CAMDEN – Albatross is a new restaurant opening at 115 Elm Street in Camden, on the same property as the Cedar Crest Inn. Owners Maggie and Jeffrey Harris have a rich history in the food service industry and this is their first foray into restaurant ownership.

Maggie is from Austin, Texas, and Jeffrey is from Fairfield, Iowa. Maggie said her mom has always loved Maine.

“Jeffrey and I met each other in college in the art department of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa,” she said. “We both got tired of our jobs and wanted to be by the ocean, so we came here.”

The couple now resides in Owls Head.

Jeffrey said Maggie convinced him to get involved with restaurants about 13 years ago.

“I started as a busser in an Italian restaurant,” he said. “I absorbed and ask questions and continued to learn.”

In 2020, the couple started Wandering Albatross, supplying to-go meals during the pandemic.

“That kind of slipped away,” said Jeffrey. “But we wanted to keep the name because we liked it so much, so Albatross is the brick and mortar after wondering with no home.” 

They look forward to opening their own restaurant.

“It’s been a lot of years of me helping to open restaurants and Maggie cooking extensively at home,” he said. “We are excited to be able to do this.”

The menu is a bit eclectic with a definite Asian flare to it. There is Japanese style cured mackerel, Thai pickled shrimp, and Pho egg drop soup with a beef shank.

The inspirations for the dishes are all Maggie, said Jeffrey. Maggie grew up eating Thai food and always has loved it.

But the menu does not stop with Asian food. Try grilled head on prawns with Aleppo, a spicy chili pepper used in Mediterranean dishes, or try hen of the woods tostada with mole and queso fresco, and brothy black beans with cilantro. The scallop dish has a Caribbean flare to it and one of the desserts that will be offered has its roots in Africa.

Of course, there is a classic burger offered, as well.

Opening Dec. 29, the restaurant hours will be 5 to 9 p.m., Friday through Sunday. There will be a New Year’s Day brunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. See their Instagram.  And the website.

Jeffrey said they may expand to breakfast and lunch come spring, but will figure that out once they get their feet wet and figure out a routine.

Call 207-230-8596 for information. Many of the menu options are vegan, vegetarian friendly and gluten-free. The couple said the menu lends to a mix-and-match approach. Prices range from $6 to $22 and there is a bar with cocktails available and a full wine list.

“The portions are not large,” Jeffrey said. “You can come in and enjoy several menu items and have a good time, but still get a meal. We’re not going to be prim and proper with white table clothes. You don’t have to order everything at once.”