Our Cuisine
Breakfast at Watchtide is our favorite time of the day. It gives us the opportunity to get better acquainted with our guests, and for our guests to get to know us. It also gives us a chance to treat them to Maine's seasonal bounty of foods --- lobsters, crabs, clams, mussels, shrimp, salmon, fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby farms, wild blueberries, wild beach plums, and maple syrup, of course. The restaurant at the inn we operated in Maryland hunt county outside Washington, D.C. was recognized by the media as one of the ten best in the area. While Watchtide operates on a much smaller scale, the quality of the food and service is the same.
The best fresh ingredients, creative preparations and appealing presentations are at the heart of every dish that comes out of our kitchen. All of the breads and pastries we serve are baked in our ovens. We also make all of our own stocks and sauces. And our herbs come from our herb garden, so we know they are fresh.
Breakfast is served on our sunporch overlooking Penobscot Bay. On request you'll find a selection of cereals and granolas along with Greek yogurt, whose creamy richness belies the fact that it contains 0% fat. There are coffees specially roasted in small batches by Rock City Roasters in Rockland, ME and a selection of fine teas.
Our served breakfast begins with a juice course --- citrus, tropical fruit or berry juices, perhaps a blend of juices. Following is a fruit course. We'll serve fresh fruit in season, perhaps a macedoine of fruits, sometimes fruit gratins. In late spring, you may have rhubarb from our garden topped with fresh picked strawberries from the farm stand down the road.
You'll find homemade breads on the table --- whole wheat soda bread, apricot, lemon black walnut, orange-pecan, cranberry orange. There may also be homemade palmiers, wild blueberry muffins, popovers, flaky hot biscuits and, if you are especially fortunate, Aunt Lydia's New England brown bread. The selection depends on the entree served or the whim of the chef. Accompanying the breads and pastries are sweet and flavored butters and preserves which may include one of our specialties --- Meyer lemon marmalade, mango, wild blueberry, wild beach plum, and crabapple from our trees. The entree or main course varies from day to day. Remember, the chef has whims. Here are some of the possibilities:
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Ramekin of Virginia ham with rosti potatoes and shirred eggs
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Breakfast risotto with cream, honey and mandarin oranges
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Shrimp baked in sherry veloute sauce
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Individual souffles with smoked salmon or ham and gruyere cheese
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Canadian bacon and French creamed spinach en cocotte with poached egg
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Country ham, soft scrambled eggs with chives, and sweet potato biscuits
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Creamed lobster or crab on toasted brioche
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Clafouti with nectarines and Maine wild blueberries
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Alpine French toast with cinnamon sauce
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Sweet potato pancakes with fresh peach butter and spiced pecans
Friends say you could stay at Watchtide for a month and never have the same entree twice. It's not likely you'll challenge us on that but after a breakfast at the inn, you might be tempted.
1794 Watchtide™...by the Sea!
190 West Main Street
Searsport, Maine 04974
207-548-6575 ~ 800-698-6575
www.watchtide.com ~ stay@watchtide.com