Chefs Mark McGuy and John Smigielski have big ideas planned for their new restaurant, the Davis Island Grill, when it opens this winter.
The Davis Island Grill will take the place of the now defunct Bintliff’s Ocean Grill, which went out of business three years ago.
The pair says they plan to have a variety of events for everyone to enjoy, including live entertainment, cooking lessons, and beer tastings. The chefs are currently speaking with popular local breweries to provide a variety of beers for the new restaurant.
Though they’re still “playing around with the menu,” local ingredients, including fresh seafood, will be integral to the fare.
McGuy, who has a background in cuisine with an “Italian flare”, said there will be a variety of steaks, pastas, and seafood.
Both McGuy and Smigielski are back in Maine after serving in New York-based restaurants. McGuy’s latest position was as chef/owner of Caffé Dolce Trottoria Wine Bar in Suffern, N.Y. Smigielski most recently served as the general manager for the Heartland Brewery and Chop House in Times Square.
Smigielski came to know the Edgecomb area as a part-time resident of Boothbay, and knew the owner of Bintliff’s Ocean Grill. “I knew the potential here,” he said.
Smigielski said the site’s location on the Sheepscot River and Rt. 1 made an ideal place for a restaurant. Smigielski approached the holders of the property, the Bank of Maine, last year, but did not receive the green light to purchase the site until recently.
“I went up to the plate a couple of times,” he said.
McGuy and Smigielski currently plan to invest $250,000 into the restaurant.
A soft opening is planned for after Thanksgiving, with a grand opening celebration a few months after.
Despite an anemic economy and a lack of tourists, both chefs are confident that their business will flourish. “We’re confident,” McGuy said. “If it’s a bad economy, people still got to live.”
Key to their success is the nearby Sheepscot Harbour Village and Resort, which has signed an agreement with the new restaurant to send customers over for breakfast as part of the guest’s stay.
“The resort opens a world of opportunity,” McGuy said.
The pair is also counting on locals, rather than tourists, to fill the dining room.
“We wouldn’t be opening up Dec. 1 if we were about the tourist trade,” Smigielski said.
Smigielski said the partners received a lot of positive feedback from the community since going public with their plans for the restaurant. The Grill has already been contacted for banquets and parties, including the Edgecomb Fire Department, which will host its annual Christmas party there in the winter.
Until their anticipated opening, Smigielski and McGuy are hard at work to preparing their new restaurant. “We’ve been here every night until midnight,” Smigielski said.
