In the rural town of Freedom, Maine -- population 700 -- there鈥檚 the renowned restaurant . It鈥檚 the brainchild of owner and chef Erin French and the crew of women who work with her. During normal times, the restaurant is fully booked for the season -- months in advance. has written about it. So has Martha Stewart Living. And has a TV series about how the business transitioned during the pandemic.
In her new memoir, 鈥�,鈥� French documents her tumultuous path growing up in Freedom, frying clam baskets at her father鈥檚 diner and ultimately starting her own restaurant that has become a famous destination.
Along the way, French said she lost her first restaurant, her home, her marriage and -- temporarily -- custody of her child. But from there, she built herself back up with food and cooking as a guiding light.
鈥淚 felt comfortable in the kitchen, and to feel comfortable in a place when my world felt so uncomfortable was a place I wanted to keep returning to,鈥� French told .
This interview was featured in a recent episode of NEXT from the New England News Collaborative. .
