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Since Chef Michael Smith and his wife Chastity purchased the Inn at Bay Fortune, we've tried several times over the summer to go for dinner, but alas, it was always booked up when it was convenient for us.
Now that the fall is here, and the tourist traffic has slowed somewhat, they've opened up on Sundays for a few weeks with a special menu for islanders. The nice part is no reservations are required, it's first come, first served at the large communal tables.
We arrived a little after 3:30 to find the staff busily working in the Fireworks Kitchen.
The tables were still empty but there were a few people sitting in a front lounge area sipping on their wine and listening to some live music. After shedding our coats and picking up some wine we joined them.
It was a very windy, but mild and sunny day as we enjoyed Chastity's singing along with a three piece group of musicians. I don't know their names but the drummer was familiar to us, as he was often a regular on Saturday afternoons at the Globe. We hadn't heard Chastity sing before and she has a beautiful voice and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The room we were sat in is furnished very tastefully but at the same time is very comfortable and welcoming. At one point Chef Michael came in and sat down in a wing chair holding his youngest daughter, Camille, who is just three years old. We totally felt like we were just sitting in their living room and it was a gathering of friends.
After a few songs, the group in this room moved out to what was probably once a sun porch. Large windows overlook the water and the front grounds of the Inn. The sun hadn't set yet and it was a lovely view. The tables were all specially made for Chef Michael out of solid cherry wood. There's an elegant rusticity to the dining area, with two large tables that will seat 16 people each.
Our first course was 12 grain Red Fife Sourdough Bread with whipped brown butter along with a delicious bowl of Smoked Chicken and Vegetable Soup, followed by a Garden Salad, with all the veggies grown right there.
We had three choices for our next course:
- Smoke House Pork Belly and Loin with Apple Sauce
- Butter basted Halibut with Fennel and Parsley Pesto
- Old Fashioned Beef Stew
We both chose the Halibut. I was chatting with Chef as we went in to find our seats, and he tells me they plan to raise their own pigs next year. We talked briefly about our experiment with ours this summer and what a gratifying experience it was. He joked about our pigs coming over for a play date with his pigs next summer!
Dessert was a delicious Wood Fired Apple Cranberry Crisp topped with Cranberry Ice Cream and some Pumpkin and Sunflower seed brittle on the side.
It was wonderful to see Chef Michael and his team of young cooks working in the open kitchen. They also took turns bringing food to tables to help out. Not everyone would expect to see Chef Michael Smith bringing their food to the table. He's obviously a very hands on kind of guy but at the same time, I watched him in the kitchen as he oversaw his young team, letting them do their jobs and helping out where needed.
It was a delicious meal and we enjoyed every bite. Because there were people waiting to be seated, we asked if we could take our coffee back out to the lounge area so someone else could have our spots at the table. That was just fine with the wait staff so that's what we did. We headed back in to find an empty spot on a loveseat where we enjoyed more great music.
As we were sitting and enjoying the music, more and more people arrived, and were waiting for a seat at the table. Needless to say, this has turned out to be hugely popular, so much more than they were expecting.
I chatted briefly with Chef before we left and he admitted they didn't expect quite so many people and it was tricky to keep up, but they did an amazing job, and I know everyone will find that it was worth the wait.
All in all, a really great afternoon and a wonderful meal. The Smith's have created a warm, welcoming environment that I'm sure will be a big success, but I'm sure the whole family is looking forward to a little down time when they close for the a well deserved rest for the winter. Chef Michael tells me they recently did the math, and determined that they've shucked over 22,000 oysters over the summer, and Chef's some Gabe shucked at least 6,000! Yes, I suspect a break will be much enjoyed by everyone. Thanks folks, see you next year...
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