Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, chef/owners of Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, were named Best Chefs in the Northeast on Monday night by the James Beard Foundation.
Check out the @OgunquitChamberwebsite for info on the Cinco de Mayo celebrations this weekend! Thanks @OGTtv
Friday's highlights are:
Fundraisers for the non-profit Frannie Peabody Center:
5-9pm: Red Ribbon Party at the Front Porch with the Touring Ensemble of the Maine Gay Men's Chorus at 8:15pm - it's their first ever Ogunquit performance!
9-10pm: Khris Francis Show at Oxygen
10-12pm: Drag Show at MaineStreet
Ogunquit Beach
111 Beach St, Ogunquit, ME 03907
(207) 646-5559 Get directions
We here at “Best of Ogunquit” have been coming to this beautiful place by the sea for over twenty years. How is it possible we never made it to Blue Water Inn? In the height of summer, it’s easy to just keep walking down beach street to get your feet in that icy water, but this Columbus Day weekend, we were looking for a post-beach-walk place to get a cocktail that met certain very strict criteria: 1. outside seating with a gorgeous view; 2. great bar; 3. willing to accommodate our dog. We thought we’d just get drinks, but the appetizers looked so good, we just had to sample. The food was delicious. The server was attentive without being overbearing. The menu was basic, but well done. We’ll be back for a full meal next summer. They have a restaurant patio and an outside bar. We sat on a restaurant side, but the little bar was hopping with a very lively older (and what seemed like regular) crowd. They were so sweet to our puppy! We, of course, had to keep him outside, but they sat us so that he was basically with us. Did I mention the view? The salt marsh of the Ogunquit river in full fall color. I can’t imagine a better spot to spend the afternoon.
It's not often that older gay women and young straight couples both find the same bar to be their favorite spot (or older straight couples and young gay men for that matter). But at the Front Porch a love for raunchy (mostly gay) humor and singing along to oldies and show tunes unites all walks of life. The $5 cover charge to see Khris Francis perform from 9pm to 10pm on weekend nights is a small price to pay to see some of the best XXX humor in New England. A warning to the weak hearted, anyone in first 5 or so rows is fair game to become part of the comedy routine. Tip well or live to regret it.
125 Main St
Ogunquit, ME 03907
(207) 646-9700 Get directions
In my opinion, the most fun of the culinary projects of local entrepreneur/chef David Giarusso. Yes, Ok, the upstairs bar is a little tacky, but the superb cocktails and loungey feel make up for it. The food is delicious and varied. The Spainish influence is....light. Advice: the portions are much larger than what you'd expect from tapas, so cut down on the "little" dishes if you intend to save room for dessert.
My first impression of Flo's was that it was the Ogunquit equivalent of the soup nazi. There's a sign prominently displayed that reads something like "Be Careful: Owner is a well oiled machine that goes from 0 to bitch in 2.3 seconds". Also, for reasons I'm not sure of, the only book they sell is a book titled "Biitch". Still from 11-3 every day but Wednesday Flo's is packed with lines running out the door. And for good reason. An institution that's been family run since 1959, Flo's hot dogs are amazing and Flo's hot sauce, though not hot, is great. My recommendation is to ask for "The Special" which a is hot dog with the hot sauce and mayo. Though technically not in Ogunquit, don't miss Flo's.
As far as I'm concerned the best thing in life is sitting on the deck at Barnacle Billy's having one of their famous rum punches. It really packs a punch. A couple of things though to keep in mind. The outside dock tables fill up quick so it's sometimes worth heading to the upper floor deck. The service isn't great. They are normally understaffed so try as they might the wait staff doesn't always see you, especially on the upper deck. Still when they eventually do, they're always friendly.
Best of Ogunquit was excited to finally try Prime. Good steak houses are a rare thing. Ones that offer 2 for 1 with the sea coast dining card are even rarer.(Yes, these lean times have the Best of OGT looking for deals).We went at 7:30 of a Sat night and we were pleasantly surprised that that plenty of good tables were still available (about half actually).The menu is fantastic.There’s something for everyone, the dishes are reasonably priced (about $26 -$27 for a steak dinner) and it all looked great.We had two steaks that were cooked perfectly and were delicious.I went with the Prime steak sauce which was delicious.My partner tried the Mushroom & Brown Butter Bourbon sauce but was forced to push it aside after one bite.I tried it as well and was equally disappointed.All the sides we tried (Chive Whipped Potatoes, Garlicky Green Beans, Char Grilled Asparagus, and Medley Braised White Beans with Pancetta) were cooked to perfection.The portions aren’t huge, but we’re not huge eaters so that didn’t bother us.The atmosphere was fairly casual which we liked.The only disappointing part of the dining experience was that our server seemed to have forgotten about us.We were done with our meal for about 15 minutes before our server came by (without the bill – we had to ask for that).It took him an equally long time to come back after we gave him the credit card.We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they’re still getting warmed up for the season.So the bottom line is that if you want a good steak (and you’re not in a hurry) you won’t be disappointed (especially if you’ve got that handy Sea Coast Dining Card).We are excited to try out the bar at Prime next!
Bintliff's Ogunquit is one of my favorite places to go for a late breakfast on Sunday after a long night. Though the atmosphere is a little more formal than I like, Bintliff's Ogunquit has the focus on the right place, the food. The specialty French toast and eggs benedict are especially good. And no matter what you get to eat, their mimosas will go along well. The atmosphere is friendly and accommodating and as long as you can handle being in beach town restaurant without a view, Bintliff's Ogunquit is worth checking out.
Best local bar for karaoke! Not the best for food, but the beer is fine, and the karaoke, of course, hilarious. Maxwell's Pub oftern caters to an older crowd but everyone is having a always friendly and having a great time.
Best breakfast in the OG – Everything is great. Get there early or be prepared for a wait but there's coffee while you wait and it's always worth it. The waffles, omletes, and eggs benedict come particularly well recommended.
On the backside of Gypsy Sweethearts restaurant you'll find its bar. The only problem with the bar at Gypsy Sweethearts is that I usually can't remember all the fun things that happened there the next day. It's a small and cozy place where after a few drinks it's easy to forget that you're not sitting in a friend's living room. Even on chilly nights it's nice to sit on the deck outside under one of the electric heaters.
Ogunquit Beach
9 Shore Rd
Prime Steakhouse
