David Ross, Merilee Paul Opening Abbondante May 22

The husband-and-wife owners of 50 Local and Owen's Farmhouse have partnered with the Kennebunkport Resort Collection for what will be their third Kennebunk restaurant, Abbondante. In the building (once an old barn) that formerly housed Grissini (at right), Abbondante has a large stone fireplace, a communal table, a cocktail bar upstairs and a terrace with outdoor seating. On the menu: Italian dishes that range from comfort food classics like meatball heroes and lasagna, as well as more sophisticated dishes such as tagliatelle with hazelnut brown butter, rabbit confit, spinach and chevre, according to a press release. There will also be wood-grilled pizza. "The restaurant will have its own organic tomato garden, where we will grow five different types of tomatoes and then use for our house tomato sauce, which comes from a recipe passed down through my family for generations," said Ross.

The Kennebunkport Resort Collection has also recently collaborated with Portland chef David Turin to open David's Kennebunkport and David's Opus Ten at the new Boathouse Hotel & Marina on May 15.

· Kennebunkport Resort Collection [Official Site]
· A New David's, David's Opus Ten In Kennebunkport [-EaterMaine-]

[Photo: Kennebunkport Getaways]