The Boston Globe - 07.08.2019

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2019 The Boston Globe G5

ByAlexandra Hall
GLOBECORRESPONDENT
DEER ISLE, Maine — When
chef Devin Finigan tells you
“The sky’s the limit,” you’d be
forgiven for thinking she’s talk-
ing about the shimmering, ex-
pansive ocean view she’s facing
while sitting in Aragosta, her
just-reopenedDeerIsle restau-
rant. Except that the sky in that
never-endingview seemsto
have no limitwhatsoever. And
in actual fact, she’s talking
aboutall of the things she can
do now that she’s moved her
lauded restaurant from nearby
Stonington to this resplendent
21-acre property.
By “things” she can do, she
means things like making her
own salt fromthe cove’s beach,
catchingmackerel withher
family to serve in the dining
room, grindingher own flour
for the focaccia,makingher
ownricotta, ice creams,and
butter — fromwhich she gets
buttermilkto add to pancake
mix for brunch service.There
are plans in placeto builda
brewery on-site, and to acquire
an aquaculture licenseto farm
oysters right out of the bay. Oh,
and said bay has four moorings
edging Penobscot Bay — known
for its world-class sailing wa-

ters, setting it up as a Mecca for
foodloverswhosail.Mean-
while, she and husbandLuke
Hartmannhave overhauledthe
property’s cottages and suites,
fillingthemwith pristine white
linens, local artwork, and vases
bursting withwildflowers. In
otherwords,Arogosta is sud-
denlya destination restaurant.
“After four years of dreaming
aboutmoving the restaurant
here, it’s happened,” she says.
“This whole area is just incredi-
bly special.”
Turns out, she’s not the only
one whothinksso, or who’s
been dreaming of openingan
ambitious restaurant here. The
chef who’s just taken over Ara-
gosta’s old digs in Stonington
Harbor is noneotherthantwo
Michelin star-blessedRyan Mc-
Caskey of Acadia (whichspot-
lights Downeast-inspired fine
dining) in Chicago. He spent
summershere as a kid starting
when he was 9 years old — and,
in a head-spinning gameof mu-
sical restaurant chairs, he later
worked at the Goose Cove inn
that Aragosta has nowre-
placed.Decadeslater, after
earning fame in Chicago, when
he wanted to open a second res-
taurant, Deer Isle was still on
his mind. “I’ve never forgotten

about the area. It’s always been

my escape.Somewherewith

less stresses for me,” he says.

“The way of life hereis some-

thingyou don’t see otherplac-

es.” And so last monthon the

southern tip of DeerIsle, he

opened Acadia House Provi-

sions,an eatery in the casual

spiritof his old summerre-

spites.

And to be sure,his new en-

deavor comes off a lot like a va-

cation. Couplesin flip flopsand

sundresses play cornhole on the

deckagainst a backdropof the

breezysalty, workingharbor—

a juxtapositionof gritty fishing

boats and pristine islands. Liba-

tionsare namedafter Grateful

Dead songs, and dishes like

Taunton Bay Oysters with blue-

berry mignonette sing the

praisesof localharvests.

Around the corner whereMain

Street meets the wharf, past a

library that looks like some-

one’s private home and several

small inns, there’s a sign on the

outdoorcommunity message

boardthat reads,“Buy Local —

Local Shopping Means Local

Jobs.”

Bothof the area’s two culi-

nary heavyweights concur.

“Supporting community and

farmto table isn’t a trend

Downeast,” says McCaskey. “It’s

trulyaboutshakinghands with

and really knowingthe farmers

down the street. There’s some-

thing amazing and very Euro-

pean about how we get our food

there.” Meanwhile, though Fini-

gan would seemto be making

nearly everything on her own,

she’s in fact beenworking with

so many local farmers, fisher-

men, and tradesmen, craftspeo-

ple, woodworkers, and artists

to buildand run Aragosta (and

in a handful of cases, even back-

ing themto get bankloansso

they couldbuy new equip-

ment),that it was eventually

one of those farmers, Eliot Cole-

manof Four Seasons Farm,

who introduced her to the in-

vestor who helped her purchase

the Goose Cove property.

As if on cue, Colemanand

his wife Barbara Damrosch

walkin the restaurant’s front

door as we’re talking, smiling

and carrying a bag of carrots.

“We’re going to wander the

beachand go eat carrots,” he

announces. After welcoming

him, Finigan says, “He’s one of

the leadersbehindthe entire

organic movement. Most of the

vegetables on our plates comes

fromtheirfarm.” For example:

The intensely flavorful beet sal-

ad with pickledshallots, house-

madericotta, andcreamy

grilled lemon aioli. The list of

other area suppliers and artists

Finigan rattles off as friends

goes on and on: There’s Abby

Barrowsof Long Cove Sea Farm

(“They just had a baby and have

her out on a raft while they’re

farming”) whose oysters Fini-

gan dabswith lemon-shishito

and blazes in her wood-fired ov-

en. There’s Bagaduce Farm,

whichraises ducksexclusively

for Aragosta to roast withnec-

tarine-thyme sauce. Those car-

rotsthat Colemanbrought

over? After serving them, she

dehydrates their tops and turns

theminto a dust for cocktail

rims.

It would be easy — and argu-

ably accurate — to surmisethat

it’s that kindof attentionto ev-

ery detail that makes any place

feel special. But Finigan insists

that the inspiration flows in

multiple directions.

“We’re so fortunate to live

among so many talentedartists

and farmers,” she says. “And be-

cause the peninsula is so tightly

intertwined, the moreyou sup-

port localpeople,the moreit

comesaround.We all just feel

lucky to live here. There isn’t a

spotlike this anywhere,” she

says. Hartmann chimes in, ges-

turing to the bay. “This is Goose

Cove on PenobscotBay. And

then fromthere on out, it’s just

the Atlantic. It’s an environ-

mentthat’s so crisp and feels so

new and untouched.” Adds

Finigan, “I feel like we’re finally

home.”

Aragosta, 300 Goose Cove

Road,Deer Isle, Maine, 207-

348-6900, aragostamaine.com.

AcadiaHouse Provisions, 27

Main St., Stonington, Maine,

207-367-2555, acadiahousepro-

visions.com.

Alexandra Hall canbe reached

at [email protected].

Serving up splendor Downeast

Withtwo laudednew restaurants,

DeerIsle is suddenlya destination

PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRA HALLFOR THEBOSTON GLOBE

JOERAEDLE/GETTYIMAGES/FILE

FOOD&TRAVEL

‘Becausethe

peninsulais so

tightly

intertwined,the

moreyousupport

localpeople,the

moreit comes

around.Wealljust

feellucky to live

here.’

DEVINFINIGAN
chef-ownerof Aragosta

Top: lobster boats

at Deer Isle,Maine.

Above left: crab

benedict at

Arogosta,in Deer

Isle.Aboveright: a

serveronthepatio

at AcadiaHouse

Provisionsin

Stonington.

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