A new “accessible fine dining” restaurant will open in the former spot of The Patio in Manette. That’s what executive chef Timm Higgins calls the soon-to-open Orion.
The restaurant will feature local, seasonal foods, and Higgins plans to change the menu monthly. Higgins, who was trained in french technique at Le Cordon Bleu Collage of Culinary Arts in Portland, has created an opening menu that includes such dishes as scallops in brown butter with Brussels sprouts, bacon, apple and champagne; chicken with roasted garlic gnocchi, peas and carrots with hunter sauce; or wild mushrooms with Parmesan risotto croquette, blue cheese and Marsala.
The full opening menu is posted below as well as in the window of the restaurant.
Higgins is opening the restaurant with two longtime friends and investors, local Jason Uhtoff, who is a 911 dispatcher and president of the company and Charles Weaver, an Air Force Major and stationed in Virgina.
I hope to catch up with Higgins in the next couple weeks to learn more about the restaurant.
Please ask them what they mean by “accessible” fine dining. Do they mean accessible to handicapped customers? Looking at the menu posted, it would not appear they mean accessible by persons with a moderate income. Flat Iron (what? steak?) is $18.00 a plate. Most people I know in Manette do not purchase such high priced meals.
$18 for a steak is not expensive in the grand scheme of things. Aren’t they $20-30 at the Outback? Hardly fine dining in my opinion. If this truly is “accessible fine dining” in that you get quality food, a nice ambiance, and quality service, then those prices are definitely “accessible”. Besides, La Fermata in Manette is more expensive (but worth it) and the Boat Shed has several dinner entrees that expensive or more. If people in Manette do not purchase such high-priced meals, then why have both the restaurants I mentioned been around so long?
We actually mean accessible in a few ways. Yes, we actually are handicap accessible, I have a son in a wheelchair and that was important to me. We are accessible in that we started with the goal of no regular menu entree over $20. We are also accessible in that you will recognize everything we serve, it might take on a new twist, but you won’t be scared of by the menu. We hope you give us a chance to win you over.
@Evan – you hit the nail on the head. The menu changes monthly, what you see on this menu will most likely be gone with the next one. We try to source responsibly harvested products and support local agriculture whenever possible.
@Skydancer – I have put a self imposed limit of nothing over $20 on the menu. And we fall below on our prices of the two restaurants that Evan mentioned. I hope you will at least give us a try.
Nice menu, reasonable prices and an exceptional spot to watch the sun set in summer!