In the woods of Maine a culinary adventure awaits. Join Gail Ciampa on a visit to Black Goat

Gail Ciampa, Providence Journal
Updated ·4 min read

We all have those meals we can't forget. The food is perfect; the drinks beautifully paired; the company good; the mood cozy; and the hosts, charming.

I just had such an experience last month when friends invited us to join them for a special dinner in rural Warren, Maine, an hour and 15 minutes north of Portland.

After that meal, I can tell you I'm jealous that chef Derek Ronspies and partner Cat Biggar chose Maine as the home for their Black Goat Test Kitchen and Supperclub. Rhode Island would love them and their food. But they are worth a road trip to their Maine location at 310 Main St. in Warren.

They moved to Maine from Washington state in August to run their hybrid Black Goat restaurant for 18-months in in a charming old building that sits on the scenic St. George River. They brought with them their concept of a test kitchen where you can drop in for food and their wine bar and enjoy a supperclub for special dinners.

The Black Goat Test Kitchen and Supperclub in Warren, Maine, sits over the St. George River in a most scenic way.
The Black Goat Test Kitchen and Supperclub in Warren, Maine, sits over the St. George River in a most scenic way.

Key to their concept are relationships with local farmers, food producers and artisans, and those making beers, wines, spirits and ciders. Their menu is very much a taste of Maine.

I was at a supperclub experience. It was billed as three courses but was more like five, plus an intermezzo palate cleanser. Each course was paired with the perfect selection from Absolem Cider. More about them later. We sat at a communal dining table for 12.

The dining table is rustic and cozy at the Black Goat Test Kitchen and Supperclub.
The dining table is rustic and cozy at the Black Goat Test Kitchen and Supperclub.

Even though the setting, both the river view and the rustic dining room, captures you from the start, the food is the star. What Ronspies does is unforgettable as he layers his dishes with a variety of flavors and textures that all combine to create the happiest party on your palate.

We knew we were in for something special when the amuse-bouche arrived. Not content to simply serve an oyster on the half shell, Ronspies created a green-apple jalapeno mignonette with a topping of tiny pop rocks. Of course, it was atop a local oyster.

Not content to simply serve an oyster on the half shell, chef Derek Ronspies created a green-apple jalapeno mignonette with a topping of tiny pop rocks.
Not content to simply serve an oyster on the half shell, chef Derek Ronspies created a green-apple jalapeno mignonette with a topping of tiny pop rocks.

The next course was a rabbit raviolo. It too, revealed so much preparation and technique. Chef didn't just make his pasta and stuffing for the raviolo. He made a kabocha squash soup, tempura squash, cous cous and pine nut granola and assembled them as part of the dish. There was also a sage yogurt as part of the dish. It couldn't have blended together more beautifully. Every bite was a delicious surprise.

Rabbit Raviolo is a dish multi-layered with flavors and textures that included kabocha squash soup, tempura squash, cous cous and pine nut granola.
Rabbit Raviolo is a dish multi-layered with flavors and textures that included kabocha squash soup, tempura squash, cous cous and pine nut granola.

Arctic char isn't a fish you see on a lot of menus. It has delicate skin that crisped up nicely here. It was delicately seasoned and put atop a cauliflower risotto. That would be enough for most chefs but not Ronspies. To the dish, he added marinated chestnut mushrooms, crispy poached pear, burnt (in the best way) red onion and crunchy kale in an almond bacon vinaigrette that made the whole dish pop.

The intermezzo paired a homemade apple cider sorbet with caraway slaw and sprinkle of horseradish yogurt to further fire up taste buds.
The intermezzo paired a homemade apple cider sorbet with caraway slaw and sprinkle of horseradish yogurt to further fire up taste buds.

The intermezzo was a revelation because it paired a homemade apple cider sorbet with caraway slaw, yes, crunchy slaw. Who would think that sorbet and slaw would delight the tastebuds – but it did. There was also a sprinkle of horseradish yogurt to fire up the palate.

Dessert was the ultimate finale. Cat does the baking and she, too brings the flavors. The pecan torte with maple bourbon glaze would have been enough. But this treat plate included curry apples and, wait for it, black garlic ice cream that was sweet and delicious.

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One fun recurring event they just added is a 3-course Sunday Supper Takeout for $35, every Sunday, by pre-order, through the end of the year. Click here for their calendar through the end of the year.

A beautifully composed dish of pork belly from Black Goat in Warren, Maine.
A beautifully composed dish of pork belly from Black Goat in Warren, Maine.

Back to the drinks. On hand for the dinner was Absolem partner Kevin Sturtevent. He discussed the rural farmhouse cidery in the woods of Winthrop, Maine, that he and a partner opened post-pandemic. They have traditional dry ciders, some paired with wines (pinot noir or vidal blanc) and others inspired by the Basque and Normandy regions. I loved them all but the dessert ice cider, well that was just exceptional. They'd be another great destination for your road trip.

Details: Learn more about Black Goat on Facebook or their website at blackgoatsupperclub.com. Learn more about Absolem Cider at absolemcider.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Black Goat Test Kitchen in Warren, Maine, is a culinary adventure