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Hartstone Inn
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
9 reviews for Hartstone Inn
This is a really fantastic little place to stay in Camden. We really chose it for the dinner but they were all booked during our stay. We were still able to experience their kitchen a little, though, with some incredible hors-doevres with delicious cocktails and a yummy breakfast.
The accomodations were very nice, comfortable, and decorated in an elegant but sort of unusual blend of Ralph Lauren meets IKEA. The owners are really friendly, the whole vibe is very inviting, and its a handsome but quaint, sort of old-fashioned place with most guests being much older than we were.
Overall, though, it is a great place to stay while exploring the Maine coast. Just make sure you can get a spot for dinner before you book! I think that would have definitely brought a lot more to the whole experience.
The Hartstone Inn is easily the best meal I have ever had in 25 years of coming to the Camden, Maine area.
The Inn is a bed & breakfast located in a handsome, sprawling New England house about 2 blocks south of downtown Camden on highway 1 (Elm street).
The five course fixed-price dinner is served in what might have been the old dining room and an enclosed porch. Only about 30 diners can be accommodated so reservations are mandatory.
Chef Michael Salmon prepared the most sumptuous dinner without being trendy or pompous. The dinners change each night and the staff is very attentive to any food allergies. A list of upcoming menus can found on their web site at http://www.hartstonein.../.
Our dinner for $45:
Seared Maine Diver Scallops with Prosciutto and soft Gruyere Polenta
Portabello Mushroom Soup with Dry Sherry Cream
Maine Blueberry Sorbet
Grilled Halibut with a Parmesan Crust and Basil Pesto Lobster Smashed Potatoes
Chocolate-Raspberry Souffle with a Chambord Creme Anglaise
Each dish was perfectly done ... easily a $125 dinner in Chicago.
As you might guess ... I very highly recommend the Hartstone Inn for dinner.
Hartstone Inn is "Woohoo" as good as it gets. To stay anywhere else in Camden is to miss out on a lovely and memorable experience. If you don't like reading long reviews, all you need to know is: DINE HERE.
Chef Michael Salmon's 5 course dinner was heaven. The asparagus and lobster lasagna appetizer was "mmm" with every bite (and I normally hate asparagus). Eating at the Hartstone Inn was the most memorable part of my entire coastal vacation in Maine. I am still thinking of the creamy and fluffy french toast, which hands down is the BEST I have ever eaten. Seriously, both Frommers and Foders give Chef Salmon a great review. If you are in a 20 mile radius, you need to eat here.
Mary Jo was the most gracious and friendly Inn keeper. The kind of woman you wished was in your family. Be sure to check out the boutique shop she keeps down stairs. I found better gifts here then on the main strip. Overall, our stay was perfect. Our room and bathroom were squeaky clean. The bed was very very high but you have 3 pillows to choose from (soft-firm). It's in a great location and walking distance to the water.
If the above has not convinced you to book and dine at Hartstone then this should push you over: It was a deal. Our room included the gourmet breakfast for less then the cost of a room at a chain hotel. My only regret was to check in at 5:30 and miss the cocktail hour with free appetizers. Enjoy.
Stayed here one night in the Tallyho room. The B&B itself is incredibly clean and the staff was accommodating. Personally, I can't stand knickknacks and restored farm furniture--but if you do, this place will please your eye.
We did not have dinner, only the breakfast that came with the stay and I have to say I was looking forward to this breakfast for two weeks. I was unimpressed. The chef prepared homemade yogurt and showed off his knifing skills to display my fruit. Okay... then here comes breakfast. A terd-sized lump of sausage wrapped in bacon, cooked until sizzling and served before 9am to allow for three hours until your noonday heart attack.
The entire wall leading upstairs to the bedroom flaunts the chef's skills. Well damn it, I want eggs for breakfast. I want the best omelette you can serve up. Not pork fat and babyfood fruit.
Top 3 things about Hartstone:
1. Proximity to town, so you can go eat breakfast.
2. The shampoo/conditioner in the bathroom.
3. A bed like a pillow.
Absolutely wonderful for dining and accommodations. Of course Camden is wonderful for quaint coastal shops, restaurants, and outdoor fun, but I feel Hartstone is a destination in itself.
The owners Michael and Mary Jo are wonderfully welcoming. The inn feels like a home with individually decorated rooms, flower garden by the front door and a patio out back. They put out cookies and iced tea for everyone in the afternoon, and cocktails and hors d'oeurves in the evening.
The breakfast and dinner we had was so incredible I truly felt silly for not having eaten there at every possible meal. There is a different prix fixe menu every night for $45 (they change dishes based on preferences and allergies, so let them know early), but I would trust Chef Michael's suggestions. The lobster risotto cake appetizer was somehow even more delicious than you would guess, and the taro crusted haddock was equally tasty. The coconut souffle dessert was a perfect compliment to the rest of the meal, as was the bottle of wine that Mary Jo recommended. All in all, the dining experience matches the best restaurants here in Boston.
The inn also happens to be a block and a half away from everything in Camden, making it the perfect place to stay to enjoy the town. If you can't stay there, be sure to go there for dinner. We're already planning on when we can go back.
If you fantasize about running your own small inn and preparing gourmet meals to admiring fans then someone's already beat you to it. Meet Mary Jo and Michael Salmon, the owners and overall nice folks that make this fantasy a reality.
I wase drawn to Hartstone by the positive reviews. Overall it was an extremely pleasant experience and one I highly recommend, especially given the quality of the food for the price ($45 per person - food only) and the friendly and attentive service.
Our reservation was easily executed via email. I received a confirmation email and was asked if I had any dietary restrictions. I didn't but I thought this was a nice gesture given the prix fixe nature of the menu. It demonstrates their willingness to accommodate special requests.
The dinning room is housed in an old home on the main road through Camden. We arrived 20 min. before dinner time. There are 2 sitting rooms where you can enjoy one of the inn's specialty cocktails or anything from their full bar before moving into the dinning area.
There are two small rooms where dinner is served. One is probably the original dinning room of the house and the second room felt like a converted sun porch. Combined they probably seat a max of 30. The rooms were comfortable and quaint - it's Camden after all - and contributed to a relaxed experience.
The table was well appointed. It included a full set of silverware for every course to come. My wife and I were especially fond of the knife rest. A touch one rarely sees in restaurants. One missing element that struck us as odd was bread plates. We were uncomfortable using the chargers but we had no choice. The manners I was taught dictate that you do not dip into the butter dish every time you want to put it on your bread. You take all the butter you will need and place it on your bread plate. A small matter to be sure but one that was out of place with the completeness of everything else about the restaurant.
The menu changes nightly. Ours was:
* Pork & Artichoke Pâté
* Mixed Baby Greens with a Mango-Peppercorn Dressing and local Goat Cheese
* Maine Blueberry Sorbet
* Cumin-Grilled Halibut
* Grand Marnier Soufflé
The wine list was plentiful enough for most tastes. Many selections were available in half-bottles so that two diners can better match wine with the courses. In our case, a pinot noir for the pâté and a full-bodied chardonnay for the halibut. Both were informed recommendations from Mary Jo.
The pâté was country-esque - the pork was ground large so it had texture and bite. The baby artichoke was ensconced inside the pâté loaf. When sliced and served on the plate it presented beautifully. The sides (pickled onion, brandied apricots and mustard) added an expected and nice contrast.
The salad was light, refreshing and simple. The mango added a bright sweetness to the dressing. The goat cheese was thinly spread on a equally thin slice of toasted bread. I would have preferred more goat cheese but perhaps the chef was measured in his serving amount as too much could have thrown the salad out of balance.
The intermezzo was a small portion of Maine blueberry sorbet. If you like blueberries and sorbet you'll love this sweet intrusion to your meal. Another small but thoughtful element to their presentation was that it came with a chilled spoon and in a chilled port glass.
The halibut was wonderful. Perfectly cooked - moist, tender and flakey. The cumin crust was a surprise, and a bit worrisome, treatment to my dinner-mate as she is forced too often to my (over?) use of it at home. But both of us thought it was nice compliment to the mild fish.
The mound of creamed corn and leeks underneath the halibut was fresh and tasty. It was more sautéed than creamed. A sauce surrounded the corn and perhaps this was the chef's riff on the 'creamed' part. It was an ethereal sauce of reduced white wine, shallots, cream and butter - strained and emulsified in a blender (I learned this from the chef himself when he made his rounds through the dining room). The result was fluffy and unctuous.
Roasted purple potatoes, carrots and al dente asparagus were served with the halibut as well - simply and elegantly prepared. While I enjoyed them I thought root vegetables were a bit out of place for the summer. Not a complaint but it seemed more appropriate to plate some local summer produce instead.
The desert, a soufflé, was what you should expect. Light, sweet, hot and delicious. Every soufflé I saw delivered around us looked the same, each one rising almost a full inch out of their dish. It is placed in front of you and then the waiter comes to gently puncture the center and pour in a generous serving of flavored crème anglaise. More please!
Our overall experience was wonderful. Michael and Mary Jo are executing almost perfectly on every aspect of this dining experience. It is one I heartily recommend and would like to repeat.
My girlfriend and I went up to Camden for a weekend, to celebrate our fifth anniversary. We chose the Hartstone Inn, having seen their site when our friends went there for their honeymoon a few months ago.
The Inn itself is very charming inside. It's warm and inviting, and the staff are VERY friendly and helpful with anything you might need, or any questions you may have. The hostess informed us of the meals and schedule of events around the inn (including cookies mid-afternoon), and showed us our room and the various amenities therein.
We stayed in one of the third-floor rooms. It was lovely. There was a small LCD TV and DVD player, an iPod dock, jacuzzi, canopy bed, the works. And leopard print bathrobes! I was pretty much sold then and there.
The website advertises gourmet breakfasts, and they aren't kidding! Saturday and Sunday morning, we were treated to some of the best meals I've ever had. Crepes, delicious waffles, fresh-made juice or smoothies, etc. It was fantastic. Going back home, to my Eggos and Pop-Tarts, was very, very hard.
We had dinner at the inn our second night, and my word, it was as good as, if not better than, the breakfasts. Five courses, all fantastic. I think my favorite part might have been the portobello soup, which is odd because I hate mushrooms. But it was amazing.
Basically, I cannot say enough good things about the Hartstone Inn. I would love to go back for a longer period of time someday.
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I checked in and did not want to check out. The innkeepers took great care with everything. I enjoyed a good sleep in a very comfortable bed, soft bath robe, jacuzzi tub, lavender bath salts, and delicious gourmet breakfast. The inn is sophisticated and as a guest I felt luxurious, but it is also very friendly place. I felt relaxed and cared for from the second I checked in, but still had privacy and space. The inn is located in downtown Camden very close to the windjammers, shops and cafes. I enjoyed a couple long walks to Rockport while I was there, which was nice because I could not help myself when it came to the inn's homemade cookies. The innkeepers are very knowledgeable about the area and seem to have relationships with local merchants and schooner owners so they can help with an itinerary. I am already trying to figure out how to go back this fall or winter for one of the inn's cooking classes. This place is first rate!
This place kept my fantasy of Maine being a magical place from coming to a screeching halt.
I'd always wanted to go to Maine, and I finally did in 06 & 07. What a disappointment, for starters. It wasn't the LL Bean fisher folks raising schooners of beer and smiling while Roger Whittaker plays in the background, but rather full of disgruntled people, either rough mountain types, or people who just hated tourists. I understand this feeling to an extent, but c'mon...tourists keep you in business.
I started out my trip in the Bar Harbor area and wanted to cry. I really hate to make a generalization, but I'd never been trapped in such a rude area before.
Drove south a few days later and ended up at this fabulous b&b in Camden, a quaint town loaded with pleasant people. The Inn is lovely, and the breakfast has separate tables which is great if you're like me, and not into communal dining and hearing all about others' travels at 8 a.m.
This is a full-service gourmet restaurant--they offer cooking classes, too--as well as a B&B. The food was great, atmosphere was elegant and not stuffy, nightly wine was available on the honor system where you scribble down how much you drink and they charge you later. What more can you ask for! It's the non-B&B'ers B&B.
By the way...ended up in other areas in southern Maine and loved it. Camden on down made my dream of a state where plaid reigns supreme and lobster curtains hang in general stores a bit more of a reality.
See for yourself how lovely it is:
http://www.hartstonein...