Down East Dining: It's Divine

As restaurant scenes go, the one in Maine probably holds the title of "most overlooked." The state is largely populated by rugged, self-sufficient types more likely to catch and cook their own dinner than to pay some fancy-schmancy chef to do it for them. And a short growing season dictates that,

The occasional Maine restaurant rises to national prominence (Melissa Kelly's Primo up near Rockland being the most recent), but most critics classify this state as a culinary backwater. Go for the lobster roll and some blueberry pie, they suggest, but don't expect much more than that.

Two standout operations located in the southernmost tip of the state have long given lie to this perception. Fueled by day-tripping diners from nearby Boston (a one-and-one-half hour drive away) and affluent summer visitors, both Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine, and the White Barn Inn, located 12 miles further up the road in Kennebunkport, have set a standard unsurpassed anywhere. Chefs from both places have released cookbooks recently, and RH readers will find plenty to feast on in either.