inn, Fun for Foodies | No Comments »
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