Alex Brown and Christine Schweighauser sit at a table in Cocinas Underground in May. The “cultural fusion” restaurant opened Thursday, Aug. 4. (Maia Zewert photo, LCN file)
The “cultural fusion” restaurant Cocinas Underground opened Thursday, Aug. 4 in the downtown Damariscotta space formerly home to Paco’s Tacos.
Christine Schweighauser, who also owns The Cook’s Corner, is the proprietor of the new year-round restaurant, which will feature dishes with Spanish, Mexican, Asian, and Cuban influences.
Schweighauser said community reaction has been positive since she first announced her plans earlier this year.
“At least a dozen people a day are stopping in and asking when we’re opening,” Schweighauser said. “It’s been awesome.”
The word “cocina” is Spanish for kitchen. Schweighauser chose to make the word plural to reflect the various cultures and flavors she plans to bring to the menu. The underground in the restaurant’s name was a suggestion from her boyfriend, Alex Brown, due to the restaurant’s location.
The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will feature a variety of offerings, including breakfast nachos, enchiladas, and Cuban-style arroz con pollo, or chicken and rice.
“We hope to have things you can’t get anywhere else around here,” Schweighauser said.
Schweighauser’s son, Joshua Parmenter, will manage the kitchen at Cocinas Underground.
Schweighauser said the menu will expand after the restaurant’s soft opening Thursday. She will also offer specials periodically.
The restaurant has seating and tables for 30 people, including the main table in the restaurant, which is from Schweighauser’s childhood home. Guests will be given complimentary doughnut holes when they are seated, Schweighauser said.
Schweighauser plans to have food available to go, including doughnuts and breakfast burritos, and also hopes to offer delivery. In the winter, she plans to teach Spanish cooking classes.
Cocinas Underground will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the possibility of staying open later if necessary.
“We’ll stay open until the last person wants food,” Parmenter said.
