Trattoria Athena

It’s been two weeks since Trattoria Athena opened its butternut-colored door to the world. We’ve admitted foodies and wine lovers, critics and kids, believers and enthusiasts, all committed to an idea that local is better than out-sourced, and that when food is made with purpose and vision and pleasure, it tastes better.

Two weeks out and the feedback cards are in.  And so are the customers.  Each night proves to be both challenging and rewarding as kitchen and staff work out all the details of making your experience at Trattoria Athena good enough to eat.

There are many things to say, dozens of stories to tell, and numerous introductions to make. But let’s start at the beginning, which is a very good place to start.

In Which a Restaurant Gets Its Name

Tim and Marc knew they wanted their restaurant to be casual, friendly, upbeat, and it must represent their extensive family histories and backgrounds from Italy and Greece, respectively.  The name of the restaurant, they knew, would be the brand, the come-hither, and the hook, so it should be both Italian and Greek.  In keeping with the casual, al fresco style of dining desired by both Tim and Marc, they settled upon “trattoria,” which is more of a tavern, and less of a “ristorante,” or an adorned and upscale fine dining restaurant.

Now, to determine the syntactical representation of Greece.  Tim and Marc wanted something strong, lovely, and inspired.  Athena, the grey-eyed Greek warrior goddess, represents the world-famous city of Athens and her gift to that city, the olive tree.

Not familiar with that story?

Once upon a time, a small city clung to the rocky hill-side off the coast of the gold and blue Mediterranean Sea.  The gods on Mount Olympus were so enchanted with this city and its happy and prosperous inhabitants that they began to fight for the right to be the protector of, and thus be allowed to name the city.  Two of the deities in particular felt great desire to have the city and tension grew between them.  Poseidon was one of these gods.  As the god of the sea, he thrashed the oceans, allowing his white steeds to create froth and waves, while he stirred the heavens with his trident and storms gathered, so great was his anger.  But Athena also desired the city.  Wise and strong, the goddess watched Poseidon create havoc, while her owl perched on her alabaster shoulder.  The storms she watched in the sky did not equal the turmoil she felt in her heart.

There was no solution.  The mortals living in the shadow of Mt. Olympus suffered from Poseidon’s storms and grew depressed under Athena’s stony disregard for their plights.  Eventually, Zeus, the king of the gods, decreed that there would be a competition between the two gods to determine who was to be the protector of the city.  Poseidon and Athena must present gifts to the people on the rocky hill, and they would decide which gift would allow the giver the honor of naming the city.

“Hah,” Poseidon muttered, drawing his chariot pulled by waves and wind up onto the beach.  ”They will surely need a well in their city.  Water is the most essential gift.”

So Poseidon gave the people a well on top of the mountain in the middle of their city.  But when the people went to their well, after arduously climbing the mountain, and dropped in their buckets, they drew up salty water.  For Poseidon, as the god of the seas, failed to give the people fresh, drinkable water.

Athena smiled and her grey eyes shone.  Next to Poseidon’s well, she dropped a seed into the ground.  The people watched in awe as a lovely tree sprung from the soil, growing full and succulent olives from its branches.

The people of the city recognized at once the potential of this fruit, as sustenance in its natural form, and as olive oil, both to imbibe and to sell.  ”It’s a wonderful gift!” they shouted.

It was in this way that the city of Athens received its name, and likewise, that Trattoria Athena received its muse.

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We have come a long way, and have a long road before us filled with new heights of gastronomic pleasure and new relationships even more satisfying than the rich and colorful flavors of the Mediterranean.  Thank you, friend, for joining us as we embark.  We hope to present you with a gift of taste and sensual delight as unique and successful as that of Athena to her city.

Located near the banks of the Androscoggin River in Brunswick, Maine, Trattoria Athena is a casual restaurant specializing in Italian and Greek cuisine using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients.  Open for lunch, dinner and family style communal dining on Sundays, Trattoria Athena operates on a revolving-door policy for all types of palates.  They are able to satisfy nearly every dietary need, excepting fears of fresh basil and olive oil!

Tim O’Brien and Marc Provencher are the owners and chefs; Tim comes from an Italian family whose recipes are put to mouth-watering use at Trattoria Athena.  Tim is also the owner of Ancora Pasta, a local pasta-making business and a Bath Farmer’s Market favorite.  All the pasta at Trattoria Athena is homemade and dynamic, ranging in varieties unheard of in your local supermarket.  One of the top-selling dishes at Trattoria Athena is Tim’s specialty Pappardelle al Sugo di Cianghiale, a long, egg-pasta with boar ragu, juniper berries and fresh parmigiano.

Marc is Greek, and has spent an ample amount of time traveling Greece and researching authentic Greek cuisine.  While Marc makes a melt-in-your-mouth baklava, a Greek/American staple, he also makes delectable and less-known dishes like Katsikaki (grilled goat chops on a bed of arugula and rice) and Arni Lemonato (braised lamb shank, lemon thyme, lemon juice, white wine, and lemon-roasted potatoes).  Marc’s other specialties include light and creamy ice creams; his muse has inspired such flavors as honey-rosemary, lemon verbana, greek coffee, and mastika, which is the flavor of retsina, a Greek white wine infused with pine resin.

Beyond the menu, which constantly changes with the fresh and seasonal items at the Bath, Brunswick and Crystal Springs farmer’s Markets, Trattoria Athena has a diverse selection of wines from various regions in Greece and Italy.  The staff is knowledgeable about the wines, constantly tasting and discussing bouquets, complexity and tasting notes.  Trattoria Athena prides itself on understanding the personalities of the regions of Greece and Italy and enjoys matching regionally local wines with traditional and regionally local dishes.  There are several award-winning bottles on the beverage menu, including the Italian Poggio Amorelli Oracolo, from the Chianti Classico region in Tuscany, and the Greek Sigalas Assyrtiko-Athiri from island of Santorini, just north of Crete.

There are few things that give such carnal pleasure as food and drink.  Good food satisfies the soul.  Trattoria Athena believes in letting the food speak for itself.  We just support it.