CAPE NEDDICK, Maine — Take an award-winning restaurant previously helmed by a pair of James Beard Award-winning chefs. Add a crew of emerging talent, a full-time gardener, a speakeasy bar and big-city energy. Throw in a whole hog or two, and hit refresh.
The Velveteen Habit opens Wednesday, April 8, at the former Arrows Restaurant with a new regime set to awaken diners from farm-to-table fatigue.
“We are a completely new team,” said Garrett Bent, the restaurant’s gardener, clad in Carhartt overalls in the greenhouse where yellow popcorn shoots will soon add a natural sweetness to dessert. “We are younger than the old guys. Everything is absolutely new, but the principles are the same.”
Two miles from downtown Ogunquit, The Velveteen Habit, located in a 1700s-era farmhouse on 4 acres, is getting more than a fresh coat of paint and new sign out front. The storied address, made a destination by top chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier, is being rebooted from snout to tail. Beyond the updated dining room with factory windows and velveteen booths in the parlor, an in-house butchery is a bold change.
“We want to take it to the next level,” says Brent Bushong II, director of operations, who count the farm-to-table pioneers among his idols.
But as he slices aged cheese from Vermont on a stylish cheese cart and later discusses the renewed interest in whiskey, the fast-talking Bushong makes clear this is not Arrows 2.0.
Like former owners Mark and Clark, the new team is growing their own vegetables and sourcing local meats and fish. But owner Benjamin Goldman doesn’t lead with farm to table.
“At its core it is by its definition, but we are not a buzz-heavy restaurant. We are trying to do things right,” said Goldman, who left a lucrative career as a Wall Street broker to open his first restaurant.
A certified sommelier, Goldman grew up in Massachusetts and became familiar with the Cape Neddick area when his parents moved to York County.
Goldman and Bushong were looking to open a wine bar in Boston when Arrows came on the market. They leapt at the chance. Or as Goldman put it, “our minds turned.”
Their ambitious concept includes a butchery lead by Chef Chris Wilcox. Last week when a fresh pig arrived from Breezy Hill Farm in South Berwick, Wilcox, wielding a knife, had his hands full.
The Culinary Institute of America graduate who most recently cooked at Hen of the Wood in Waterbury, Vermont, will use the freshly butchered pig to make dishes such as slow-roasted pork shoulder with rhubarb, salad turnips and olives. And he won’t stop there.
Head cheese, sausage, and turning pig ears into an artisanal bar snack like pork rinds are top on his list.
“The majority of our fish, pig and beef are delivered whole or in quarters though,” said Goldman. “The beauty of having an in-house butchery is we can manage the output and needs of the restaurant better than buying bulk standard cuts.”
Also on the chopping block is a 15-pound steelhead trout and aging quarters of beef.
The menu is filled with fresh offerings. For starters, diners have abundant choices including crispy chicken rillette with cider mustard and Wellfleet oysters with a house hot sauce and lemon. Small plates include beets with smoked steelhead trout, yogurt and dill and smoked clam dip with buttermilk and whole-wheat crackers. Family-sized dishes intended for sharing are also available and include whole-roasted sea bass with roasted fennel, quinoa, braised swiss chard, garden lettuces and herbs. Or go for what’s dubbed “large plates” on the menu, including lobster with parsnips, pickles, hash browns and lobster jus.
Wilcox has vast experience in farmhouse fare. He also worked at Millwright’s Restaurant and Tavern in Simsbury, Connecticut, and is involved with The Velveteen Habit on a granular level. He pored over the seed catalog and told his gardener to “go to town.”
Out in the greenhouse, Bent discussed their goal to grow 85 percent of their produce and herbs on their own soil through bio-intensive farming. “We are working to maximize what we can get for the minimal amount of space,” said Bent. “Having reworked and re-laid out the garden, there is so much room for growth. I could double and triple the production that they’ve seen under the previous ownership. We are pushing it and putting it to the test.”
Since Goldman bought the farmhouse restaurant last fall, the team has been sorely tested.
“There has been seven months of construction, broken pipes, no heat, running out of propane,” said Goldman. “We are just excited to spoil people when they walk through the door.”
The soft opening is Wednesday, and a grand opening is planned for April 17 and 18.
“In my heart I have always loved food and wine,” said Goldman. “We are a disciplined, principally driven restaurant. We do things because … they are fun to do. You have a garden here; why wouldn’t you want to do what you can to produce the best food?”
“Think of it as a model,” said Garrett. “At the end of the day, what can you do? You can do it right.”
