Tucked in among the trees, Dana’s Kitchen and its gracious proprietors, Art and Dana Tillman, welcome you as soon as you open the door. Behind the counter you’ll find Art, Dana’s husband and business partner. Dana herself is scurrying between the sandwich prep area and the enormous ovens where she creates her mouth-watering breads, scones, muffins, cookies, and pies. Greeted with a big smile and a kind word by these two graduates of Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America, you are immediately handed the menu of daily specials that you just know will be prepared with the freshest ingredients in a simple yet creative way.

Once the site of the Peachtree Farms restaurant, the cozy “Kitchen”, as it is known to locals, strives for a casual atmosphere and a “homey” feel. In the winter, you are warmed by the gas fireplace and the tantalizing aromas wafting from the kitchen. In the summer you have a choice of dining inside or outside on the deck surrounded by perennial gardens, shade trees and blooming flower boxes. A large flat screen TV on the wall is tuned to the cooking channel, and wireless internet is available so that folks feel free to linger over a cup of coffee and a pastry. It is, in essence, a place where comfort is king and relaxation reigns supreme. Exactly the kind of place a weary innkeeper wants to retreat to in the middle of the day to recharge the batteries.

The lunch menu is a classic mix of soups, salads, and sandwiches, but each item is given its own signature styling by Art and Dana that keep locals coming back time and again for their favorites. Rich’s new favorite is the smoked Scotch salmon on toasted marble rye with cream cheese, tomatoes, red onions and capers. It’s melt in your mouth wonderful and, judging by the expression on my husband’s face each time he orders it, just shy of culinary nirvana. I am a fan of the cranberry walnut chicken salad on Dana’s homemade wheat bread. The portions are so large, a half of a sandwich is all I can eat, especially if I’ve had a cup of one of their delicious homemade soups to start. On Fridays, they serve their haddock chowder, a yummy concoction made with chunks of meaty haddock and diced potatoes in a silky cream base. But get there early if you want to try it, because people start streaming in around 11:30 on Fridays.

In addition to their breakfast and lunch offerings, Art and Dana offer take-out and business lunches along with catering for private functions. Located at 881 Palmer Avenue in Falmouth, MA, Dana’s Kitchen is open daily from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM; closed on Tuesday. Call ahead for take-out. 508-540-7900.

The dining room itself is small and intimately lit. A charming bar buffets the dining area, and is set against an exposed brick wall that is adorned with the works of a local artist. We were greeted by a friendly waitress and shown to one of the hightop tables at the front of the bistro that line the wall of glass overlooking Main Street. The extensive menu offers an array of starters, soups, salads, and appetizers, along with house specials and sides, and, my favorite, an ample selection of Mexican street food.

The waitress took our drink order and brought a basket of warm lightly salted tortilla chips and a bowl of hand-crafted salsa. Rich and I opted for the house Margarita, unsalted of course, and one of our companions tried the house Mojito. Drinks are served in enormous glasses that have been well-chilled.

To get us started, we shared the Añjeo Nachos, an appetizer of handcrafted fried corn tortillas layered with pico de gallo, home made refried beans, cheddar jack cheese, pickled jalapeno, avocado, lettuce, cilantro, queso añejo and picante crema. It was divine. The tortilla chips were individually layered with all the ingredients, rather than swimming in a pool of ingredients the way many Mexican restaurants serve them.

After such a filling appetizer, we all opted for the Mexican street food offerings. Rich and I chose the classic burrito, which consisted of a large flour tortilla filled with your choice of carne asada beef, chili marinated chicken, or slow roasted pork, and pinto beans, served with pico de gallo, Mexican rice, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream and topped with a choice of salsa verde, salsa roja, or mole poblano and jack cheese. The slow roasted pork with mole poblano was the best I’ve ever had and Rich concurred. Our companions went with the enchiladas and declared them superb.

Añejo is likely to continue to be a popular spot, not only for its authentic Mexican fare and refreshing south-of-the-border cocktails, but for its casually intimate setting along Main Street in Falmouth. My only complaint was that they turned up the volume on the music at 8:45 pm, leaving us and the rest of the lingering diners with no choice but to up the volume on our own conversation or leave the comfortable restaurant for some peace and quiet.

While they do not take reservations, I called in advance and was assured that on a Tuesday night in February the four of us we sure to get a table. And what a table. When we arrived we were escorted to a table for four tucked into the bay window that overlooked the main thoroughfare. Our server was incredible, available without being pushy, and both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu. We each ordered a glass of wine from an extensive wine list to enjoy as we perused the menu.

Once the specials had been described and our orders placed, the server returned with a basket of warm, crusty bread accompanied by a rich olive oil for dipping. Though not crowded the evening that we were there, I imagine that due to its Main Street location and small size, a wait for a table may be necessary during the height of summer.

Dining at La Cucina Sul Mare is what I imagine dining in Italy must be like. The setting is warm and intimate, the service unhurried, and the atmosphere cozy and comforting. I ordered the osso buco, my all-time favorite, and was treated to the most divine dish of tender meat in a rich braise of root vegetables with a side of creamy risotto. It was heavenly, and more than enough to bring home for the next day’s lunch. They specialize in northern Italian and Mediterranean cuisines offering fresh pasta, pollo, vitello, carne, and pesce dishes including classic lasagna al forno, braised lamb shanks, lobster fra diavolo over liguine, zuppa de pesce, rigotoni a la vodka, chicken Parmesan and veal piccata.

We will be highly recommending La Cucina Sul Mare to our guests. Prices are reasonable and the food is exquisite. The restaurant is open year-round for lunch (11:30am-2:00pm) and dinner (5:00-10:00pm) and reservations not accepted.

La Cucina Sul Mare
237 Main Street
Falmouth, MA 02540
(508) 548-5600