Burning Tree

Burning Tree Review

One of the top restaurants in Maine, this easy-to-miss gem is on Route 3 between Bar Harbor and Otter Creek, in the same building with a festive interior where it opened in 1988. The menu has standards but also changes with the seasons. It emphasizes freshly caught seafood, and seven species of fish are offered virtually every day, all from the Gulf of Maine. There is always monkfish; you may find it pan-sauteed, glazed with sweet chili sauce, and served with Thai-flavored eggplant and coconut rice. Oven-poached cod and stuffed gray sole are signature dishes. There are always two or three vegetarian options and an emphasis on organic produce, much of it from the owners' garden.