When we lived in Maine, my partner Mark used to say that you’d get an interesting reaction from the locals – or at least get their attention – if you asked, “Do you know any good loon recipes?”  To someone from New Hampshire or Maine, that’s akin to asking the President of the United States if s/he knows any good bald eagle recipes. It goes beyond raising eyebrows – it raises ire!

Well, you get similar reactions from certain people when you admit that you eat “cute” food.  “Certain people” includes some dear friends and, of course, some of you.  As I was thinking of a way to admit to you, dear readers, that I do eat cute food,  I realized that, at some point in my life, I have eaten almost all the favorite and beloved storybook characters of my childhood.  I am embarrassed to name them…

I have dined on Bambi, Thumper, Lambchop, Piglet, Daffy and/or Donald.  From The Little Mermaid, it was Flounder, Sebastian and – if she was, indeed, an octopus – Ursula, the Sea Witch.  (Well, I thought Ursula was cute in an “evil-destroy-the-world” kind of way.)  The hardest one to admit to is Winnie the Pooh.  Yes, I ate bear – bear jerky, in fact – when I was a Boy Scout.  Happily, I have not knowingly eaten Flicka, Nemo, Kanga or Roo.  Or Tigger.  Now, living in the Southwest,  I must admit my relief that there are no adored characters based on quail.  They are just so darned cute.  Dumb, but cute.  Noisy, but cute.  Cute, but tasty. 

So today’s recipe is for Grilled Quail with Rhubarb Compote inspired by a recipe from Arrows Restaurant.  We served it with mashed potatoes and a light salad of Belgian endive and parsley, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.  And we ended the meal in our garden with some beautiful, fresh strawberries dipped in Grand Marnier. 

When I first went to Arrows Restaurant, in the seaside village of Ogunquit, Maine, I had no idea what to expect.  I had been hearing about it from friends in Upstate New York for more than a decade, and had seen it praised annually in Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appétit, Saveur and Food & Wine.  And it still seems that every time I turn the page in a magazine devoted to the finer aspects of dining and cuisine, there it is with a “most romantic” or “best meal of my life” description.  When going to Arrows, the experience actually begins in their gardens as you enter – they are exquisite.  The early evening sunlight that filters through the tall pines onto the dahlias and ranunculus is magical.  And the vegetable gardens – from which they cook – are unbelievable!  I highly recommend treating yourself to a meal – a gastronomic experience and a garden stroll – at Arrows Restaurant.  I promise that it will be an evening you will not forget.

During one of my most memorable experiences there, I ordered a quail dish – my first ever.  Delicious, succulent and nary a cartoon character to bring on the guilt.  Soon thereafter, restaurant owners Mark and Clark came out with The Arrows Cookbook which offers many incredible and home-chef-accessible recipes, including one for quail with rhubarb compote.  This weekend, I wanted to grill something light for dinner and there was a little rhubarb left at the local store.  So, here is my version of Arrows’ Grilled Quail with Rhubarb Compote.  (Other than rhubarb, the ingredients have been changed to hide the fact that I forgot to check the recipe prior to shopping…)

– David