By Candi Enman
Staff Columnist
WELLS—
It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for the Maine Diner. The iconic Wells eatery received the prestigious Maine Restaurant Association’s 2010 Restaurateur of the Year Award; was invited to be part of the New Orleans Roadfood Festival, a French Quarter street fest “honoring legendary eats;” and recently the Diner was voted by NECN viewers as the Best Diner in New England.
And it just keeps getting better.
The Diner had to close its doors to unsuspecting guests on two separate days - May 30th and June 2nd - for the filming of an upcoming episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” The wildly popular Food Network series features a road trip concept with host Guy Fieri traveling around the country in his ’67 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible to spotlight small, independent eateries. Food Network viewers recommend their favorite local dining spots to be featured on the show and the Maine Diner was a top pick.
“Show producers told us we had been on their radar for a number of years,” said Maine Diner co-owner, Myles Henry. “They seemed to love the restaurant and the crew and complimented our cleanliness and organization. They said they had never seen a place pump out such high quality food.”
With his trademark bleached blond spiky hair, “Triple D’s” host, Fieri, a chef and restaurateur, has become somewhat of a culinary rock star. He also hosts Food TV’s “Guy’s Big Bite” and “Guy Off The Hook,” as well as NBC’s primetime series, “Minute to Win It.”
“Guy was great. He interacted with the staff and interviewed our customers. He’s down to earth and humble, with real people skills,” remarked Henry. Fieri left behind his insignia just above the kitchen door, a tattoo-like painted image of his face and the words “Guy Ate Here.”
Relying on his family’s home-style recipes, many that were his grandmother’s, Henry and the Diner staff served up Seafood Chowder, New England Cod Fish Cakes and their scrumptious signature Lobster Pie for the show taping.
Now in its 27th year, the Henry family is very proud of the staff, many of whom have worked at the Diner for more than a decade, or even two. They eagerly await the episode’s airing, anticipated to be sometime in the next six months.
“Food Network will let us know within one month of the air date and we’ll post it on our website and on our Facebook page,” added Henry. Friends of the Maine Diner can also stay up to date by signing up for email announcements on their website at www.mainediner.com.
If you’ve never eaten at the Maine Diner, you might want to get down there soon to see what the buzz is all about. Summer is just around the corner and in the next few weeks you may have to wait in a long line to sample their tasty, regional road food creations. Five million customers can’t be wrong.
“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” airs Mondays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Fridays at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (all times Eastern).
Photo caption: Fieri’s insignia above the Diner’s kitchen door (Candi Enman photo)
Staff Columnist
WELLS—
It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for the Maine Diner. The iconic Wells eatery received the prestigious Maine Restaurant Association’s 2010 Restaurateur of the Year Award; was invited to be part of the New Orleans Roadfood Festival, a French Quarter street fest “honoring legendary eats;” and recently the Diner was voted by NECN viewers as the Best Diner in New England.
And it just keeps getting better.
The Diner had to close its doors to unsuspecting guests on two separate days - May 30th and June 2nd - for the filming of an upcoming episode of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” The wildly popular Food Network series features a road trip concept with host Guy Fieri traveling around the country in his ’67 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible to spotlight small, independent eateries. Food Network viewers recommend their favorite local dining spots to be featured on the show and the Maine Diner was a top pick.
“Show producers told us we had been on their radar for a number of years,” said Maine Diner co-owner, Myles Henry. “They seemed to love the restaurant and the crew and complimented our cleanliness and organization. They said they had never seen a place pump out such high quality food.”
With his trademark bleached blond spiky hair, “Triple D’s” host, Fieri, a chef and restaurateur, has become somewhat of a culinary rock star. He also hosts Food TV’s “Guy’s Big Bite” and “Guy Off The Hook,” as well as NBC’s primetime series, “Minute to Win It.”
“Guy was great. He interacted with the staff and interviewed our customers. He’s down to earth and humble, with real people skills,” remarked Henry. Fieri left behind his insignia just above the kitchen door, a tattoo-like painted image of his face and the words “Guy Ate Here.”
Relying on his family’s home-style recipes, many that were his grandmother’s, Henry and the Diner staff served up Seafood Chowder, New England Cod Fish Cakes and their scrumptious signature Lobster Pie for the show taping.
Now in its 27th year, the Henry family is very proud of the staff, many of whom have worked at the Diner for more than a decade, or even two. They eagerly await the episode’s airing, anticipated to be sometime in the next six months.
“Food Network will let us know within one month of the air date and we’ll post it on our website and on our Facebook page,” added Henry. Friends of the Maine Diner can also stay up to date by signing up for email announcements on their website at www.mainediner.com.
If you’ve never eaten at the Maine Diner, you might want to get down there soon to see what the buzz is all about. Summer is just around the corner and in the next few weeks you may have to wait in a long line to sample their tasty, regional road food creations. Five million customers can’t be wrong.
“Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” airs Mondays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., Fridays at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (all times Eastern).
Photo caption: Fieri’s insignia above the Diner’s kitchen door (Candi Enman photo)
