Black Point Inn Blog

Late fall addition to the Sunset Series here at Black Point Inn.  A little video too!

Enjoy!

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Fast Tube by Casper

Opening night of Harvest on the Harbor 2009!  Lots of fun as this festival kicks off on the Portland Waterfront.  Chef trap and Mindy dish up their very own house cured fennel Arctic char for a full house! Our Canadian photographer is sent out into the crowds to capture the scene!

The festival opens tonight and runs through Oct. 24…. Cheers!

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Fast Tube by Casper

High winds and small waves crash against a lee shore that is treacherously lined with a sandy beach today as a group of Opti sailors battle for their lives!

Pure skill, brawn and sailing smarts were put to the test to keep their ships from running up against the sandy beach… and certain destruction!!!!

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Fast Tube by Casper

The first in a series called “Columns from the Kitchen”,  articles about what goes on, into and out of the kitchen at Black Point Inn.  This one from Kelly Arsenault who works on the “cold line” in the kitchen.

“Summer in Maine is prime-time for seafood, and when you’re located directly on the coast (I mean literally, a stone’s throw from the ocean) there is no excuse for having anything less than the freshest, best quality seafood available. The kitchen of Black Point Inn prides itself on using local products, which is why it is no wonder they have turned to Browne Trading Company for much of our seafood investments. Browne Trading Co. is based in Portland, Maine, (only 15 minutes from the inn) and ships its products to restaurants throughout the country.

Different kinds of fish, like plants and animals, live in different locations and thrive during different parts of the year, which is why Browne Trading Co. works with fishermen all over the world to get their customers exactly what they need to operate their businesses and accommodate their menus. Just last week, The Point was serving delicious Loup de Mer, “wolf of the sea” in French, a European sea bass. This fish is caught off the French cost along the Med Sea.  I was just in France this past April, and the fish sitting on the counter in our kitchen looked just as fresh as the ones I saw at Vieux Port in Marseille France, directly off the boat; clear eyes, beautiful gills, absolutely gorgeous fish. It was even more phenomenal after it was grilled and accompanied by local fresh picked fiddleheads and a leek and potato hash.

Aside from traditional fish n’ chips and baked haddock dishes, The Chart Room and The Point both serve exquisite meals with components of the sea. For example, the Seafood Sampler is composed of peeky toe crab salad, poached shrimp, lobster salad, crab claws, arctic char grav lox, and salmon roe with a house-made lemon garlic aioli. Now that’s a taste of the coast!”

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This article comes from Mariah Monks who has been working and learning with us here at BPI as part of her senior project at Waynflete School in Portland Maine.  During her internship Mariah spent most of her time here at the inn with us, but she also spent some time at our sister property Migis Lodge.  We asked Mariah if she would go behind the scenes at the inn to capture a wedding here from the vantage of the back of the house. Here is her take on how it all went……

“When I walked into the lobby at 9:00 am on Saturday I was skeptical as to how the staff could pull off a wonderful wedding given that it was pouring rain. I stood at the front desk dripping wet from the 50 yard dash to the Inn from my car. At the front desk Tracy the reservation manager was busily answering the phones and making last minute corrections to the wedding schedule. Meanwhile, chefs, waiters, florists and managers bustled around me trying to organize. I was immediately assigned to the dinning room where I worked to set tables and prep for the event. Despite the pouring rain the staff was working tirelessly to make the inn would be able to deliver a unforgettable experience for the wedding party. By some miracle, at 10:30, just as the bride arrived from the off-site ceremony the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds and warm the drenched landscape. While the bride went up stairs to freshen up and the first few guests started to arrive the staff made last minute checks  through the inn to make sure everything was in order.  The dinning room looked flawless with purple lilac centerpieces and sunlight streaming through the wide windows.  The flower archway leading into the dinning room was the cherry on top of the cake. Guests gathered in the Sun room munching on hors d’oeuvres while the photographer snapped pictures of the flower girl playing in the front lawn.  Outside guests were relaxing on the porch enjoying the spectacular view of Ferry Beach and chatting animatedly about the newly weds.  I don’t know how it happened, but the chaos of earlier that morning had been replaced by a vibrant crowd basking in the enjoyment of the happy couple and the breathtaking scenery!  The rest of the afternoon flowed along right on schedule right to the point that the bride and groom left the inn for their honeymoon amid a storm of bubbles and confetti!

Black Point Inn had done it again!

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The steady wizz and whirr of road bikes could be heard in front of the Inn this morning as it seems Black Point Road was part of an early morning bike route…. perhaps a tour de Prouts Neck?

ok ok…  no all yellow jerseys, but many different colored jerseys…. take a look!

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The back of the kitchen at the inn last night was all icing and tiers as the finishing touches to a great looking wedding cake were completed.  The flowers and additional decorations are to come this morning.  More as the situation develops.

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Fast Tube by Casper

Our photographers have submitted another update to the sunset series.  Last night there was another interesting sunset here in front of Black Point Inn, that just had to be recorded… we think you might agree!

And this morning we heard that the Carry All was open for the season!  The Prouts Neck one-stop-shop for wine, newspapers, candy, and many many extraordinary and intriguing and eclectic gifts…

Take a look!

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We’ve been working lately to expand our presence on the world-wide-web.  If you are interested in checking out some pictures to make you think of summer or fall vacations at Black Point Inn check us out on Flickr!

As with other social networking sites Flickr is all about sharing. Do you have any photos of Black Point Inn or Prouts Neck that you’d like to share with fellow visitors? Upload them to Flickr and tag each with the Inn’s name so that other travelers can find and view your photos too!

How to use a Flickr account:

- Sign up – it’s free. Go to Flickr.com
- Upload photos from your digital camera
- Tag them with a description of the content
- Share with friends!

A Flickr account is free and a great way to share photos with your friends, advise complete strangers, and show support with comments and tags.

Post some comments and let us know what you think.  We’d love to see your pictures, too!
All our best ~ Your friends at Black Point Inn!

The Inn is closed, the water has been drained, the reservations and administrative offices have been moved into Portland for the winter, the geothermal heat is still on, all-be-it set very low, and we’re now experiencing a January freeze. We often think about keeping the inn open year-round, and the picture of Sand Dollar beach near sunset yesterday gives you some idea why.

We can imagine the fires burning in the fireplaces, with guests milling about in the lobby and the Chart Room after a great day of hiking or cross country skiing on the beach or the golf course. Apres ski consisting of the Chef’s sampling of warm hors d’oeuvres and sipping seasonal wines by the fire while viewing Sand Dollar beach with Mt. Washington on the horizon. Ahh, maybe for another year.