In 2017, The New York Times did a huge story in their food section about a restaurant in a town no one had heard of in Central Maine that is harder to get into than Babbo! (RIP). Each April, she invites restaurant patrons to mail in a postcard requesting a reservation for the seasonal restaurant only open during the summer months. The postcards are then put into a lottery and if you’re lucky you may be able to snag a reservation for the 4-nights a week pre-fixe dinner featuring the summer bounty of Maine produce. The Lost Kitchen immediately went on my Google Maps.

Growing up in New Hampshire, trips to Maine were a given. But now that I’m older and live considerably far from Maine to spend any meaningful time there I find myself immediately invigorated and falling back in love with everything Maine offers. But most importantly, the way they embrace local food and flavors proudly defined as distinctly a Maine. The recipes Erin French serves at The Lost Kitchen are all her own, are local, seasonal, and scream of Maine.

Erin grew up in Freedom, ME learning her craft at her dad’s restaurant. As with any small business, everyone had an opinion on what she should do or how she should do it. She never backed down though, always sticking to her plan and doing it the way she wanted.

This year, due to the pandemic, the restaurant took a different route offering a weekly pre-fixe lunch available only on Fridays. To get a reservation, log on the Wednesday before your desired Friday at 8am And access the online farmers market . If you’re like me you’ll want to scroll through all the beautiful photos of veggies at the market but you need to stay focused! Reservations sell out in minutes, there is no time to waste so put your reservations in your cart and check out quickly. (Reservations are on the last page- don’t scroll through the entire site- you’ll never make it through).

The Friday lunch is called a picnic but that definition doesn’t even begin to serve it justice. It was a beautiful, thoughtfully plated multi-course experience at socially distanced- outdoor tables. Wine and drinks can be purchased at a little stand, and the server will bring it to your table. You can also purchase a signed copy of her cookbook so you can cook Maine recipes all year long!