Greenville, ME, and the Moosehead Region do not have a wide range of restaurant options to choose from. However, if your interested in a James Beard award-winning experience, be sure to make a reservation at The Quarry in Monson, ME.

The Quarry is about a 20 minute drive south from Greenville (you’ll pass it on your drive to Greenville) and is well worth the drive.

Arrival at the Quarry

My wife and I were fortunate to have dinner at the The Quarry on July 28, 2024. The Quarry won the 2023 James Beard award for outstanding hospitality, and we both excited to try it out. So, I thought it was unfortunate that before we were even through the front door, we were asked for the name on the reservation. It was very rushed. Fortunately, this was the only disappointing aspect of the dinner.

Seating and Drinks

We were seated on the back porch and had an nice view of the comings and goings of a public dock on Lake Hebron. We ordered drinks and contemplated the prixe fixe menu.

Appetizer Salad

The appetizer salad featured a panko encrusted soft boiled egg on a bed of greens with shaved carrots, feta and jelly. The egg is a unique twist.

Entrees

The menu featured two options. Beef on garlic mashed potatoes or scallops on a lemongrass risotto. This presented a minor problem because my wife is a vegetarian. We discussed with our waitress and decided that I’d have the beef and my wife’s scallops, assuming the risotto would be enough for her. I called it the “surf and turf” option.

The entrees were delivered by Marilou Ranta, the Quarry’s owner and chef. Because there was no vegetarian option, she had prepared pan-seared tofu in a maple syrup-based sauce accompanied with bamboo shoots and what I think were lo mein noodles. This was on top of the original lemongrass risotto.

It was nice to speak with Marilou and experience her infectious energy. We thank her for preparing a personalized dish for my wife’s dinner.

The entire dish was very delicious. The risotto was very soft and the lemongrass flavor mixed nicely with the sweetness provided by the maple syrup-based sauce. The sauce imparted a sweetness and it was not too sweet.

The best part of the beef dish was the combination of the garlic mashed potatoes and the accompanying burbon sauce. It too was delicious.

Needless to say, it was not difficult to eat.

Desert

For desert, we both chose a chocolate tort that included a strawberry coulis and whipped cream and a small florentine cookie. It was promptly polished off.

Recommendation – The Quarry

For an excellent high-end dining option while vacationing in the Moosehead Lake region of Maine, look no further than The Quarry, in Monson, Maine. We enjoyed our experience because the food was delicious,