THE KETCH IS A MIXED BAG

[schlomo]

The Ketch is a Mixed Bag

The motto of the Ketch Restaurant in Bass Harbor, Maine, is a puckish pun: “What foods these morsels be.” There is definitely some fine dining in this eatery. The stuffed mushrooms were encased in a mildly sweet crabmeat that was suffused with the otherwise tart mushrooms. The plentiful broiled scallops were just the right texture, soft but not chewy or grainy, and flavorful throughout. And the superabundant full-bellied fried clams were a full bodied treat, slightly crisp in a thoroughly cooked semi-sweet batter. Now the shell fish that I crave so much in the South have Maine rivals. And I can say only this about the pecan pie: five-star luscious.

However, I do have some complaints as well. I couldn’t stand the clam chowder; it was a salty gooey concoction that looked and tasted like slathered warmed-over mud pies. The baked potato was equally unpalatable; it tasted like chalk.

I may kvetch about a couple of unsavory items on the Ketch Restaurant’s menu, but the stuffed mushrooms, broiled scallops, fried clams, and pecan pie were exquisite for an early to mid-summer’s night dream.