Our latest Travelin’ Mainers column, published on Thursday, couldn’t begin to describe all the wonderful aspects of the Inn by the Sea and its Sea Glass restaurant in Cape Elizabeth. I especially liked the friendly staff.
Justin Douglas served us dinner last Friday night. He’s worked at the Sea Glass for three years, and even though the new chef, Steve Sicinski, has created an all-new dinner menu, Justin already had it down. He answered a lot of questions from us, and was a big help in making our selections.
We also enjoyed a conversation with Chef Sicinski, who is both friendly and creative. His wife is from Maine and he is delighted to be here.
Chef Steve Sicinski
Riki Keuch, our breakfast server, was a real delight, and has worked here for a year. She’s just graduated from college with a degree in nursing. She’s very personable and seemed to have all the time in the world to visit with us. We learned that her parents teach at a Maine high school and college, and her family heritage is on Vermont farms – including what may be the oldest farm today in that state. We even talked about world travel and especially enjoyed hearing about her trip to New Zealand.
Of course, the moment we entered the inn on Friday afternoon, all the staff was warm and welcoming. Their smiles are contagious!
Rauni Kew, the inn’s marketing director who keeps us well informed about all the events here, was in the lobby when we arrived, escorting a dog wearing a “Rescue Dog” vest. Rauni has just launched an interesting project to match rescue dogs with new owners. She’d gotten one rescue dog in each of the past two weeks, put their photos up on the inn’s Facebook page, and walked them around the inn every day. Both had been adopted in just two days. The new dog was a beauty and was certain to be adopted soon. I told Rauni she’d have to start getting two dogs at a time!
Rauni and the inn’s owners have always been committed to conservation, and the 70 to 80 cottontail rabbits that are living in the inn’s specially managed habitat are surely very grateful.
Maine once had lots of cottontails but they have nearly disappeared from our state. In one project a few years ago, Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife captured all the cottontails near the Portland Jetport and moved them to habitat in the southern coastal area, but unfortunately they all died.
Rauni’s rabbits, thankfully, are alive and well.
The inn even heats with biofuel. It’s no wonder Trip Advisor and Forbes Traveler named the inn as one of the world’s top 10 green hotels.
The inn hosts lots of events, including one that really interested me. It’s called “Bug’s Life Tour” and offers “a whimsical look at eco-systems.” It’s designed for kids but I think I want to join them!
On Tuesday nights their Lobster Bake by the Sea, the traditional lobster bake with all the sides, will be out on the front lawn in good weather. Their Taste of Maine offerings on Thursdays at 5 p.m. also sound really good.
Chef Sicinski “celebrates all things Maine with a tasting of local fare.” It, too, is outside in good weather, and in the lobby if it’s raining.
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