Questions answered

Questions answered

How late do you serve?

We would like to have you seated by 9:30 but during the week off season if you are coming in without a reservation, you should call ahead to make sure. We will close earlier if there is no one in the restaurant.

Can you accomodate a gluten free diet?

Yes. Many of our dishes are gluten free and some can be adjusted though not all. Your server can help you with this.

What is your email address?

I don't have our email address on the site because we can't handle reservations that way. I also don't want the spam it might generate. If you want to correspond through email, leave your email address on the Guest Book page. I will send you an email and erase your email address the day I see it.

Do you have non-alcoholic wine?

We have a sparkling cider and non-alcoholic beer. When I want to go that route I ask for cranberry juice in a wine glass.

Do you do rehearsal dinners?

Sorry, the largest party we take is 8.

Is the menu the same in winter and summer?

Yes, the menu on the site is our current menu. While the vegetables change somewhat seasonally the dishes are the same. We always recommend that you not get locked into one dish as working with fresh food can be tricky and we do occasionally run out of items.

Why don't you take Amex and Discover?

Primarily because they hold onto our money longer. That causes bookkeeping problems as well as cash flow problems. They also charge higher fees. We operate with a low profit margin because we want to be affordable. We try to avoid extras costs that are not necessary for the quality of the dining experience that is our goal to provide.

Will you have the lobster pie this year?

Josh took the lobster pie off the regular menu a) because he can't always get it and b) it doesn't sell well enough in the winter causing him to have to throw out expensive food. It was on the features menu most nights last summer. When you call several days in advance to make your reservation I suggest you ask about the lobster pie and indicate that you would really appreciate it if it was on the menu. Barbara will tell you, "I'll pass that on to the chef but there are no guarantees." We always do our best to make our customers happy but--no guarantees.

Haddock may not be on the regular menu March through May. During this period it has been very difficult for Josh to get the high quality fresh haddock he requires because the fish are spawning and little fishing for them is done. Rest assured there will always be a fish dish on the menu.

I would like to get a gift certificate for my parents but I live too far away to come by.

You can order gift certificates over the phone and put it on Visa or Master Card. We will mail gift certificates either to you or to whom ever you designate. Call 207-646-3355. If we are not there to answer the phone, leave a message and we will call you back. We charge $2 for postage and handeling. In December we make an effort to be available to answer the phone Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 9pm. Calls before 5 are easier for us to handle.

How far in advance do I need to make a reservation?

This is a moving target as our popularity is growing fairly rapidly. Off season (November-April) availability on Saturdays between 6:30 and 7:30 fills up about two weeks in advance. You can usually get a table for before 5:30 or after 8:30 by calling before noon on Saturday. The same goes for holiday nights. The most popular times on Friday fill up later in the week and there are usually a few tables available when we begin service Friday.

We are getting increasingly busy during the week. It is unusual for someone without a reservation to have to wait for a table but it does happen so reservations are recommended for any evening.

In summer weeknights are not much different from Saturday.

Can I come if I don’t have a reservation?

Sure. We don’t take reservations for the bar and we keep one table unreserved. On the busiest nights the bar and walk-in table will generally be taken before 6 which means there will be a turnover along about 7.

Do you have restaurants in any other locations?

No.

Where do you get the vegetables when the garden shuts down?

Onions, winter squash, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts and cabbage from the garden will supply Josh through fall and into the winter. He buys salad greens from Lisa Turner in Freeport. Her organic greenhouses are heated with oil from restaurants that have fried food. http://laughingstockfarm.com

We get organic potatoes and other root crops from Wood Prairie Farm in northern Maine. http://woodprairie.com

Other vegetables come from conventional sources.

Where do you get your coffee?

Coffee By Design in Portland. http://coffeebydesign.com

Where did the chef go to school?

Josh is self-taught. He grew up in a house where all the meals were made from scratch. He also saw his mother and father baking deserts that we sold to restaurants between Ogunquit and Portland. (He now makes the fudge pie and maple walnut pie from his mother’s original recipes.) He’s been working in restaurants since he was 14. Most importantly, food is his passion. A story by Barbara about Josh in the kitchen when he was six can be found in the stories section.Some of our stories

Why don't you have business card drawings?

We don't have any special prices. We hope everyone enjoys our every night reasonable prices..

Your brochure says you are open year round but you were closed when I called. What's up with that?

We are a hands-on owner-operated restaurant. We have to close down if we are to have a vacation. Our current plan is to close for the first 12 days of November and the first 12 days of March. We post vacation days in the restaurant and on the web site. While we are on vacation our telephone message will tell you when we will be back. We apologize for any inconvenience but if we don't take some breaks, we won't last long. Unforseen events that would cause us to close are also possible so we always recommend you call ahead.

Where did your chairs come from?

We got them from a company in Lewiston Maine. They were more expensive than we could have done elsewhere but we figured it was highly unlikely that anyone from China (the country not the Maine town) would ever spend money in our restaurant. It was just part of our ethic, besides they are really nice chairs Unfortunately Bradco has since gone out of business.

Why is a restaurant of your caliber located in Wells?

Josh was born here and Barbara and I have lived here since 1972. Also there are lots of wonderful people in the area who appreciate what we are doing.