The moment we walked into MC Perkins Cove, I sensed we would be in good hands. If only to revel in the stunning décor, the unbeatable views of ocean and rocks, as though the quintessence of a Charles Waterbury seascape had come to life.

In case you don’t know, this new establishment is the country cousin of Arrows in Ogunquit-- nestled in Perkins Cove and housed on the site of the former Hurricane Restaurant. Owners/chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Fraser have created one of the most dazzling waterfront jewels and may lend a hand to gentrify Ogunquit.

Everything from the interior finishes of the first and second floor dining rooms, the copper topped tables, the buttery soft molded chairs that look like leather but are not, to the flatware, glasses and dishes, all with casual restraint and style—nothing off-putting or stiff—adds up to a thrilling dining experience.

Arrows epitomizes luxurious dining as though its reigning surcharges were standard fare. Here you get the same sense of quality and fine cuisine in a more casual context with just the right amount of flourish.

We were there on a Sunday afternoon when only a brunch menu is served. I’m not a fan of brunch really. It connotes that you’ve slept late into the morning and your first meal is served at high noon. Being an early riser, I’m not in the mood for eggs at midday.

I asked to see a lunch menu (not offered on Sundays) and found a rather simple selection of sandwiches, pizza, crab cakes and the like. I’m sure that the deadpan offerings at lunch are far from dull. However you slice it, MC Perkins Cove is still Arrows. One would be dearly amiss to criticize one iota of crumb and food fantasy here.

I peeked at the dinner menu too. Besides an apt selection of steak house blues, blood reds and grilled salmon or tuna, the menu held some alluring main courses that seemed worth the 35 mile trip from Portland to experience dinner here. Very much a bistro style menu some dishes intrigued me: the deep fried drunken chicken for instance, or the rainbow trout with Chinese fermented black beans. First courses on the dinner menu are the same at brunch or lunch.

Our waiter—authoritative but warm and friendly—guided us through the small yet tantalizing selections.

Our first option was to choose the water, a defining Arrows trait. The choice was Ogunquit tap or bottled fizz. I chose the latter and assumed it meant a generous surcharge.

We were asked about bread choices too. If you remember, at Arrows their bread course and $8 butter plate are presented like a bequest. Here we could choose the complimentary bread or the surcharged pastry basket.

What the heck. Special water called for special bread.

Did we want a drink? Well, I don’t like to drink in the afternoon, but a diet Coke just seemed so uncouth in such swell surroundings. We both settled for Bloody Marys.

The glassware deserves comment. The water glasses—about 12 inches tall—are shaped like a curved cylinder, indented in the center which allows you to hold the glass so that it naturally tips towards your lips as you drink. I suppose it’s a design gimmick to thwart dribbling. Maybe people generally dribble when they drink. I hope I don’t.

In any case these glasses are fun.

The Bloody Mary glasses were also works of art. Picture an enormous bud vase rising tall and elegantly. It was an excellent bloody Mary .though the glass was so tall I felt like I had to stand up to reach and sip.

The pastry basket arrived, accompanied by three exquisite choices of jam. There was no butter to spread on the muffins and biscuits. Then, again, they were so buttery on their own, butter would be unnecessary.

Offered were cinnamon twists as light as air, as flaky as one would imagine a master baker to produce and flavor correctly--perfectly really with just the right amount of cinnamon that seemed to charm one’s taste buds to want more.

There were some ginger flecked scones—crumbly and delicious—and muffins with chunks of Belgian chocolate. These were outrageously good.

For a first course I ordered what’s called Smooth Clam Chowder. What I got was a serene white China bowl filled with a silken cream puree embellished by a timbale of clam and potatoes in the middle of the soup. It was served with a mosaic of paprika oil. The dish was beautiful.

You’re meant to disperse the clam timbale into the rich cream, which I did. It’s an absolutely divine soup, and I can still taste the briny essence of clam floating in that emulsion of cream.

My table mate ordered the Maine Peekytoe Crab Parfait. This arrived in glassware of grand proportions. You didn’t know whether you should eat it or use it as a prop for a still life.

The dish is crab salad enriched with scallions, avocado, tomatoes, mayonnaise and cilantro. It’s sits on a tower of shredded lettuce.

I tried some. The flavors were snappy and clear, each ingredient standing on its own merit yet superbly matched.

Quite frankly at this juncture I felt like I was in a temple of gastronomic bliss. From the ambiance and décor, not often found at the lunch/brunch hour, from the table accoutrements to the very attractive mix of other diners to absolutely fabulous tasting and beautifully presented food, it was all too good.

I must admit that I had trouble deciding on a main course. In fact, I could have stopped with my soup and have been perfectly satisfied.

The brunch menu held the typical suspects, though by no means were they typically devised. There was an offering of bagel and cream cheese, served with Arrow’s house smoked trout.

Other choices were Swedish pancakes with Maine wild blueberries. Or Craig’s French toast—thick cut sourdough bread with real Maine maple syrup. Another offering was something called Bohemian breakfast with poached eggs, braised red cabbage and home fries.

What I chose was Huevos Rancheros, with ancho chili sauce and house made salsa, tortillas and avocado.

Why I selected this dish is beyond me and I hoped for the best. My companion opted for the Bohemian breakfast.

Whatever doubt that I had vanished instantly as soon as we were served. My heuvo rancheros consisted of a gorgeous tortilla, as thin as slivers of puff pastry, filling up a plate as large as a charger. On it were perfectly poached eggs, with whites as bright and fluffy as cotton puffs, topped by sour cream, refried beans and, salsa. The tortilla itself could have been mistaken for puff pastry indeed.

The dish was a flawless, humble devise wrought to a divine finish. The portion was enormous, however, and I really couldn’t finish it, though I tried my best.

My dining mate’s dish was another revelation. Who would have thought to pair poached eggs with braised red cabbage? The cabbage was out of this world, sweet, sour and delightfully earthy. The home fries were solid spears of yellow-fleshed potatoes that were a powerhouse of flavor.

There wasn’t a chance that we could possibly have dessert but I asked to look at the list. It's a list as carefully wrought as the other selections on the menu. I can’t wait to try them when I’m there next because they seem to offer as much excitement as the savory courses.

We settled for coffe to end our meal. It was—no surprise—perfectly brewed, just the right temperature and a pleasure to behold.

Quite frankly we were taken aback by how good the food is at MC Perkins Cove. I’ve heard reports from those who thought it was lackluster. Well, I’ll go back again just to be sure. But judging from my experience, it was perfection.

I’m anxious to go there for lunch. And even though I don’t like driving long distances at night, I’ll make an exception here to have what I’m sure will be a splendid evening meal, too

Caveat Emptor: MC Perkins Cove can be expensive. Though most of the dishes are about $7 to $12, it can add up if you order the extras. Our meal with a drink each, one glass of white wine, the extra bread basket and the sparkling water was $86 before tip.

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