This past fall I heard about Freedom, Maine’s unique restaurant, The Lost Kitchen. Reservations here are harder to get than tickets to Hamilton! No joke. Chef Erin French has been wowing patrons at her 40 seat establishment in an old grist mill for a few years now. Her restaurant is only open 4 nights a week from May through New Year’s eve; when reservations opened on April 1st, 2017 for the season, she booked all her spots for the entire season on the very first day! She’s gotten some excellent press in the last year from the likes of Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Martha Stewart, adding to the fervor to experience her culinary artistry.
With last year’s crazy reservation process lingering in her mind, Erin French chose to go a little more old-school for reservations this year. Want to dine at The Lost Kitchen in 2018? Find a notecard, envelope, and a stamp, because reservations are accepted BY MAIL ONLY!
I find the new process utterly charming and perfectly fitting for everything she’s made The Lost Kitchen out to be. It fits. I’m planning on sending my card off to Maine at the designated time, crossing my fingers, and hoping I get a call to schedule a reservation.
(Photos from The Lost Kitchen website and Instagram page)
Want to know more about Erin and what makes The Lost Kitchen so special? Check out the following articles about TLK:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/dining/the-lost-kitchen-maine-erin-french.html
https://www.themainemag.com/eat/the-lost-kitchen/
http://www.themarthablog.com/2017/09/a-visit-to-the-lost-kitchen-in-freedom-maine.html
Now, most importantly, you want to know how to send in a postcard for yourself, right? Read all the details in the PDF. Go to The Lost Kitchen‘s Website, and click on 2018 reservations. https://www.findthelostkitchen.com/
Then simply download the PDF file you’ll see in the bottom left corner of your screen. “TLK 2018 Reservation Process” All the details are there! It’s a five page document, so make sure you read through it carefully. The most important thing to note is that cards will only be accepted from April 1 through April 10. Don’t mail it early! Cards postmarked prior to March 31st will be rejected.
Good luck to all my foodie friends out there! I hope you have a chance to find culinary bliss at The Lost Kitchen this season in Maine!
And just in case you don’t end up being one of the lucky chosen ones who gets to experience The Lost Kitchen this season, Erin French now has a cookbook out! You can purchase a signed copy of “The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine” right from her website. It’s filled with sumptuous, beautiful recipes lovingly curated from Erin’s own kitchen.