Fuel - Lewiston, Maine

The orange Veuve Clicquot umbrellas lining the Lisbon Street sidewalk outside Fuel look out of place against the run down facades of the surrounding buildings.

Lisbon Street, home to Fuel, is undergoing a transformation of sorts. One by one, the buildings are being restored and aesthetically enhanced, as Eric Agren has done with the historic building that houses his restaurant.

Inside Fuel, the burnt orange walls and Parisian-themed artwork add warmth to the otherwise industrial warehouse feel - or as the website calls it - "Urban Cozy." The front half of the restaurant houses a roomy bar area with comfortable leather chairs, couches and a television set situated for viewing by bar patrons only. The rear half of the space is reserved for diners to quietly enjoy their meals. Cloth tablecloths are covered with butcher paper which makes clearing the table easy, but lends a rather cheap feel to the otherwise upscale atmosphere.

Reservations are easy to make using OpenTable. The restaurant seats approximately 50 patrons and on the Tuesday night we dined, we were surprised to find that half the restaurant was filled. I love restaurants where the owners are on-premise, as is the case with Fuel. Carrie Agren greeted us warmly and showed us to our table, while Eric acted as the bartender/sommelier. Both are energetic, friendly and seem to sincerely enjoy catering to their guests.

I feel compelled to issue this public service announcement to the men who dine at Fuel. Beware that each time the bathroom door opens, you are on full display when using the urinal, as it is positioned right inside the door. It must be something about Lewiston restaurants - Fish Bones had the same problem when we dined there last - only it was even worse because they didn't have a door on the bathroom entrance!

The beer selection is rather limited; my husband was hoping for a white ale which they did not have. Instead he enjoyed the Blue Moon, a Belgian style wheat beer. The wine-by-the-glass selection is more plentiful and moderately priced between $5 and $9, while most bottles range in price from $22 to $40. The owner informed us that he often brings in wine makers for special wine tasting dinners, closing the entire restaurant. I am looking forward to returning for one of these upcoming events.

We enjoyed the soft music playing in the background as we perused the menu, quickly deciding on the "Feed Me Justin." For only $35, you can tell the wait staff about any food allergies, preferences and dislikes, and Chef Justin Oliver (formerly of the now-closed Bandol and Commisary restaurants) will prepare a customized four course tasting. We selected the optional wine pairing for only $15 more. That's not a typo. $15 wine pairing fee for four full glasses wine. And no, it does not come from a box.

The first course was a Grilled Peach Salad with Prima Donna (mild cow's milk) cheese. The juicy peach, grilled and still slightly warm, was set alongside a bed of baby red and green leaf lettuce that had been dressed with a slightly sweet vinaigrette. The salty mild cheese contrasted the fruit and greens in taste and texture, without being overpowering. Fruit-forward, light and refreshing, the accompanying French-style Rose Grenache blend paired beautifully with the salad.

Eric poured us two different wines to enjoy with our second course. The first, a 2003 Trimbach Riesling was surprisingly crisp, with subtle undertones of fresh apple. The second was a fantastic medium-bodied Torbreck Semillon. I prefer citrusy whites, while my husband likes them buttery. The Torbreck is the perfect compromise for us, blending both qualities into a single wine.

Our next course was delivered to the table by Chef Justin himself. Salmon was oven roasted and finished with a red pepper and caper white wine sauce. The moist fish, sweet roasted red peppers, salty capers and ultra thin slivers of grilled radishes created a well balanced combination of flavors and textures. Incidentally, we preferred the Semillion pairing with this dish because of its ability to stand up to the complexity of flavors.

Perfectly cooked paddy pan squash, baby carrots and bok choy sat alongside chicken that had been marinated in a light molasses broth. So tender and moist, it literally fell off the bone. The chicken was paired with an exquisite Eberle Zinfandel from one of my favorite wine regions - Paso Robles. Jammy and rich, this wine had the most beautiful color and played well off the molasses.

The Devil's Food cake, made with fresh, local cherries, was much too dry, and the accompanying tawny port was too young and lacked refinement. Fortunately we were full from the prior three courses and had plenty of wine thanks to Eric's generous pours throughout the evening!

Our visit to Fuel exceeded our expectations. The service is excellent, the cuisine is creative, and the price points are far below what I would expect to pay for the quality of food and wine we experienced. While I wouldn't routinely go out of my way to drive from Portland for dinner at Fuel, I would surely be a regular if I lived in the area and will definitely make it a point to dine there again when I am in town.