*Photographs by Jack Bingham Studio

From the outside, Bintliff’s looks like a classic coastal Maine restaurant with its simple facade, striped awnings, and towering trees shading the parking lot. Step through the door, however, and you are transported to a sophisticated European-style restaurant. Just off the lobby is an intimate, curtained lounge area, dominated by an enormous medieval-style chair complete with red-velvet cushions, and the site of many a family photograph. Head to the left, and enter the first of the restaurant’s three dining rooms, each with its own distinctive style. This smaller room, frequently reserved for private parties, is papered in a rich brocade of red and gold, with heavy, tasseled draperies, and an abundance of gilded mirrors, plants, and antiques.

To the right of the lounge is the handcrafted bar which is inlaid with 14 different types of granite. Behind the bar are rows and rows of gleaming glasses, as well as an autographed photo of Sally Struthers, who often visits when she is appearing at the Ogunquit Playhouse just down the road. The second dining area is another small alcove, elegantly done in pale gold and white, with intimate tables. The third room is the main dining room, which is flanked by white pillars and features a massive stone fireplace. Booths in black leather line one side, while banquettes in green leather flow down the center of the room.   

The restaurant was started by Roger Bintliff in 2003, and in 2004, Norman Hebert, the current chef/owner, came to work as a bartender. He later purchased Bintliff’s and today, the restaurant is a family affair, with his dad, Norman senior, as his business partner, his wife, Mary as hostess, and sons Joseph and Christopher, as hosts and servers.

“We offer American cuisine with a twist,” says Hebert. “And we have a very loyal following. We have a number of items we can’t take off the menu, such as our Beef Wellington, rack of lamb, and roast rib of beef on the bone. We’ve actually had people call not just to make a dinner reservation, but to try and reserve a particular dish! We can’t promise them that, but it’s flattering that they try!”

The Beef Wellington, a revered classic, is a 10-ounce tenderloin seared and topped with mushroom duxelle (a blend of mushrooms, shallots and herbs), then wrapped in puff pastry and baked to a golden brown. It is served with a sauce bordelaise. The signature lamb dish is a full rack of highest quality New Zealand lamb, which is first seared on the grill, then finished in the oven with Pommery mustard and  herbs de Provence crust and served with a zinfandel demi-glace. Accompanying the lamb are seared vegetables and either mashed potatoes, or Bintliff’s special creation of potatoes whipped with roasted eggplant, butternut squash, or carrots. The herb and garlic roasted prime rib au jus is so popular it is only available on Saturday evenings while servings last!

Also among the favorites is Bintliff’s Eggplant Napoleon, which is a hearty take on the classic multi-layered dessert. This Napoleon offers up tasty layers of deep-fried eggplant, pasta, ricotta cheese, roasted shallots and red peppers, buffalo mozzarella, baby spinach, and portobello mushrooms, baked in a homemade marinara sauce and topped with shredded asiago cheese.

Hebert grew up in Rhode Island, and on occasion, menu items return to his roots, as with the Rocky Point Clam Cakes. Rocky Point is the site of the famous Rocky Point Amusement Park and its fabulous fritter-style clam cakes. In the summer, Hebert whips up the same creation, and serves guests six cakes in a brown paper bag, illustrated with a picture of the Rocky Point Dinner Hall at Rocky Point Park. “They are simply chopped clams, clam juice, Rhode Island fritter mix, and salt and pepper. Guests love them. They bring back a lot of memories.”

No one should leave without experiencing dessert, and among the delectable creations are their renowned four-berry peach cobbler (“This can never leave the menu!”), Death by Chocolate (chocolate cake layered with Heath bar crunch, chocolate sauce and whipped cream), and Bailey’s Irish Creme White Chocolate Cheesecake. “This is a top secret recipe known only by one of my line cooks,” says Hebert. “When he retires, the recipe goes with him.”

Bintliff’s is also open for brunch, which is so popular that they go through 400 pounds of their famous corned beef hash each week in summer. Bintliff’s is located on Route 1 in Ogunquit, Maine. For more information, call (207) 646-3111, or visit www.bintliffsogunquit.com .