Erin French on Maine, the Lost Kitchen, and a Mammoth Cross-Country Road Trip
Jul 18, 2024
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Erin French, owner of The Lost Kitchen in Maine, shares her unique dining experience with a challenging reservation process. She discusses her new cooking and travel show where she road trips across the US, seeking inspiration and sharing meals with farmers and chefs.
The Lost Kitchen reservation process adds exclusivity and anticipation for diners, resembling a lottery.
Embarking on a cross-country culinary journey exposes Erin French to diverse flavors and experiences.
Deep dives
The Origins of The Lost Kitchen
Erin, the chef and owner of The Lost Kitchen, shares the accidental beginnings of her restaurant in Freedom, Maine. Despite initially trying to escape Maine, Erin found herself drawn back to the state's natural beauty and rich food sources. The Lost Kitchen opened in 2014 and has evolved into a unique dining experience with a changing daily menu, set in a picturesque location next to a waterfall, providing guests with a memorable and intimate dining experience.
Innovative Reservation System at The Lost Kitchen
Erin discusses the unconventional way guests secure a reservation at The Lost Kitchen. By receiving around 60,000 postcards annually for only 500 tables available per season, the reservation process is likened to a lottery. The approach adds a sense of exclusivity and anticipation for diners, reflecting the restaurant's commitment to creating a special and sought-after dining experience.
Traveling for Inspiration and Creativity
Erin embarks on a cross-country journey in a 26-foot Airstream with her husband for her new show, Getting Lost, seeking culinary inspiration and creativity. The trip covers 10,000 miles in three months, exposing Erin to diverse flavors and experiences across different states. By tasting unique foods, meeting local creators, and embracing new surroundings, Erin explores the essence of ingredients and memories that shape her culinary identity, reinforcing the importance of continual learning and discovery in the culinary world.
Each year, Erin French receives 60,000 postcards from people asking if they can dine at her Maine restaurant The Lost Kitchen. “It really becomes a luck of the draw lottery. We have big post office bins that arrive and we literally reach in, we grab a postcard, we call that person immediately and say, ‘Okay, when do you want to come?’” This episode, Erin shares with Lale what it’s like to experience her beloved restaurant, now in its 11th season, and spills on her new cooking and travel show on Max, Getting Lost With Erin French, which sees the chef road trip across the US in search of new ingredients and inspiration, and sharing meals with Texas farmers, New Orleans chefs, and more.