Edna And Lucy's Is 'Excellent', New Look At Local 188

Edna and Lucy's in Pownal. [Photo: Cute Potato blog]

Edna and Lucy's, a quaint lunch spot in tiny Pownal Center, outside of Freeport, is proclaimed an "excellent cafe" by Nancy Heiser, who gives it four stars in The Portland Press Herald.

Edna and Lucy's brings a salient characteristic of fine dining establishments to lunch food, and it's this: Thoughtful combinations that elevate the ordinary. Sure, iceberg lettuce and tomato are fine, but capers on an egg salad sandwich inspire a little more excitement. This is how we eat now.

Not all is fine dining-inspired however. Heiser's sole complaint is the fact that the "great food" is served in aluminum containers with plastic utensils, but acknowledges the effect "dishwashing and silverware" would have on the low prices.

Joe Ricchio makes it a point to get to Local 188, a favorite late-night haunt, while the kitchen is still open, so he can re-familiarize himself with the menu. In a review for Maine Magazine's Eat Maine blog, he starts with house-cured charcuterie while browsing the wine list and settling in.

Despite being fairly large, Local manages to achieve a cozy, lived-in feel, which is aided by dim lighting and an eclectic assortment of artifacts and comfy furniture.

Moving on through a fall-flavored menu, in which almost every dish, has some form of apple, he concludes "The menu has matured over time, with flavor profiles and technique alike becoming more refined and focused."

Find your perfect Portland spot for brunch with Dan Zarin's handy guide in this month's The Bollard. Among the "categories":

"I want someplace legitimately local. As in, no tourists." Go to Artemisia Café (61 Pleasant St., Portland). Order anything. Biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros, cinnamon graham French toast? you can't go wrong, it's all good. And, by the way, a lot of tourists are nice people, and some of them read this column sometimes. So lighten up, OK?

· Edna And Lucy's Serves Lunch Like Grandma Used To Make [PPH]
· Local 188 [Eat Maine blog]
· The Breakfast Serial: Answers To FAQS [TB]

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Local 188

685 Congress Street, , ME 04102 (207) 761-7909 Visit Website

Edna and Lucy's

407 Hallowell Rd., Pownal, ME