Maine Diner watercolor by Diner Don Sawyer
The Maine E-vent   Issue #7,  January 2010 
U. S.  Route  One  Wells, Maine 
Restaurateur of the Year Award
 In the Spotlight: The Maine Diner Awarded 2010 Restaurateur of the Year!!!
 

The Henry Family and the staff of the Maine Diner recently received one of the most prestigious culinary awards in the state by the Maine Restaurant Association: the 2010 Restaurateur of the Year Award.  The Henry's will officially be presented with the award Tuesday, March 30th at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.

"We were stunned...this is just incredible," Maine Diner Co-Owner Myles Henry said. "It is not just us that are deserving of this award. It is our entire staff as well. Every day each person here demonstrates a commitment to excellence and works as a team."

Myles and his brother Dick, (the other co-owner of the Diner,) and his son Derek were on-hand to receive the award. Maine Diner General Manager Jim MacNeill staged a surprise visit from Maine Restaurant Association President and CEO Richard Grotton in December, much to the jaw-dropping amazement of the Henrys.

"Our organization found the Henry Family and the Maine Diner to be very deserving of this award. The award is based on nominations, how long a business is a member of the association, their contributions to our organization, their local reputation and how the community feels about the business. On all counts the Maine Diner received the highest accolades," Grotton said.

The Henrys say they continue to be "happily overwhelmed" with the Diner's success: it was just a year ago they celebrated service to their 5 Millionth Customer on the heels of their 25th Silver Anniversary in the business, which was capped off by a special visit from Governor John Baldacci. Bright news is on the horizon as well: recently the Maine Diner was chosen to showcase its hallmark seafood chowder in their first visit to the New Orleans Food Festival this spring.

 "We have a successful formula we will never change: treat each guest with the hospitality we would extend to those coming into our own home and serve them the best home-cooking possible with fast and friendly service at a great price," Henry said. "When the positive hits keep on coming, we won't mess with our success!"

Reminder: Mid-winter Break for the Maine Diner January 5th-14th
 

 At the close of a bustling season and after the holiday stampede we here at the Maine Diner typically take a short break after New Year's to re-paint the restaurant and rejuvenate our batteries for the upcoming 2010 season ahead.
 
As a result, we will be closed Tuesday, January 5, 2010 and will re-open for breakfast on Friday, January 15, 2010 bright and early at 7 a.m.
 

The entire Maine Diner Family is looking forward to greeting you in 10 days. Our $1 coffee will be piping hot and a warm meal awaits you!

Big Fun in the Big Easy: Maine Diner to Participate in the New Orleans Roadfood Festival in March!

     We are thrilled and humbled to have been selected to participate in the 2010 New Orleans Roadfood Festival, neworleansroadfoodfestival.com,taking place Friday, March 26th through Sunday, March 28th in the BIG EASY. The event is being hosted by famed food authors Jane and Michael Stern, roadfood.com, in conjunction with the New Orleans Convention Company and promises to be a spectacular weekend of great food and fun. Last year, in its inaugural year, the event the drew 20,000.

     While the weekend will be filled with Cajun music and exciting culinary events such as a crawfish boil,  the highlight will be the Street Festival that will showcase twenty-four of the Sterns favorite restaurants.  Half the restaurants will be from the New Orleans area, while the reamining participants will be from all over the country  -the best of the best - from Maine to Arizona and Minnesota to the Carolinas.  The Maine Diner was asked to serve up its famous seafood chowder that has captured the hearts and taste buds of many visitors and famous food critics.

 "We envision this event continuing for many years, and possibly in other cities as well,"  said Michael Stern.  Michael and Jane Stern have earned the prestigious James Beard Journalism Award three times for their monthly column in Gourmet Magazine, and are also weekly contributors to "The Splendid Table" on National Public Radio.

     We will post any pertinent information on our website and on facebook as we inch closer to the actual date! 
 
 
 
In This Issue
Diner Break
Big Fun in the Big Easy!
Join us on Facebook!
Become
a Fan and Tweet! Or Both!
  

Maine Diner Fans... stay in tune with the latest and greatest Diner happenings on both Facebook and Twitter this winter!

 Cabin fever got you down? Tap into these sites and you'll see hot coffee is just a buck a cup all winter, giving you a good excuse to head out the door! Also in store in the coming months are free giveaways, surprise announcements and interesting regular updates to make any Diner diehard happy. So come join the fun and see what the buzz is all about!




 Follow us on Twitter!
 
Become a fan on Facebook!
 
Quick Links

Gary Pike Day charity is a success at The Maine Diner   
 

While the winter weather outside might have been a bit frightful, community spirit indoors was warm and glowing as the Maine Diner, the Portland Pirates and our loyal patrons teamed up to raise $2,100 at our 13th Annual Gary Pike Day December 2, 2009. All proceeds from the day's food sales were awarded to "Gary's House," a hospitality home located at 97 State St. in Portland. This site houses family members or individuals who have a loved one receiving medical treatment in any greater Portland area hospital.

 

New this year were festive visits from the Portland Pirates ice hockey team mascot "Crackers," and the Mercy Hospital Bear, offering free giveaways and a chance to win an official Portland Pirates jersey.

 

The Gary Pike Day charity started as a brave young man's dream to develop a home to offer comfort to those sharing his experience. Pike was a courageous local Kennebunk boy who lost a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer in 1991. Through an outpouring of community support for him the Gary Pike Foundation -and hence the house- was born and developed in his honor.

 

Gary's House is a place where families gain strength from one another while they cope with emotional and physical stresses that can accompany illness and hospitalization. The Maine Diner continues to lend its support annually to this worthy charity.

 

For more information on the charity please visit Gary's House.