Waterville does not have much of a reputation as a food destination. But one place may change your mind, and that is Apollo’s Bistro.
Housed in a historic brick building that used to be the home and office of a cardiologist, the restaurant, open for seven years, occupies the redesigned second-floor former living quarters.
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The two high-ceilinged dining rooms have coffee-colored walls with white trim and tables with linen. An L-shaped couch wearing pillows of bright blue feathers occupies a third room — this is the lounge. A fireplace mantle in the front dining room holds two Asian-style lamps and a vase with bare branches hung with tiny origami birds.
The food is as eclectic and wonderfully surprising as the surroundings. So is the clientele. On the night we visited, customers were wearing bow ties, military dress, cocktail attire, college tweeds, jeans and tattoos. The menu, which changes daily, featured everything from cioppino and braised tripe to duck breast and wild Alaskan salmon.
The roasted golden and red beet salad ($9) came as three domes of diced beets on a narrow plate in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette, with a spray of crumbled ricotta salata and pine nuts. Lovely. Local goat cheese and creamy ricotta combined in a smooth and tangy tartlet, the crust topped with caramelized shallots and balsamic reduction ($8). Ditto.
We sliced the large, single pan-seared diver scallop into four, and dipped it in the parsnip puree, a subtle flavor blend ($8). The appetizers blew us away.
So did the pasta dishes (all four choices $18), for their fresh and tender house-made vehicles as much as the topping. Herbed pappardelle mixed with wild mushrooms and sauteed spinach for a simple, deeply flavored and sumptuous dish.
Cocoa-parsnip powder linguine (where have you seen that before?) is dark and slightly yielding, with a touch of cocoa flavor. It’s served with tasty cubes of grilled pork belly that’s stringy, fatty and sourced up the road in North Anson. A lightly applied amaretto-molasses cream sauce gives the dish a subtly sweet flavor.
Four expertly grilled lamb chops ($27) came dabbed with an orange mead and local cranberry sauce, a pairing that’s not a bit cloying. Herbed organic faro was savory and chewy, a nice complement. Many a meat-and-potatoes eater will enjoy the organic black angus bistro steak ($25), which is flavorful, aged and accompanied by roasted broccolini, fingerling potatoes and red wine bordelaise.
I like that this chef uses a deft hand in her additions and doesn’t overwhelm the main item with seasonings and sauces, be it appetizer or entree. In the same vein, food here is portioned and partnered well, and gorgeously presented with novel touches. For instance, bull’s blood micro greens are lightly strewn red and green accents, and tiny popcorn shoots also garnish. Details matter. This chef has got them covered.
What to add to this culinary bliss? The personal touch. About mid-meal, proprietor and Chef Keli Kenyon visited our table (our server said this is customary), and when asked, told us the provenance of the food. Much of the food is locally sourced; almost all of it in the summertime.
She arrived again with a small bowl of something she had made too much of — sage gnocchi with beef tongue Bolognese. Happy us. This chef knows gnocchi. The soft pillows of pasta were topped with a spicy sauce of blistered cherry tomatoes and ground meat.
Overall, service was very good. We were welcomed right away. Our waiter knew answers to our many questions, if not the nuances of all the wines on the list. Our water glasses went empty for a stretch, which is hard to understand given how everything else here hums.
Pastry Chef Tracy London, an October graduate of the Culinary Institute in Chicago, stopped by to tell us the four dessert choices. (Can you remember the last time a pastry chef visited your table?) We opted for two.
The apple tarte tatin ($9) was cake-like, the topping a thick and sticky caramel. But the dessert was low on apple. The other was homemade rum raisin ice cream sandwiched between large, buttery, thick and crisp oatmeal cookies.
Overall, we had an excellent meal. I offer two minor caveats: One must climb a long set of stairs to reach the restaurant, and the desserts, while delicious, don’t quite rise to the sophistication of the rest of the food (but I’ll wager the young and personable pastry chef will soon hit her stride). If you can live with these — and I certainly can — find a reason to go to Waterville and dine here. In fact, the restaurant is reason enough for a road trip. Bravo, Apollo’s.
Nancy Heiser is an independent writer and editor who lives near Portland. Her work has appeared in many national and regional publications.
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