Earth at Hidden Pond

I love this place! The first time I went there was last summer on a first date with the love of my life and George bush senior was sitting 3 tables down from me! The squid ink wings, short ribs, and bone marrow for appetizer was amazing! We went back the second time around this year and they ask us for what occasion and gave us a champagne toast for our anniversary. The ambiance is settle with a cozy fire place and candles. It doesn’t get any sweeter than this! It’s just breath taking!

Came here for cocktails one evening and lunch the previous day as my husband and I were staying at Hidden Pond for the weekend. Walking in, the restaurant is so romantic! Very rustic yet modern, great for an intimate meal. I especially love how they decorated the interior of the restaurant. Unfortunately, we were only inside for 5 minutes while we ordered our cocktails and spent most of our time outside in the back of the restaurant. Service was prompt at the bar and the cocktails were delicious. I had a cocktail that had blueberry in it (can’t remember the name) and it was light and refreshing.
For lunch, we sat at one of the outdoor tables overlooking the swimming pool. I had the lobster roll and it was sooo good! It is served on a cute little bun with fries and pickles on the side. I currently reside in Texas and am used to the humongous portion sizes (which is normal to Texans) so I was slightly disappointed with the size of the roll (which is actually normal size to the rest of the country). It was just so good I just wanted more!
Overall, this restaurant has great service (at least for lunch it was not busy) and friendly staff. Great food + great cocktails= definitely a must try if you’re staying at Hidden Pond!

Summation: Dissapointing experience here. Service was lacking and I had an issue with the food. The place is definitely easy on the eyes though.
Came here for dinner with the boyfriend and first impression of the place was great — lovely ambiance and décor for sure. We were seated fairly promptly and a woman, who we assumed was our server, came over and brought us water. There was something in the bf’s water, a black round thing, so we tried to get the supposed server’s attention but she was.elusive. She came back to drop off bread but was so quick about it we couldn’t get a word in.
Fine, we’ll mention it when we order. Fast forward 15 – 20 minutes of desperately trying to get someone’s attention without yelling, we still hadn’t ordered. It was like we were invisible! Turns out water woman was definitely not our server and we had no idea who was. Whenever a server visited a nearby table they would race away so effing fast. It was getting comical.
At that point I gave up and kinda yelled? A nearby couple who had been seated after us was being greeted by a server who, after taking their order, was about to rush off when I just lunged a bit out of my chair and said «Hi! We haven’t ordered yet!». The server seemed surprised to see me and merely said «Oh». She then asked what we would like to order so we told her, that and about the black thing in the water (this ellicited another «Oh»). She was about to leave again when I stopped her and asked, «Are your our waiter? Because we have no idea who it’s supposed to be» to which she replied «I’ll be waiting on you» and then left. WEIRD.
Service definitely picked up after that. Someone else came by with a new water, more bread, and our drinks came fast.
Now for my issue with the food. I hate hate hate when a place doesn’t list cilantro as an ingredient. Many people (possibly 14% of the population, depending on your sources) can’t stand the stuff and I am one of them. It tastes like what I imagine burnt sewage tastes like — something I never want to imagine, especially when out for a nice meal — and avoid always. We ordered the bone marrow, a favorite of ours, and the old joke about «terrible food, and such small portions» came to mind. I don’t remember who made the joke. It was expensive sewage, too.
Our entrees were good (braised pork for me, oxtail pasta for him) but his was a small portion. We liked our drinks as well. When it came time to wrap things up, our server asked if we’d saved any room for dessert, to which we lightly replied that, no, we unfortunately didn’t so we’ll take the check, thanks. She then suggested maybe she bring a dessert menu over for us to take a look at. Maybe this is me but I found it annoying, like she was trying to press us into dessert after we’d already said no. Definitely not a huge deal but especially with the way things started out it wasn’t my favorite way to end a meal. We declined dessert (again) and left. Sorry, Earth, but we will never be back.

In the middle of nowhere, I didn’t care much for my main course, I cringed when the server told me about the ‘slow food ethos’ and it was expensive.
So, why 5 stars?
The starter course and desserts were simply astonishing, mind blowingly good.
I’ll put the main course (Lobster Masala) down to a bad choice and thinking it may come like a UK Masala (sauce and all.) — it didn’t, but honestly, it didn’t really matter as the rest of the food was truly, truly exceptional.
Quite simply one of the nicest salads I’ve ever had, THE nicest meatballs I have had full stop.
As for the strawberry shortbread for dessert… my mouth is still watering as I remember it now.
Was it worth the 4 mosquito bites and the $ 150 cab ride. Yes. 100 times yes.
On a par with Hominy Grill in Charleston as the best place I’ve eaten in the states… and just imaging if I’d picked a correct main course!

Quite possibly one of the best meals you’ll ever have. Beats many of the best restaurants in NY. Would recommend the soft shell crab, oxtail pasta, short ribs, and Thai lobster. Impressive wine selection as well. Also friendly, accommodating service.

I have a soft spot for farm-​to-​fork/​farm-​to-​table restaurants. In my opinion, in addition to unique and creative recipes, «fine-​dining» should also take into consideration the source of the ingredients.
We ordered the squid-​ink covered chicken wings and meatballs as appetizers, followed by sea bass and oxtail tortellini as entrees. My favorite was the squid-​ink covered chicken wings, I’ve never had anything like it before (wings were black!) The sea bass was a thai-​inspired dish served with wide-​rice noodles. I thought it was quite tasty, but the dish didn’t seem very original, rather a copy of a well-​known Thai recipie. The oxtail tortellini was noteworthy too, but the portion was a little on the lighter side. Despite the shortcomings, the ambience itself deserves 5 stars. You can just tell so much effort was put into the place. The wall shelf lined with tons and tons of liquor bottles, log-​filled walls, and decorated lightbulbs at the entrance completed my magical expereince. As captioned in my other social media posts, best décor on #earth!
I would love to come back during the warmer months to experience the farm bar located outside of the restaurant!

Rustic yet modern romantic spot in kennebuckport with great staff, ambience, fresh seafood dishes with Asian influence. A must visit if you are in town you– won’t regret!
Note– if you sit outside, you can enjoy the nature around you with the smell of natural wood burning.

Awesome food, awesome staff, amazing surroundings!

If you are in Kennebunk Maine stoping at Earth is a must! There are very few dining experiences as unique as this one. The ambiance and atmosphere is both earthy and sophisticated. The food is absolutely fantastic and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I had the pork chops and they were moist, delicious and came with perfectly paired sides. The zucchini bread dessert was one of the most enjoyable desserts I have had and the goats milk ice cream was light and creamy. I will definitely make a point to come back to this place next time I’m in Maine!

There really aren’t enough words for how beautifully rustic this place is. It was well worth the visit for the atmosphere alone.
We got here a little early but grabbed an order of drinks at the outdoor bar. We took our drinks and sat on one of the lounge couches over by the pool. This was absolute bliss. It was a perfect night to sit outside. The area was so peaceful. There were actually a few people nearby napping on the lounges.
We finished our drinks and walked around the grounds which looks like something out of Better Homes and Gardens. Plants everywhere and really neat wood furniture.
Finally we sat down for our dinner reservation. To drink, my boyfriend and I each got a glass of an Italian red wine which was delicious. To start we got the squid ink and sesame chicken wings and the beef tartare. The wings were everything you want a wing to be. Crispy, saucy, jam packed with flavor and messy. Thankfully the waitress brought over warm wet towels to clean up after.
For my meal I got the wood fired pizza with marscapone cheese, mushrooms and green squash. It was good but not the best I’ve ever had. My boyfriend got the burger. Which was decent. Too much bun to burger ratio.
My biggest gripe was that I could tell our waitress was pissed that we didn’t order that many high ticket items. In all honesty the 40 dollar entrees just didn’t sound that good to me. It is a pretty pricey restaurant but in my option you’re paying more for the atmosphere than for the food.

This restaurant was recommended to us by our bed and breakfast hostess. It was impossible to get a table indoors. So we decided to take a table outside. The Earth advertises itself as a green place, with fresh, healthy ingredients. All dishes were tasteless, with such a high salt content that it was impossible to taste the food. Everyone at our table was so disappointed with a quality of our food, we hardly touched our dishes.
This restaurant is pretentious, food is horrible! Do not waste your time and money.

This is probably the most magical restaurant in Maine. When you walk in for the first time, you’ll know what I mean. The setting is absolutely beautiful-it’s tucked away in the woods, but you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the twinkling lights and the packed parking area. They have valet parking but it’s also pretty easy to self park. We were staying at Hidden Pond so we just walked over from our bungalow.
The service is fantastic. Our server, Mariah, was warm, knowledable, and just really good at her job. She answered all of our questions, checked-​in an appropriate number of times, and made sure that we were well taken care of for the evening. The menu has something to offer everyone. I tried the tomato and pickled nectarine salad, the tortelli with farmers cheese, burnt plums, and corn, and several sweet things at the end including the most delicious donut EVER! The tomato salad was fresh and light and the perfect start to a summer meal. The tortelli was AMAZING. It’s the stuff that food dreams are made of. And the donut was light, fluffy, and had a Sarsaparilla glaze that was unique and totally awesome. The cocktail list has something to please everyone. I had the white sangria and a moscow mule. Both were delicious. And there were a handful of other cocktails that I’d like to try. While there are no shortage of great restaurants in Maine, this is definitely one that should be moved to the top of your list!

Completely blown away. Meatballs, amazing. The chefs take on caesar made with duck eggs, ridiculous. The stinging nettle pasta, whaaaaaaat?
I have the fortunate opportunity to dine in many stuffy, upscale places and always left wanting something more. Not from this place. Very casual but certainly refined and respectable attire. The drive up to the restaurant was just as unique as the drink menu. Usually a beer and wine guy but when you enter this place, the smells, the décor, the friendly staff… all makes you want to make the most of it. And we did.
My wife found this hidden gem online and we never looked back. She ordered surf and turf and I ordered the Hake. And of course that was after the delicious apps mentioned above.
Beautiful views. Quiet location. Excellent service and very knowledgable staff. Food was fresh and inviting. Took a small tour after out meal and found some ingredients that were used in our meal in their gardens just outside the doors. This place is an absolute must try. Quite possibly the best dining experience I have ever had.

Have you ever visited a place and said to yourself, «if I were a [fill in the blank], I would be exactly like this? Well, if I were a restaurant, I would be Earth.
For me, dining is about much more than the food and the service — it’s about the overall experience and Earth was divine in every way.
First, the grounds and location: Earth is nestled in a beautiful resort community called Hidden Pond. The bungalows and cottages are charming and they’re surrounded by gorgeous, thoughtful landscaping and gardens (amazing thing #1).
The restaurant is adjacent to the pool which is where my friends and I started our evening. The bartender at the pool bar suggested a blueberry infused vodka cocktail with fresh basil that wasn’t on the menu and I was instantly hooked. What I loved best, aside from the tart, refreshing, deliciousness of the cocktail itself was that she had to excuse herself so that you could fetch some fresh basil from the adjoining garden to finish the drink (amazing thing #2).
Next we headed onto the porch — a lovely spot that overlooks the gardens, a pond full of frogs, several outdoor tables and a fire pit. Our server was patient, helpful and friendly as were the other team members who helped to execute our synchronized service (amazing thing #3).
The menu was beautifully curated and offered all kinds of options from entrees to snacks. I opted for the lobster risotto but I could have just as easily chosen the hake, short ribs, or chicken. I was so impressed by the menu in fact that I actually considered asking the chef to choose something for me. Next time!
I started with the perfect meatballs and tasted some of the roasted potatoes, bikini (without the serrano ham — a travesty!), pizza with stinging nettles, beef tartare and shisito peppers — everything was absolutely magnificent.
Amazing thing #4 — before our entrees were served, our server brought out three (comped) large salads served family style for the table to share. We didn’t order these salads and they weren’t on the menu so they were simply a fantastic surprise. Honestly, I could have made any of them my meal and been perfectly satisfied. Each was clearly crafted from produce from the adjacent garden and the vinegrettes were subtle and bright.
Sadly the group I was with wasn’t interested in staying for dessert so I didn’t get to try to the donuts I’d seen early in the evening at another table but I vow to come back to Earth, hopefully very soon, and indulge.
Earth — you are my spirit restaurant!

Earth is a little slice of heaven.
The restaurant, part of Hidden Pond, is a lovely, rustic, inviting little place. It feels like a renovated farmhouse; from the low lit woodsy interior and screened-​in porch, to the picnic tables near the pond that are surrounded by fire (pits and torches) to the spa-​esque vibe of the pool and outdoor bar… it’s all just delicious:
As is the staff.
They were accommodating and thoughtful (one of my dinner mates has an allergy to tomatoes, and I’m a vegetarian; whenever a new dish came out our server made sure to let us know — quietly without drawing attention — whether we could eat it or not), patient with our large party, and just seemed eager to please.
As are the cocktails.
I think Earth has an impressive, well-​rounded, and exceptionally executed cocktail list. Every single one I tried was delicious and balanced, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I won’t go through each of them, but if you like the flavor profiles you see — know that’s exactly what you’re going to get!
+ Spring Spritzer (strawberry-​rhubarb shrub, St. Germain, cava, tonic), $ 13: Not at all cloyingly sweet; it was refreshing and summery and went down very, very smoothly!
+ Some blueberry, vodka, and basil drink, $ 13: What a fabulous savory cocktail! We were also delighted to see/​hear that the bartender used fresh basil right from the Earth gardens.
+ Southern Roots (bourbon, ginger shrub, lemon), $ 14: Probably the strongest of the drinks we tried, but still very, very good.
+ Summer Heat (vodka, bing cherries, basil, fresno chile), $ 13: I was nervous it was going to be «hotter», and it was not. It was just the right amount of heat and sweet.
As is the food.
+ Focaccia and olive oil: bread before your meal can be a very dangerous thing (especially when it’s so good). As much as you’ll want to shovel this in your face… show some restraint!
+ Wood Fired Maine potatoes with ancho ketchup, aioli, and cheese curds ($ 7): Probably one of the best thing I’ve eaten in a long, long time. It was elevated poutine, really. I am so glad that my tablemates allowed me to just steal a small skillet just for myself! The potatoes were perfectly cooked (not at all starchy), the two sauces complimented each other wonderfully, and the cheese curds were melty, gooey, yum.
+ Shishitos and sea salt ($ 6): I wish the salt had been larger and chunkier, but they were still delicious. We joked that they’d make an awesome popcorn-​replacement at the movies!
+ Watermelon, goat feta, pickled basil seeds, chipotle ($ 6): So light and summery, what an amazing blend of flavors and textures here!
— Brioche, truffles, serrano, buffalo mozzarella $ 10): Probably the only thing I ate that I didn’t like; it just felt like mostly bread with very little cheese or truffles.
+/​-​Pizza with marscapone, wood nettles, taleggio, aleppo, and mustard fruit ($ 19): The pizza was good (and provided me the opportunity to try wood nettles, which I never had before!), but not $ 19 good (it was mostly crust and there were hardly any toppings). The prices for portion/​quality were so spot on otherwise, though!
I am delighted to know this place exists and can’t wait to come back. I plan on introducing all my favorite foodies to this HIIDEN gem here on EARTH!

Earth is among the more unique restaurants I’ve been to lately. Driving to the unusual location is an adventure in itself. After some darkly amusing visions of being punk’d and/​or setup to be whacked by mobsters, I eventually found myself in some strange vacation village for people with far too much money.
I enjoyed the experience immediately upon entering through the outdoor bar. Not really sure what or why the pool is there, but it’s a pretty neat touch. The friendly bartender mixed up a mean cocktail with a pleasant tartness that immediately got my tastebuds dancing. Off to the side were some seating areas and a fire pit with tiki torches surrounding the area that gave the appearance of a casual hangout spot post-​dinner.
The dinner itself was a pleasant dining experience for me, with a few caveats. The service was impeccable, and the ambience was striking. Perhaps a little too dimly lit (I was uncomfortably amused watching the poor server lose her eyesight trying to pair bills with the right diners post-​meal), but it achieved a balance of comfort and moody ambience.
My meal included a sampling of snacks, including roasted semi-​spicy peppers and cheesy potatoes that were off the chart — all fairly priced and at least generally appealing. An oyster appetizer missed the mark. I like my oysters unadorned, with the option to add different items; these were overloaded with too many disparate flavors. The hake dinner, while tender and flavorful, was indeed overpriced at $ 38 a dish. The cocktail prices were downright criminal, however — way overpriced at $ 13 – 15 a pop. I spent nearly $ 60 on tasty, but not very strong cocktails. I’ll stick to beer next time. But yes, I will return. Seems like an ideal venue for a romantic dinner out sometime down the road.

Earth was beautiful. The inside seating had great accent lighting and great views if you’re sitting near a window. The outside has a great patio with a bar right next to a pool (that I guess is for the resort guests). A group of 12 friends and I went for dinner on a weeknight and we were seated inside. With such a large group I was happy with the service we received. I know it is a lot of work to cater to a group our size when everyone is ordering cocktails, apps, and entrees. I ordered two of the spring spritzer cocktails which were quite pricey at $ 13 each. They tasted great, but I think for that price they could have filled the glass (they were a large wine glass filled about half full). Fill that glass up!
The meatball appetizer/​snack tasted great, had some kind of garlic crumble on top of them. I also really liked the cheesy potatoes. I ordered the pizza with mascarpone, wood nettles, taleggio, aleppo and mustard fruit. The edges were burnt and the outer two inches of the pizza was inedible. On each slice you could get a good two bites of a slice then the rest you couldn’t eat because it was so hard I probably would have broken a tooth trying to eat the crust. The part of it I could eat tasted good but I want to enjoy the crust when I order a pizza, and the amount of this I had to throw away was such a waste. More than half ended up in the trash can :(
Overall you’re paying for the atmosphere of this place. The prices are very expensive for what you’re getting but seeing how this restaurant is on a very expensive resort I understand why they charge so much. The rich resort goe-​ers don’t mind paying these prices. However, when I spend this much money I really want a lot of bang for my buck and want to really enjoy my entrée.

A group of friends and I had dinner at Earth, but I wasn’t sold on the menu. The prices are too high and overpriced in my opinion. I paid $ 52 for an appetizer, drink and entrée. The Moscow Mule drink costed $ 13.00 and I have had that drink for less at other bars. The entrée was $ 28, but not worth the price. The risotto and lobster were burnt. The only highlight of the night for me was the meatballs. The garlic crumble and rapini went well with the smoky and gamy flavors of the meatballs.
Aside from the disappointing prices, the service was up to par. Our server for the night was attentive and anticipated to clear plates and silverware when needed.

Easily one of the most memorable meals I’ve had in the last few years.
The staff was incredibly knowledgable and passionate about their craft. The space and ambience is beautiful and thoughtful. The location is unique and interesting.
Most importantly, the food is delicious. Great technical execution. The balance of acid isn’t too forward. The dishes are fresh and interesting.
Absolutely recommend.

When you’re visiting the area for a long weekend, there is only so much you can cram into your stomach in the fixed amount of time. So, we pre-​ate in Kennebunkport before our dinner at Earth. I mean, we really shouldn’t have, but we have no regrets.
We overshot the entrance the first time because I didn’t know to follow the sign for Hidden Pond.
Overall, service was great, plating was gorgeous, but we did not love everything we ordered. I LOVED the décor, as much as I loved some of the plating. Food: I thought it was American farm to table with some Asian influences.
Things I ate and liked:
— Burrata cheese with wood fired bing cherries and olive crumble.
— Wood fired peaches with yogurt, lemon basil, and candied bacon.
— Halibut chop with lobster, coconut milk, and daikon rice cake. This was amazing!
Things I didn’t like:
— Wood fired clams with sweet chicken sausage, favas. There was so much breading, we could barely taste anything else!
— Diver scallops with smoked potato purée, sunburst squash, squash blossoms, cippolini onions. Overall, I felt it was too salty. I think I was expecting much more in terms of the flavors.
Sadly, we ate too much earlier in the day to partake in any dessert (which is major). After dinner, we did a quick walk around the garden behind the restaurant. We could hear the bullfrogs.
I definitely recommend a visit here as it’s so different from all of the other places!