An Elegant Evening...

Ft Fairfield, a small town 20 miles or so south of us is celebrating their Potato Blossom Festival this week.  We picked up a brochure listing all the events... parade, live music, exhibits, etc.  Tucked away on the list, which was several pages long was this.... "Canterbury Royale's Lobster and Clam Bake.  Offered 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th and 20th.  Reservations required for this succulent meal.  One seating per night, 6pm."   Oh My!  This sounds like something Bill & I would love.  No phone number was listed, so I called the Ft Fairfield Chamber of Commerce for more info.  Then a phone call to the Canterbury Royale was next.  We made our reservations for Sunday, July 13th and got directions for how to get there.

We worked the Visitor Center on Sunday, but were out of there by 4pm.  Came home and "dressed".  Jeans and boots are pretty much the order of the day here on the refuge.  While not formal by any means, we "cleaned up good" and I even wore my pearls.  Our reservations were for 6pm so around 5:15, off we went.

The cuisine is 4 star French (not sure what that means, but I'm assuming that based on restaurant rating levels it means darned good food.)  The restaurant is just a few hundred feet from the Canadian border...  nestled in among a stand of spruce trees a short distance off a dead-end road.  It is straight out of a fairy-tale...  you can just imagine Hanzel and Gretal wandering down the lane leading to the front door.

We were a few minutes early and the first to arrive for the 6pm seating.  I had a chance to check out the main dining room....

The table was set, candles lit - all ready for the guests to arrive.

The sideboard held candles, knick-knacks, flowers and other artwork.  But we wouldn't be dining in the main dining room.

Bill & I were seated in a private dining room just off the side of the main room.  More artwork, flowers, candles and such.  All quite lovely and creating a beautiful, peaceful setting.

We had reservations for the Lobster/Clam bake... 

When it arrived, I was astounded at the size of the plate and the serving of food.  

This is a very small place...  the two owners are the chefs, the waiters and I'm sure the dishwashers.  They wore French chef attire, including the hats and aprons.   

I was addressed as "Madame".

The chef apologized that there was no corn which is traditionally served in a clam bake...  the broccoli was a substitute.

Believe me, we didn't mind a bit!

The loaf of bread was wonderfully crusty on the outside and soft and yeasty inside.  But... Oh! the lobster, shrimp, clams...  and even the sausage...   so delicious!

We decided to order a beer instead of wine...  the bottle of beer was around 25 ounces...  Duvel...  an import they have sent in from Boston.  One I'd like to try again sometime.

After eating ...  maybe I should say "dining"....  for nearly an hour (and taking home enough for another meal), desert was served...

 This tart-like creation was filled with a fruit, then topped with a coffee ice cream.

That bowl is filled with lobster and clam shells....  the bill (also quite elegant in its presentation) is at the lower left...  no cash register tape but a lovely print-out.

We had such a nice evening.  The food was fantastic, but the ambiance, the elegance of it all was just a delight.

Not something we do often, but...  oh...  such a treat! 

The End!

That's All For Today!