spectacularly reincarnated brick mansion, The Francis (formerly the Mellen E. Bolster House). With executive Chef Nicolas Ver- disco at the helm, Bolster Snow provides guests with warm, genuine hospitality, gra- cious service, and fiercely seasonal food and drink that are representative of the North- east Region. 747 Congress St. Portland, 772- 7485, thefrancismaine.com Bruno’s Voted Portland’s Best Italian Restaurant by Market Surveys of America, Bruno’s offers a delicious variety of classic Italian, American, and seafood dishes–and they make all of their pasta in-house. Great sandwiches, pizza, calzones, soups, chowders, and salads. Enjoy lunch or dinner in the dining room or the Tavern. Casual dining at its best. 33 Allen Ave., 878-9511. Bull Feeney’s Authentic Irish pub & restaurant, serving delicious from-scratch sandwiches, steaks, seafood & hearty Irish fare, pouring local craft & premium imported brews, plus Maine’s most extensive selection of single malt Scotch & Irish whiskeys. Live music five nights. Open 7 days, 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m. Kitchen closes at 10 p.m. 375 Fore St. 773-7210, bullfeeneys.com. Congress Bar and Grill Serving Portlanders delicious food and beers for years! Fully embrace Portland’s laid back,no frills attitude. Try Thai chili wings and the best fries in the city while vintage game shows play on-screen.Happy hour everyday 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. & 10 p.m.- 12 a.m.Late night menu Fri & Sat. Open 7 days,11:30 a.m.to 1 a.m.,617 Congress St.,Portland 828-9944 The Corner Room features bright, wide- open space complemented by handcraft- ed woodwork. Patrons can expect a warm, comfortable atmosphere, marked by the rich aromas of house-made pastas, pizzas, antipasti and artisanal breads. Enjoy the taste of Venice in the heart of Portland, ME! 879-4747, 110 Exchange Street. Visit thecornerroomkitchenandbar.com. El Corazon Mexican food from the heart. Authentic family recipes passed down through generations, plus an “oversized tequila selection.” Try Portland’s own “Mar- isco”- a Mexican seafood cocktail of shrimp, bay scallops, clams, octopus, and, naturally, Maine lobster. Open lunch and dinner, Mon.-Thur. 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. till 11:00 p.m.;Sun. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. 190 State St. Portland. elcorazonportland.com, 536-1354 Fish Bones American Grill offers creatively prepared American cuisine along the canal in the historic Bates Mill complex in the heart of downtown Lewiston. Open seven days, offering dinner Monday through Sunday, lunch Monday through Friday, and brunch on Sundays. Come get hooked at 70 Lincoln Street, Bates Mill No. 6! fishbonesmaine.com, 333-3663. Homage Restaurant dazzles with scratch- made, hand-crafted food and cocktails. Tuck into our mushroom tarts, Mom’s Fried Chicken, Steak “Wellington,” Steak and Scallops, Squash and Beans, Gingersnap J u ly / a u g u st 2 0 1 8 1 2 5 Restaurant Review from top: courtesy photo; colin sargent Two for the Show It’s a farm-to-table- to-theater affair at Joshua’s in Wells. By Colin W. Sargent W e’re driving down Route 1 in the balmy afterglow. It’s one of those precious evenings in Maine when the idea of staying in is just not on the table. We have tickets for an 8 p.m. performance at Hackmatack Play- house in Berwick, but we’re in Wells, on the coast. Earlier in the day, we’d decid- ed to check out Joshua’s–we’d heard good things about this Revolutionary War-era tavern that’s getting raves for its farm-to- table fare. But when we called for reserva- tions, we got a message: they’d call us back within 24 hours. Yikes. Who has 24 hours? So we just head down Route 1, figuring we’ll find something along the way, when there it is, perfectly located at 1637 Post Road, right before the turnoff to Route 9 and Berwick. This 1774 Colonial landmark was pur- chased in 2004 for $372,000, according to the town of Wells, and after extensive reno- vations was transformed into what is now Joshua’s. Barbara Mather, one of the own- ers, says the name comes from her son, Joshua Mather, who is the chef and part owner and “why we’re here.” Right away we can see Joshua’s is in ascension, because, early on a Wednesday and early in the sea- son, the parking lot is full. While they have no openings until 7:30 (that isn’t going to work), the bar is open with a full menu and a birds-eye ma- ple counter. We have front-row seats with views of the drinks getting launched by a very efficient bartender, who chats as she works. It’s impossible not to order the deli- cious fresh Strawberry Cosmo, where she scoops the luscious berries from a bowl and muddles them right in front of us. No pre- mix here. The pale rose elixir lights up the room. Looking around, we see this drink is a big hit. After enjoying the house-made Anada- ma Bread (molasses, fruit, and nuts) and fo- caccia, we choose Peekytoe Crab Cakes and the Arugula Salad as starters. The crab cakes are toothsome, with a crunchy crust and dill aioli, but the salad, garnished with bacon, pickled onions, and shaved Parmesan dressed with a truffle-oil vinaigrette, is even better. “The arugula is grown on our farm off Bald Hill Road,” the bar- tender tells us. “Just eight miles up the road.” It’s a per- fect balance of salty, sweet, ac- id, and pungence, the arugula incredibly fresh. We split a bottle of Argyle pinot noir from Oregon’s Wil-