s e p t e m B e r 2 0 1 8 1 1 1 rE ta ra t rE iE photos By meaghan maurice third ti es another char er or che cara stadler. at 3 Spring Street Magic by Claire z CraMer land’s beloved Bao Bao Dumpling House in 2015. Lio arrives with a unique—and non- Asian—menu. Lio’s a wine-taster’s dream, with more than 30 wines—most, but not all, from Eu- rope—offered by the glass ($10 to $18) or half-glass ($5 to $9). The bar is rigged with a Napa Technology wine preservation sys- tem that allows them to open expensive bottles and offer them by the glass without degradation to the quality in the bottle. The glass-encased wine room at the top of the stairs is quite a sight. The menu is a celebration of local sea- food, meat, and vegetables. We share as- paragus that tastes just-picked ($12). The grilled-marked* spears, dressed with tart beurre noisette, sit on a bright swoosh of puréed asparagus. Tiny cubes of vinegary boquerones and piped dabs of whipped butter, which we capture with bits of ba- guette, are nicely contrasting garnishes. We follow with Summer Squash and Shrimp ($10). Behind this simple name hides cool poached shrimp dressed in dill, parsley, tarragon aioli with a bit of lemon. This herby salad is concealed in a roll of mandoline-sliced and marinated zucchi- ni and yellow squash slices. It’s colorful, in- ventive, and so summery. As we graze, we sample a fruity white Insolia from Sicily’s Feudo Principi di Butera, a Steininger rosé from Austria, and a nicely astrin- U p a short flight of stairs over- looking the city in motion, we dis- cover the wizardry of Lio, chef/res- taurateur and three-time James Beard Ris- ing Star Chef award nominee Cara Stadler’s newest restaurant. With high ceilings, non-stop plate-glass windows, and curvy wrought-iron-tube chandeliers, it’s like be- ing up in a chic treehouse. A serpentine bar with lots of low- backed, upholstered stools dominates the center of the main dining room, where we’re shown to a great table at a window overlooking Spring. There’s also outdoor patio seating and a smaller dining room on the other side of the huge open kitchen. We spot chef/owner Cara Stadler in spotless whites, looking se- rene and smiling as always, among her busy kitchen team. She and her mother, Cecile Stadler, opened the acclaimed Asian-fusion Tao Yuan in Brunswick in 2012, and Port-