Some restaurant stories focus solely on the culinary arts. This isn’t one of those. Rather, it’s about art and design morphing into the culinary—in a way that only the local community could bring real flavor to. But first, let’s back up. Way up. The Ark (formerly known as Pilgrim’s Inn—the beautiful waterfront property on Deer Isle—is more than just quaint or old. It’s museum-old. It was built, originally in 1793. Maine itself wasn’t established as a state until 1820, mind you. So, while Mainers became Americans in 1776, if you lived in Maine and visited the original residence that would later become The Ark for its first three decades, you did so as a Massachusetts resident. (Yep, that old.)
What that should mean, at least for present-day guests, is that absolutely everyone is welcome here. Because the revolutionary new owners—Andrew Shapiro (who’s from Maryland but has family on Deer Isle) and Bosco Hernández (who’s from Mexico)—have made it so. And not with warfare, but by leveraging and dovetailing several lifestyle traditions—namely, gastronomy and the design arts. And with vision and respect for the site’s history.
“We both have a design background,” says Andrew, “and art is very important to us. Bosco worked at a museum leading a team of designers and architects, and I led similar teams while living in California.” Which is what got the couple to thinking, once they’d followed their dream and taken over the inn, about how they wanted to bring their perspectives to the kitchen. “We saw how engaged the community is here,” says Bosco, of Deer Isle’s well-known network of artists, farmers, fishermen, and craftspeople. “And it’s common to have ‘artists in residence,’ right? Says Andrew. “So, we thought, why not have ‘chefs in residence’? Chefs are artists. They’re creating craft through food and food through craft—so why not?”
And to be sure, after a few bites off their various menus, even the most persnickety critics have been hard-pressed to find reasons why not. The restaurant was named one of “50 Best Restaurants” in the country by The New York Times last fall. The Chefs-in-Residence program has lured such chefs such as Whitney Otawka and Ben Wheatley, previously of the Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island, Georgia, who whipped up the likes of roasted monkfish with clams and tomato broth; Susan Kim of Doshi and Chez Panisse; and Polish cuisine maestro Krem Miskevich, who shared the glories of seasonal pierogi—all of their visits orchestrated by James Beard-celebrated Cortney Burns, who came up at San Francisco’s Bar Tartine. “We figured, ‘What if all of these talents brought their different perspectives to Maine, using Maine ingredients?’” says Andrew.
After the duo focuses on renovations to the property in the off-season the dining room in the historic barn will be more handsome than ever, and the tavern will still be open for walk-ins. The dining mission will remain the same. “The goal is to say, ‘How do we learn the most?’” says Andrew. “To give guests the chance to have a deeply intimate eating experience with Deer Isle.” ■
