Canterbury Royale…An Extraordinary Culinary Experience
Best friends and business partners Barbara Boucher and Renee O’Neill lived in Perth-Andover at one time…. They operated an art gallery in the old Stewart apartment building in downtown Perth. They eventually moved to Fort Fairfield, where they hand built the work of art they named Canterbury Royale 11 years ago.
Since that time, the two artists and classically trained chefs have won numerous awards and accolades for their delicious and lovingly prepared cuisine.
I had met Renee and Barbara when they lived in Perth, in fact, we had several of Renee’s paintings hanging in Kelley’s Pub. Remember the wonderful portrait of Dan Vallance? But, I had not talked to them in years so I made a trip over last week to get reacquainted and to learn more about their fabulous restaurant.
As Barbara and Renee make everything in their restaurant from scratch, they are very busy and I didn’t want to take up too much of their precious time. But, when I arrived I found to my utter surprise and delight that they had prepared a light luncheon for us to enjoy while we chatted.
I was absolutely amazed by the love and attention that Barbara and Renee have poured into the creation of this dining room…. It is truly a portal into another dimension in both ambiance and the meals that they serve!
And, indeed, they special order the tomatoes to make this signature tart. In fact, they special order most of the food that they prepare for their clients.
They use the contacts they’d developed when both still lived and worked in New York, and they have a specialty butcher from whom they purchase their all natural, free range, hormone and anti-biotic free beef, lamb, pork and poultry. This butcher supplies many of the top-end restaurants in New York City. The orders arrive by Fed-Ex, overnight, so everything is fresh and not frozen, which is why reservations and your meal choices are required ahead of time.
This restaurant is a labour of love, and an ongoing artistic expression for both ladies. The name, Canterbury Royale, is evocative of Canterbury in England, of the era of the big cathedrals and the days of Thomas Becket, although the cuisine is Classic French.
Everything on the menu is made from scratch, Barbara and Renee never take shortcuts. Many of the meals they prepare are begun days ahead of time, in order to create the sauces and ingredients they will need to put the final result together.
When you dine with Barbara and Renee, they will take you on a total French culinary journey!
For the past six years, the French Class from Easton High School has made an annual pilgrimage to Canterbury Royale to dine. There are usually 6 or 7 students in the group, and they hold fund raisers during the year in order to make this special visit.
This place is fabulous, but certainly off the beaten track. Many locals don’t know about this hidden gem in their own back yard. But food connoisseurs know about the place, and in fact many happy customers say it is worth a 200 mile drive to dine here!
Canterbury Royale is named as one of the 50 best restaurants in Maine by Maineplate. It’s been featured as “The Best of New England” by Boston Magazine, is an Editor’s Choice from Yankee Magazine and was declared to be the “Experience of a lifetime” by Bob & Sheri when they visited Northern Maine a couple of years ago!
The ladies have poured their hearts and souls into the making of this place, and it consumes all of their talents and energy. But, as they both said to me…We must all embrace and enjoy life. What will our epitaphs be? Did we appreciate the life we were granted and make it a masterpiece?
In addition to the magnificent multi-course dining experiences they offer, Canterbury Royale also serves a Special Dinner from 11:30 am until 3 pm each Sunday. This meal is just $13.95 per person, and you may order your choice of Hearty Beef Roast, Pork Rib, Cornish Hen, Stuffed Haddock, Spaghetti and Meatballs or Tomato and Basil Tart. This dinner is served with a roll, potato (except the spaghetti) and vegetable or green salad.
Catering is available for parties, small weddings or special events, and as if all this isn’t enough, you may order artisanal breads, cookies, éclairs, specialty cakes, tartlets and Danishes from their Patisserie de Paris…. Or French Bakery!
Visit Canterbury Royale online or telephone Barbara and Renee at 207-472-4910 to make your reservations for a unique dining experience that you won’t soon forget.
