OGUNQUIT, Maine — A new restaurant on a quiet corner of Shore Road is open and ready for summer, offering a menu of brunch and dinner dishes cooked and served by a staff led by a chef with decades of experience.
Perkins Cove Kitchen opened at 312 Shore Road in March. Initially, it only served brunch on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but eventually added Thursdays and is now open seven days a week, serving brunch from 8am to 1pm, as well as dinner from 5pm to 9pm Thursday through Sunday.
“We'll be doing filets and seafood,” said Norm Hebert, the restaurant's executive chef and general manager. “We'll be doing some pizza, but we don't want to be just another pizza place. There are a lot of great pizza places in Ogunquit. We want to focus on protein and wood-fired food.”
The restaurant is located at the Inn at Perkins Cove (formerly the Hartwell House Inn) and serves guests staying on-site as well as patrons who simply want to dine there. The Inn at Perkins Cove and restaurant are owned by OGT Inns, a network of lodging options for downtown and beach getaways.
What's on the menu at Perkins Cove Kitchen?
Currently, the restaurant focuses on serving breakfast classics for brunch, including variations on eggs Benedict and crème brûlée French toast.
And, of course, the corned beef hash that Hebert's has been known for for the past 20 years will also be on the menu.
“It became a staple,” Hebert said.
Hebert said Perkins Cove Kitchen will be serving up dishes such as cod, crab cakes, scallops and mussels with pistachio butter for dinner.
According to the restaurant's website, the restaurant uses ingredients from “Maine's ocean, coast and farms,” and the drinks are “inspired by a unique blend of locals, fishermen, artists and tourists.”
“Life is too short for boring meals,” the restaurant says on its website.
Hebert added that the restaurant's interior has been renovated to create a different atmosphere, and he said Perkins Cove Kitchen's location is ideal for those looking for an alternative to the bustle of other restaurants and shops on either end of Shore Road.
“A lot of people want quiet,” he said.
Chef brings decades of experience to Perkins Cove Kitchen
In addition to serving as the restaurant's General Manager, Hebert also serves as Executive Chef, bringing decades of experience in the culinary arts and education that he uses to train his staff in both service and food preparation.
Hebert was born and raised in Massachusetts and graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where he also taught culinary arts. Since moving to Maine in 1995, he has owned and operated other restaurants, including the former Bintliff's on Route 1, and taught at York County Community College in Wells.
Opening Perkins Cove Kitchen has been an amazing experience, Hebert said, especially after overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lingering labor shortage.
“It's been an honor to recruit and open a new restaurant,” he said. “I urge you to give it a try. I think you'll love it.”
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