Lincoln Theater is pleased to announce the lineup for its new free series, “Talking Food in Maine: Intimate Conversations,”  one on one conversations between host Cherie Scott of Boothbay and notable culinary pioneers who have made a substantial contribution to the culinary arts in the state of Maine. The theater’s 2019 confirmed guests are Melissa Kelly, Kerry Altiero, Kathy Gunst, Leigh Kellis, Luke Holden and Ben Conniff.

The program’s host, Cherie Scott, was born in Mumbai but now calls Maine her home. In 2015, she launched her culinary blog, MumbaitoMaine.com, to share her signature recipes and nostalgic anecdotes of her youth in Mumbai while also celebrating the beauty of Maine and its gastronomic talent. Cherie is the creator and host of Mumbai to Maine's six-part television series in development with award-winning director Ryan Leighton and cinematographer Cody Mitchell. Cherie recently curated a six-part culinary series on regional Indian cuisine offered exclusively at the Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School in York, Maine.

Sept. 26 -  Melissa Kelly is the Executive Chef and proprietor of Primo, a restaurant renowned for its “full-circle kitchen” philosophy, located in mid-coast Maine. She is the only two-time recipient of the James Beard Foundation Awards winner for Best Chef: Northeast - once in 1999 and again in 2013. In 2003, she partnered with J.W. Marriot to open a second Primo location in Orlando, Florida - and since then a third in Tucson, Arizona. PRIMO is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Oct. 24 -  Kerry Altiero -  winner of HospitalityMaine’s 2019 chef of the year award and owner of the iconic and award-winning Café Miranda based in Rockland. Chef Altiero has won numerous culinary accolades in the last 26 years. Back in 2000, Altiero launched Headacre Farm, located in Owl’s Head. Kerry is the author of the cookbook Adventures in Comfort Food. Chef Altiero will launch his second restaurant, Bar & Lounge, in Rockland, this November.

Nov. 21 - Kathy Gunst -  a James Beard award winning food journalist. She is the author of 15 cookbooks and is currently working on a new book called Rage Baking (to be published in Feb. 2020) about baking, activism and women’s voices. She is the Resident Chef for NPR’s Here and Now, heard on over 520 public radio stations nationwide. She writes for a wide variety of publications including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Eating Well, Yankee, Down East, Boston Globe, and others. She lives in southern Maine. 

Feb. 13 - Leigh Kellis -  is a mom who started the Holy Donut in Portland and Scarborough, Maine. The Holy Donut is more than donuts. It’s about adding positivity to the world. The business went from a dozen a day wholesale, to now 2 million hand cut donuts from scratch, per year. Leigh has stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the donut business and has relocated to Hawaii for the year to focus on health and wellness and helps others achieve well-being too through retreats she leads in Paradise.

March 12 - Luke Holden and Ben Conniff - In 2009, Luke Holden decided to harness his passion for excellent seafood and his family’s 40-plus years in the Maine lobster industry to open the first Luke’s Lobster in the East Village with his dad Jeff, a lobster processor, and co-founder, Ben Conniff. To keep up with demand, Luke and partners opened Luke’s Lobster’s own seafood processing facility in 2012. Luke’s Lobster has over 30 locations across 9 US cities and internationally in Japan and Taiwan.

The talks, offered free to the public, take place at 7 p.m. on the stage of Lincoln Theater at 2 Theater Street in Damariscotta. Additional information can be found on the theater’s website, www.lcct.org, or by calling the theater at 563-3424. Please join in the conversation.