By Deborah Phair
Former employee Rebecca Adler and her partner Heidi Ellrich have taken over the reins as the new owners of the The Mad Dog Pub located at 259 Water Street in Gardiner. Rebecca had worked at the establishment for former owners Auta Main and Marianne Roth. She said that she really enjoyed working there and was deeply saddened on the day she learned that the popular eatery would close.
Photo by Deborah Phair: New partners at the Mad Dog Pub in Gardiner are Rebecca Adler and Heidi Ellrich.
Over time, Rebecca crunched some numbers with her friend Heidi. The pair thought they could make a go and determined that this venture could be both profitable and would also be an opportunity to establish another fine eatery into Gardiner’s business mix. So, when the time and the price were right, they re-opened the Mad Dog Pub on November 21st.
Rebecca is a longtime resident of Hallowell and has a Graphic Design degree from the University of Maine at Augusta. When she worked at the Mad dog previously, she felt that Gardiner needed more businesses and, in particular, more great places where locals and visitors could enjoy a great meal in comfortable surroundings.
She and Heidi Ellrich had talked about running a business together and this was their chance. Rebecca has worked in the restaurant business since she was fifteen years old. Most recently she owned The Pizza Factory in New Harbor. Heidi is the Head Chef and was formally trained as a Gourmet Chef.
Heidi was a private chef for three years for the President of Smith College located in Western Massachusetts. She stated her position there was, without a doubt, her favorite. Heidi has done consulting from Maine to Florida and has worked in Portland, Rangeley, New Hampshire and Bar Harbor in high end restaurants. Heidi is part of Rebecca’s family, as she is the girlfriend of Rebecca’s father, Steve Adler. Steve is the third partner in the Mad Dog Pub business.
The Mad Dog Pub was described to me by Rebecca and Heidi as having a cozy, romantic atmosphere which makes it a great place to go for casual or intimate dining. The restaurant already offers a continental flair. Local artists are featured both upstairs and downstairs. On the date of the interview, Hallowell artist Bruce Mayo was featured upstairs and Kate Schier was featured downstairs where she showcased a display of her digital paintings.
Rebecca said they want to appeal to a broad spectrum of people. She hopes to accomplish this with diverse items on the menu, although she admits that she is still in the phase of learning what people like. She hopes her customers will dare to experiment with food she wants to offer such as lamb, and Indian and French cuisine. The full bar is stocked with a choice of the best liquor, wine and beer.
On the menu at this time are appetizers, such as steamed vegetables with cheddar dip and also bruschetta. Salads include mixed greens with goat cheese and toasted walnuts, Caesar salad with choice of shrimp or chicken. There is always a seafood, clam or fish chowder available. A crème spinach and cheddar soup or a ginger carrot bisque is also offered.
Entree features include their own Mad Dog beef ribs with a special barbeque sauce. These thick ribs, with a great sweet and tangy sauce, are what the restaurant is known for. They also have honey glazed salmon with a mango chutney, a seafood lasagna with béchamel (a rich white sauce made with milk and infused with herbs and other flavors) roasted root vegetables with parsnips, rutabaga and carrots. There is prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights. Two side choices are included with the entree. You may choose from cheddar mashed potatoes, baked potato, and a mushroom duxelle sautéed in red wine, garlic, red onion and butter to name a few. For desert choose from crème Brule, creampuffs with ice cream and hot fudge, canola, New York cheesecake or chocolate chip cheesecake.
A menu of lighter fare is also available which includes croissant sandwiches that are served with chips or mixed greens. Chicken salad and tuna salad sandwiches are available too. There is turkey with a cranberry walnut crème cheese sandwich and roast beef with boursin and other daily choices.
There is a nightly special to choose from which could be your choice of fish, meat or vegetarian dishes. Rebecca ensures there will always be plenty of vegetarian items on the menu as one of her concerns is providing healthy choices. All vegetables, fish and meat are purchased locally whenever possible.
The evening I interviewed Rebecca and Heidi, I also had dinner. I chose roasted root vegetables, mushroom duxelle and cheddar mashed potatoes. What can I say? I thought my meal was fantastic. The vegetables were roasted in garlic and were al dente. My cheddar mashed potatoes were light and there was plenty of cheddar flavor. The mushroom duxelle was sautéed nicely and I enjoyed the flavor of both the mushrooms and the onions spiced accordingly.
I asked Rebecca what her New Year’s Resolution might be. She stated that she will open for brunch in the Spring. Most importantly, however, her year round goal is to offer great food in a friendly atmosphere where everyone feels cozy and right at home.
There will be an Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Mad Dog Pub in January by the Gardiner Main Street committee. Keep an eye out for this event and go on down to Gardiner to support Rebecca as she is welcomed into the City of Gardiner as another outstanding business owner.
The Mad Dog Pub is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. On Friday and Saturday they are open from 4:30 to 11:00 p.m. The telephone number for reservations is 203-2500. Reservations are suggested for parties of five or more.
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