Mia's at Pepperell Square - Saco, Maine

Mia's is the new kid on the block...opening last month in the former Lily Moon storefront in Saco's Pepperell Square. The owner is the former chef of Windows on the Water. Mia is his daughter and her photo graces the wall at the entrance.

Open for brunch and dinner every day except Monday, they are already drawing a crowd. The interior has been redone with teak floors (beautiful to look at, but a tough surface to rest a table without wobble issues), wooden tables, comfortable chairs and a red booth that runs along one wall. Bar seating is available for two couples. The restaurant is cozy and intimate, seating 25-30 people.

The night I went they were still waiting for their liquor license so I brought a bottle of one of my California favorites - J Pinot Noir. By the time you read this they should have their licenses and plan to have both beer and wine. I took a sneak peak at their wine list and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

In addition to the traditional menu, they have a $30 prix fixe menu with three courses (there are a few choices for each course). The Roasted Squash Bisque was nicely spiced with nutmeg, brandy and leaks. The Brandied Lobster Stew was a little thin and light on the lobster chunks for my taste. The Pan Fried Cod Cakes were the hit of the appetizers we selected. Perfectly golden cod cakes, filled with diced red onion, celery, red pepper and parsley and paired with a spicy jalapeno lime aioli.

Mia's has a few kinks to work out on the service front. When I asked if the restaurant had any signature dishes, the young man read me the specials. We sat for about 10 minutes while he located a corkscrew and wine glasses. Maybe another 10 minutes while we waited for the bottled water. I noticed bread on another table and asked for some because he forgot to bring it. When the bread was re-filled, the chive butter was not and we got tired of waiting for him to come by to ask for more, so we finally settled for dry bread, which is not made on premise but probably should be as it tasted stale. Better yet, truck it in from Standard or One Fifty Ate.

For the entrees, my friend had Confit of Duck served with roasted beet papardelle and roasted vegetables. She enjoyed the dish, but commented that the pasta was too thick and doughy, yet cooked al dente so it ended up being very chewy. The same was true of the house made fettuccine in my Shrimp Fettuccine. I make my own pasta so I know how good it can be...the chef should put the dough through the roller on a finer setting to improve the texture. The Shrimp did not taste fresh; it was sauteed and would have been better char-grilled. The abundant use of sun dried tomatoes became tiresome about half-way through the dish.

Another friend had the Tenderloin of Pork, roasted with apples, red onion, fennel and roasted potatoes. When I asked him how it was, he chewed thoughtfully for quite some time, trying to discern an adjective appropriate for the dish. Finally he said, "All I can say is that it is good. There is nothing extraordinary about the dish. It's not a great cut of pork, but it's not terrible either. It is cooked adequately, neither dry nor particularly moist." Ok, moving on. My husband had the Seared Shrimp with butternut squash orzo risotto, roasted tomatoes and sage butter sauce - the best of the entrees we tried that evening, with the risotto being particularly flavorful.

Desserts are made fresh daily. We sampled the Creme Brulee, the White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce and the Pumpkin Cheesecake. All tasty, none memorable - except for the size...for $7 these desserts were huge.

Mia's earns extra points for the copper salt shaker and pepper grinders on each table. Fresh ground pepper can really enhance a dish and there is nothing more frustrating then a restaurant with only one or two grinders in the whole place and having to wait while your dinner gets cold.

The food establishments in the Biddeford/Saco are are improving, as evidenced by the emergence of Mia's. Drive down the main street in Biddeford and you will see a variety of ethnic dining establishments - Chinese, Thai, Mexican (try Bebe's for fresh wraps & burritos at lunch) and Indian - a nice contrast to the chain eateries that are also starting to permeate the landscape in York County.

Mia's has room to improve -and I suspect they will. For now, it won't draw a crowd from Greater Portland - but it is an excellent option for those residing in the Saco, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach footprint.

Bon Appetit - and keep those restaurant suggestions coming!