I stopped into Two Fat Cats today to see how the new India Street bakery was doing. Whenever I’ve gone into a bake shop where the predominant aromas are ammonia and Lysol then I know I’m in the wrong place. Here I was immediately struck by the buttery smells of pies in the oven and tantalized by a display case filled with frosted cupcakes.

Two Fat Cats certainly has all the makings of being the resurrection of old-fashioned American baking, an art and a promise long out of style.

Baker/proprietor Kristen DuShane was arranging a batch of chocolate chip cookies, which I resisted valiantly—at least for the moment—as we started to chat.

The reason I had stopped in was to order a cake to bring along to a picnic on July 4th. At the moment DuShane is heavy on pies, cookies and cobblers, which I thought were too messy and cumbersome for a beach picnic.

“How about pound cake?” I asked, thinking, how could we make it more interesting? We decided that some flavoring would help and we settled on a lemon pound cake topped by a lemon glaze.

I've been to Bandol on Upper Exchange Street many times and have written about it often enough in this column. But during a recent visit last week, our experience there was a close as one can come to the essence of perfection in a dining experience.

It wasn’t just a good meal. Rather, this was world-class cooking, which I’ve not found anywhere else in New England. Maybe it won’t be like this every time at Bandol but it was faultless that evening.

Perhaps No.9 Park in Boston is as good; and certainly the rarities at Hugo’s or Arrows are worthy indeed. One would have to go to current hot spots in New York and other dining Mecca’s to encounter a comparable meal as fine and sophisticated as the one we experienced. here.

We didn’t plan on going to Bandol that evening. We had been to an event earlier, which we left after enough mingling. The choice of where to go without a reservation is not generally up for grabs.

That's a question that even the most demanding, self-critical chef will be too modest to consider. I recently came across that improbability right here in Portland, when I had not just one but two splendid meals that rode the heights of perfection.

I beg to bore you again with the details to say that on two consecutive nights I had two extraordinary meals: one so good in its simplicity and clear flavors, and the other so fine because it's realm of haute cuisine drove home the notion of perfection, a sparkling sense of genius.

The latter occurred at Bandol. And the former at Cinque Terre. Here are two restaurants that are worlds apart. If you haven't been then go immediately. Don't write to me about a bad meal, or it's not your thing. That's fine. Perhaps the chef had an off night or the stove was finicky. Or they're just not your style. Not everyone looks good in Armani or in LL Bean.

But you must try both of these two restaurants because when they're good they're exemplary.

Believe me we're lucky to have these two establishments literally in our back yard.

I have copious notes on both dinners and I'm gathering my thoughts to let you know about my experiences.

I'm not meaning to tease here. I intend to write about the dinners with an entry submitted over the weekend.

Until then--treat yourself to a good dinner.

I haven’t been dining out very often these days because this is the time of year when I like to cook at home. Most everything I make is done on the grill, and the ingredients are selected from various farmers’ markets.

Salmon, shrimp kebobs, tuna, mako, butterflied leg of lam, hamburgers and hot dogs sizzle away and are reasonably easy to do. Vegetables like asparagus or zucchini develop a wonderful burnished taste when grilled as do big chunks of red onion seared over an open fire.

I always use wood chips, like hickory or apple wood, for grilling. They give great flavor to everything. I generally cover the grill after searing whatever ingredient first and allow the smoke to permeate the food.

Two of my favorite dishes to cook on the grill are not often thought doable. I take small new potatoes, wrap them in heavy duty foil and moisten them with olive oil and add herbs and spices like rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. They’re placed on the rack to cook slowly in a covered grill.

Another vegetable that’s great to do this way is cabbage. Leaving it whole, take out the center core. Fill it with butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder, wrap it tightly with foil, cut core side up and grill slowly on a covered grill for several hours. When it’s time to add the main dish ingredient, just replenish the coals for a sizzling hot fire.

I suppose the recurrence of 50 degree weather whet my appetite for a hearty fish stew, which turned out to be the perfect lunch for me today.

Any number of Portland restaurants could have fit the bill. But I decided the best place for it was Scales in the Portland Public Market. At $10.95 it’s a good deal, since versions of it abound at nearly double the price at Scales’ related eateries, Street & Company and Fore Street.

The aioli that is attractively drizzled over the serving is delicious, and the well made stew itself is filled with mussels, swordfish and mahi-mahi in a concentrated broth. It’s served with a warm dinner roll, which was just right.

While at the market I noticed that the Maverick Meat Market has finally opened. It looks a lot different from the former Forbes site. I’m not sure why management, for instance, decided to remove the old meat cases in favor of installing self-serve receptacles, where all the meats are packaged in supermarket plastic wrap.

Perhaps they felt it would catch the public eye. I’m not so sure.

Does this mean there won’t be a butcher on the premises? We hardly need another basic meat emporium when Hannaford’s and other supermarkets do an admirable job.

Alas, there is a full-time butcher. And I asked him about the products on display. He explained that all the meats are natural, a term which can fleetingly border on “organic” without the certification. The pork comes from Canada and the chickens are Murray’s free range. He wasn’t sure where the lamb hailed from, but Maurice, the head butcher who was not there today, would know for sure. The beef is Black Angus. Specialty cuts of meat can be ordered in the morning and picked up by afternoon.

What makes a restaurant great? A brilliant chef? Extraordinary food? A spectacular setting? Flawless service?

Can an unforgettable experience encompass all of the above in one sitting or is that the fantasy of a dreamer, who can overlook minor contingencies that compromise perfection?

I’m almost prepared to say that Arrows, Ogunquit, Maine’s, renowned bastion of haute cuisine, meets these requirements of excellence.

Last night, on a whim, we went to Arrows for dinner. I thought it was high time I got out of dodge for culinary diversion. I’ve read about the restaurant for years, as a magical kingdom of gastronomic greatness, nestled in the unassuming outskirts of this seaside town.

Very few restaurants in Maine, or in New England for that matter, have received such national attention. I’m always leery of those that do, often encountering less than more.

In all the years that I’ve been visiting and now living in Maine I’ve yet to go to our state’s most revered restaurant, Arrows, in Ogunquit. I tried once last year with a reservation made weeks in advance. As it turned I cancelled because plans had changed.

What immediately turned me off to the restaurant was their requirement of requesting a credit card deposit to secure a table. Obviously this practice is their insurance against no-shows.

Still, in this day and age, to those of us who are well used to paying $150 for two in well regarded eateries, this practice seems anachronistic at best. It’s almost as if establishments such as Arrows don’t expect you to know which fork to use, and anticipate their dining public to harbor the bad manners not to cancel a reservation if necessary.

Still I‘ve wanted to know what all the fuss is about.

Ultimately I’m a sucker for a good meal no matter the effort or the expense. And I am going there tonight.

I went to the Arrows website to look at the menu. I saw that the restaurant lives up to its reputation as one of the most expensive establishments in New England. First courses are in the $15 range and entrees belong to the $40 bracket.

I’ve dusted off my no-limit credit card and hope to put it to good use this evening. I’ll report back soon.