March 31, 2005
Portland Press Herald
Go - page D14

Eat Run Set yourself a place at the Good Table

The Good Table in Cape Elizabeth is aptly named and, if you're visiting the seaside parks and lighthouses along the coast, it's the perfect lunch spot.

On a workday outside of the summer season, this roomy, bright eatery appears a congregating place for retirees. It's a far cry from the power-lunch business stops of the Old Port.

But if the customers seem laid back, the service here is fast, and the food is fresh.

And, the fact is, customers of all ages can enjoy the reliable, home-style food at the Good Table.

The soups are all homemade, the cakes and pies are all homemade, the menu is diverse and fun.

"Basically, we put on the menu what we love, what we ourselves like to eat," said co-owner Lisa Kostopoulos. "We try to keep it well-rounded. Some of the sandwiches are a holdover from my parents' restaurant when I was a kid."

Kostopoulos and her father, Tony, have run the Good Table for 18 years and built it back to where it was when a fire destroyed it nearly three years ago.

Despite the fire in which it "burned to the ground," the menu has not changed, nor has much of the staff.

"We have not changed our nighttime offerings since the day we opened," Kostopoulos said. "The specials are where we get to shine. We bake everything seasonally."

We tried the grilled chicken special, and it was more than we expected with delicious, hearty, toasted oat-nut bread, melted cheddar and cranapple chutney.

The chicken was thick and moist.

We also sampled "Danny's Burger" ($5.50), another special that was your basic cheddar-bacon patty, but for the price it was a deal.

Certainly, you can get good burgers all over the Old Port, but the variety of the Good Table provides a reliable dish for everyone, with many of your basics.

Take the open-faced turkey ($6). There's a reason it comes with what's called "Mom's stuffing."

The best deal of all is the soup and half sandwich, which we missed on the special board, but for $5.50 you can sample the homemade soups or Tony's all-star haddock chowder.

The Greek influence here also results in surprise mainstays, such as the gyros sandwich ($6).

But there are plenty of old favorites, such as the ham and swiss wrap ($5.50), the chicken sandwich on a roll ($5.50), the tuna melt ($5.75), and the tuna "classic" ($5.50).

If you hit the Good Table before noon, you can grab a seat by one of the many windows that look out on a woodlot surrounding the restaurant.

The Good Table is also open for breakfast on the weekends, which is generally more pricey than the lunch. But, once again, it has the taste of a homemade bakery.

Kostopoulos said her clientele expands in the summer when seasonal residents and tourists frequent the restaurant, but with a winterized back deck that seats 50, there's plenty of room. There is seating for 65 inside.

"In the summertime, we take down the windows and put up a big screen. It's pure Maine," said Kostopoulos, whose restaurant off Route 77 is a few miles from the ocean and Two Lights State Park.

"Our customers are pretty much family," Kostopoulos said. "Our motto is `Honest food at honest prices.' We're very proud of that."

The Features staff of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram anonymously samples meals for about $6.