The Lost Kitchen Debuts New Season On Magnolia Network
A new season of The Lost Kitchen debuts on Magnolia Network on October 30! And, I can’t wait. So, I found The Lost Kitchen purely by accident and binged the first two seasons in a week. I devour cooking shows in every minute of my spare time. One weekend, I tuned in to chef Ina Garten’s show to find some new recipes. Instead, I found a story about a chef that inspired me like no other. I found The Lost Kitchen owner Erin French. Ina invited Erin to share a favorite childhood comfort dish on her show. As it turned out, she shared so much more than a recipe. Erin’s story fascinated me from the get-go. She grew up in tiny Freedom, Maine about 40 miles from Bangor. And, that’s where you’ll find The Lost Kitchen. Erin started cooking at 12 in her father’s little diner, also in Freedom. Her relationship with her father was not the best by any stretch of the imagination. She longed for more than the town of 700 offered. So, she left to pursue studies in medicine at Northeastern in Boston. Erin dropped out two years later after finding out she was pregnant. She moved back home where her mother embraced and supported her to get through a rough patch. Erin had a son and raised him as a single mom. By 2010 she was married and hosting supper club dinners in her apartment. That’s where she honed her style of simple food with the best ingredients. By 2012 she made enough money from her dinners to open a restaurant. Although her restaurant succeeded, her marriage began breaking apart. Struggling with bouts of depression and an addiction to prescription medications, Erin checked into a rehab a year later. While in rehab, her husband, without her permission, closed the restaurant and changed the locks. She amassed debt, went through a bitter divorce and battled for custody of her son. She moved back home and converted an Airstream trailer into a kitchen, the humble beginnings of “The Lost Kitchen.”
The little kitchen in the middle of nowhere grew in popularity. And, getting a reservation proves difficult. However, to me, that is what makes it so fascinating and strangely inviting. The kitchen’s “season” runs from April to October. The only way to get a seat is if Erin randomly draws your name from a massive pile of postcards. Hopeful diners begin sending in cards to the little Freedom post office in April. Erin draws lottery style and contacts the lucky winners to reserve their table. It is a special place with an inspiring story. You can bet I plan on sending in a postcard. And, when The Lost Kitchen new season debuts, I’m there for sure!
This is the bridge I hope to walk across one day when Erin picks my postcard!
During Covid, Erin constructed little cabins on her property to give diners private “pods” to safely enjoy meals with small groups.
And now, these dining cabins have become bed and breakfasts rented out for cozy overnight stays.
This was how Erin’s dream began. This is the Airstream she still owns today. During Covid, she served meals outdoors using the trailer as a kitchen.
