Blue Sky and Sunshine Sauce (York, Maine)

Chef Lydia Shire has opened her first Maine restaurant, on the second floor of the former Atlantic House Hotel in York Beach. Still under construction, the massive restoration will ultimately house a half-dozen condos, the Blue Sky Restaurant, a couple of shops and Clara's Cupcake Cafe and Bakery.

Both the decor and menu are unique in the Maine landscape. The restaurant can seat 146 patrons, plus 60 more on the deck. For those familiar with Portland, Maine restaurants, that's like putting Hugo's, Bresca and Fore Street together under the same roof. Inside it feels more like a Boston restaurant than anything you will find in Maine: modern, airy and open, with tall ceilings, industrial piping, a large fireplace, wooden tables and comfortable cream colored chairs and banquettes. Patrons can sit at the food bar that circles the wood burning oven and watch as their meal is prepared, or take a seat at the bar in the lounge that can be closed off for noise control when watching the game.

We started with glasses of Liberty School '05 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles ($9.50), a standing favorite since visiting the region. As we sipped our wine and perused the menu, I inquired about any "signature dishes." The waitress quickly directed us to the Lobster Pizza ($24) that used to be featured on the menu of Lydia Shire's famed Boston restaurant, BIBA. Succulent is the best adjective to describe this pie, a thin "fried dough" crust, topped with chopped scallions, fresh parsley, sauteed onions, smoked ricotta, an abundance of lobster, and drizzled with a lobster cream sauce. My mouth is watering from the memory of this dish that was so divine, it made the list of my "Top 10 Food Experiences of 2007."

The Hogue '06 Reisling ($8) paired exceptionally well with the sweet apple mashed potatoes that accompanied my husband's Sugarcane Roast Chicken ($24). The poultry was moist, but lacked flavor; we expected something a bit more interesting when the waitress said it was prepared with Asian spices and soy sauce.

Though the Pappardelle Pasta with Blue Hubbard Squash and Pumpkin Seed Brittle ($22) was tempting (and recommended by our waitress), I opted for the Maple Roasted Scottish Salmon in Parsnip Stew ($28). Lacking pizazz, the wild salmon was set in a bowl containing thin parsnip broth,boiled pearl onions, baby carrots and subtly spiced with rosemary and nutmeg.

At the suggestion of our waitress, we ordered a side of Twice Fried String Beans w/ Ginger Juice ($7), only to be notified that they were out of green beans. I shrugged it off and ordered the only other vegetable side on the menu, the "Big Broccoli" ($7), but my husband commented that since beans are one of only two vegetables on the menu, and not all that expensive, it would be prudent to have an abundance on hand. I see his point. Intrigued by the sound of the Hot Raised Potato Doughnut with Lyles Golden Syrup ($4), our waitress suggested that this fried concoction might be too sweet with our dinners, so we opted for the grown-up version of Tater Tots with Green Onion ($6).

The Steamed Chocolate Cake was remarkably moist, a dense and rich pudding-like consistency, the cake was infused with a shot of coffee and served atop "sunshine sauce", a cream sauce with a splash of bourbon. The bread and desserts are made on premise each day; the pastry chef will soon be opening a bakery on the first floor of the Atlantic House.

Open only two short months, there are still some kinks that need to be worked out. While our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, water and wine glasses were not filled in a timely fashion, twice the busboys tried to clear my plate moments after I had begun eating (don't put down your fork at this restaurant!), and it took nearly 20 minutes after we were seated for bread to be delivered to our table. With no hot water in either the mens' or ladies' bathrooms, one wonders how the chefs are able to adequately sanitize their hands before engaging in food preparation. My final suggestion is that the television in the bar area be placed so that patrons enjoying an expensive meal in the dining room do not feel like they are at their local pub.

Is this a destination from Portland? With the abundance of restaurants within a short drive, probably not. Most of the patrons frequenting Blue Sky are from Boston, Portsmouth and the surrounding York County communities. If you live or are vacationing in the area, it is worth a stop. I found the menu to be a refreshing change from those I see at most high-end restaurants, with interesting and unique offerings that you just don't see elsewhere.

When you visit Blue Sky, leave your diet at the door and make sure you try the Lobster Pizza.