PORT CLINTON — It could be said the whole is greater than the sum of its parts about the Ørchard Bar & Table. But the parts, so to speak, could all stand on their own; it's just that the whole is so singularly spectacular.

Quite simply, the expansive grounds and dining options offer an all-day experience of no equal in the region.  

We review the food of course, but this column has always been formally a "restaurant review," because the setting counts at least as much as the seasoning.

The Ørchard gives its best effort at both aspects, and any other ancillary requisite of having someone visit you for a meal.

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Put-in-Bay moguls the Blumensaadt family opened this establishment as a simple cocktail stand and kitchen in 2014. For its name, the slashed "Ø" actually means “island” in Danish, a nod to the family's Danish descent and its connection to the vacation-land island of Put-in-Bay and nearby Catawba, where their immersive culinary experiment is thriving.

The 10-acre compound now features an elegant restaurant (currently being expanded), with an outdoor patio, a heritage apple and peach orchard, flower and herb gardens with functional honeybee hives, emergent vineyards, a satellite bar and sitting garden called the Coop — replete with working chicken coop — and an indoor/outdoor specialty shop with a bar and grill and applewood fired pizza oven called the Farm Stand.

Deep breath.

And there are private facilities and endless settings for either entertainment or quiet solitude — depending of course how raucous the weekend crowd decides to get.

Cuisine ranges from European-inspired white tablecloth formality to sandwiches, burgers, and pizzas at the Farm Stand.

Honestly, we would have had to visit the Ørchard seemingly 50 times to say we really know everything it’s doing and trying to do. But on the several visits we were able to make, we experienced and discussed with other diners plenty to convince us the place is a destination worth your visit no matter what you are looking for.

One-on-one dinners to weddings, pop-ins for a beer and a bite, cocktails and brunch, pizza and live music with the family — it's an ideal setting for each.

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At the original Bar + Table, the showstoppers for us were the Cowboy Ribeye ($99) and seafood fettuccine ($38). Each looked and smelled immaculate when served, but the taste outdistanced the aesthetics by far.

Our favorite appetizer was a whipped feta dip with hot honey and balsamic glaze ($16), where all the flavors played their roles just subtly enough to create a perfect harmony in each sweet, spicy, creamy bite. Much simpler in setup but equal in delight was the burrata salad with fresh tomatoes ($12). 

At the Farm Stand, we tried peach jelly wings ($14) and a hot-honey and double pepperoni pizza ($24). The amount of finger-licking that went on from our diners practically required a privacy curtain.

But what we really couldn't stop gushing over was roast beef and horseradish ($14) on a baguette and Catawba-peach BBQ Burger ($19), featuring a double patty, bacon, and onion rings. (Yes you can buy the sauce in the shop. Yes, it's incredible for summer grilling.)

It's a farm-to-table concept whose identity goes so far beyond the term. Reclaimed barn wood decorates the landscape. The wood for the pizza oven is applewood from the orchard. The honey is from its own hives.

It's almost a small municipality, and somehow they've managed to keep enough knowledgable staff who make it all work. With so many moving parts, not every employee knows everything, but they'll make sure they find someone who can get you the answer you have to any question.

As soon as you have the chance, give an entire evening to the sprawling intimacy uniquely available from the Ørchard.

First Published August 25, 2022, 1:00 p.m.