Just after becoming innkeepers of the Maine Stay Inn and Cottages, one of the finest Kennebunkport bed and breakfast inns, we chose to dine at the Kennebunkport Inn. Its early American feel and lackluster entertainment did not exactly have me chomping at the bit for more. But last summer they revamped this Kennebunkport restaurant with a new chef, new menu, and new style. Our guests gave excellent reviews to the new One Dock, as did celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who visited Kennebunkport, Maine, last summer and rated it one of its favorite Maine restaurants.
So we finally ventured around the corner to find out what all the fuss was about. At first glance I was disappointed. The Early American flair still lingers, with uninspired wall coverings and traditional decor. Something just didn’t jive with the contemporary menu offerings and inspired cocktails. But that simply didn’t matter once I tasted their food. The new menu offers small tapas-style plates, as well as “Maine Plates” (a.k.a. entrees). Their baby spinach and radicchio salad was light, yet filling, and offered a unique twist on your basic spinach salad with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed vinaigrette. The duck entree was equally divine, and although that is my go-to choice, it was very nearly upstaged by the vegetarian risotto. With white truffle oil, it had body often lacking in vegetarian options.
With such an incredible menu, it’s hard to imagine that we had room for dessert, but we did! The flourless chocolate torte was out of this world – and great for gluten-free folks – and made uniquely Maine with a Maine cranberry coulis. It’s pretty dense, so you might have to take it home – or make room for that next half slice.
So the next time you visit Kennebunkport, add One Dock to your list of dinner digs. For “in between” dining (not quite casual, but also not fine dining), it’s a must-try with nightly entertainment all summer long.
