elda — Restaurant in Biddeford

I just had my birthday dinner here, and I can't speak highly enough of it.

First off, I think they really hit the sweet spot of handling the structure of a high-end prix fixe menu with all the service and organization that entails, but doing so in a relaxed, no-tablecloth, friendly, and very game manner. The food is there, the hospitality is there, the timing of courses and silvering and all of that was immaculate. (I've had dinners at many of the most well-regarded restaurants in Boston and I can't say that they pulled off everything this well for me before.)

Secondly, the food: interesting, delicious, compelling, fun, delicious (yes, I know I wrote that twice), and delightful. There were at least a few courses I don't think I'll ever forget. Great use of what Maine has to offer without being overly bound by tradition or the orthodoxy of any given approach to it (though there was definitely a judicious Japanese influence evident in a few courses, used in very good ways. )

Thirdly, the young woman who handles the beverage pairings is doing some very fun, very interesting stuff. They have alcoholic and non-alcoholic options for pairings, which I always appreciate.

Fourthly, the decor is a really pleasing modern-but-not-too-sparse use of the space.

I went there, said "do your thing, I'm not picky," and they both trusted that I really meant it (I've worked in hospitality, and people lie to themselves about how game they are for things all the time) and then delivered fantastically.

It's expensive, but it's worth it. I'd rather go here for a high-service, multi-course special event meal than anywhere in Portland (which has, for better or for worse, largely abandoned this kind of dining). I think it's a shame, personally.

Thankfully, just a short drive away,...

We found elda quite by accident, and wow are we glad we did. Every single part of the experience was incredible. They are very straightforward with what to expect in terms of the dining experience, and even with that primer, we weren't fully prepared for the surprises and delights of the food, drinks, and service.

It is abundantly clear that everyone who works here deeply loves food and Maine. Each course was so thoughtfully made and presented and, most importantly, was delicious. We each got a beverage pairing—one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic (ft. creative juices, infusions, and teas)—which was well worth the extra price and served to only enhance every bite.

We were beaming the whole time. And as an added bonus, we enjoyed chatting about the food and the restaurant's story with the extremely knowledgeable and kind wait staff. We can't wait to come here again and are already planning our return.

elda is a destination dining experience. If you love Maine or love food (and even better if you love both!), you really need to give it a try. And while it carries a steep price tag that's usually out of our budget, we didn't regret a single dollar spent. It was so worth it.

Thank you, Bowman and Anna (and all the other wonderful chefs and staff), for an...

2022:Elda moved to a new location on the second floor of an old mill on Main street in Biddeford. It is spacious and the tables are well spaced out for the pandemic time dining. The food was innovative and interesting, but I was not as blown away by it as the first time we ate at Elda in 2019. 17 course tasting menu was $540 for two people with a juice pairing. Juice pairing was a mistake, I did not like the flavors. 2019:Outstanding! Elda has two dining options: a four course dinner or selections from the bar menu. In the four course option we had a choice of pork or fish, and desert chocolate or not chocolate. The first course consisted of three cold appetizers and three warm appertizers. This was not a choice, you got them all. Each one was absolutely delicious: scallop, oyster, nori, jonah crab in an egg, uni. Next was cod stew, I did not know it was possible to make this humble fish taste so good. The main entre was pork and carrots. Again, outstanding. Desert was my least favorite part of the meal, I did not care for the salted strawberries. Excellent meal, we will be back. Parking is a little tricky, as we were leaving I noticed a sign for public parking sign pointing to the street on the...