Press Herald Critic Gives Three Stars to The Good Table, an Old-School Treat in Cape Elizabeth

The New York Times has a restaurant report on The Lost Kitchen and its Eater Award-winning chef Erin French. The piece traces French's origins and the multiple forms The Lost Kitchen has taken, which culminated in its current form in French's hometown of Freedom.

The food and decor are described as "both rustic and refined," and the menu changes daily to reflect "the freshest ingredients" from area farmers, including French's own staff.

Deep-fried chicken featured a tried-and-true Kellogg's Cornflakes crust and meat that was not only local but pasture-raised by one of the waitresses on duty. In fact, Ms. French said, her entire staff consists of the people who grow the food: 'If you want good help, hire female farmers.'

French also got around Prohibition-era alcohol laws by creating "a store under the mill that sells wine and beer at cost;" naturally, The Lost Kitchen allows customers to BYOB. The piece notes that the restaurant will be "open until New Year's, then closed through April, while Ms. French writes a cookbook to be published in early 2016."

Elsewhere in Maine, The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth receives three stars from Press Herald critic James Schwartz, who advises sticking "to the basics" when ordering. That includes a generous appetizer of "Irish-style" mussels; clam chowder; haddock chowder; a burger; Greek-style baked fish; steak; and pork chops. The honey-ginger-pumpkin pie, a seasonal dessert, is one of the only dishes Schwartz heartily recommends that has an unexpected element.

With "track lighting, Frank Sinatra" tunes playing, and classic comfort food, the critic contends the restaurant "may not be surprising or innovative, but it is reassuring and familiar. Or, as the sign says out front: 'Honest food. Honest prices.'"