The Lost Kitchen: A Culinary Sensation
Erin French is the owner and chef of the Lost Kitchen, a 40-seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine, that has gained worldwide acclaim for its seasonal and local cuisine. The Lost Kitchen is located in an old mill by a waterfall, creating a rustic and cozy atmosphere for diners. The restaurant is so popular that it receives over 20,000 postcards a year from people who want to make a reservation, and uses a lottery system to select the lucky guests.
Erin French is also a self-taught cook, an author, and a television personality. She has published two books, The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine and Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch, which chronicle her personal and professional journey. She also stars in a series on the Magnolia Network, also called The Lost Kitchen, which showcases her restaurant and her life in Maine.
Erin French’s Struggle with Addiction and Divorce
However, Erin French’s success did not come easy. She had to overcome many challenges and hardships, including addiction, divorce, and losing custody of her son. Erin French grew up in Freedom, Maine, and started working at her father’s diner when she was a child. She loved cooking and food, but she also wanted to explore the world outside her small town. She moved to Boston to study medicine at Northeastern University, but dropped out when she got pregnant at age 21 by her high school boyfriend.
She returned to Maine as a single mom and raised her son, Jaim, while honing her cooking skills at her parents’ kitchen. She started hosting secret suppers and parties at her apartment, and gained a loyal following for her dishes. She opened her first restaurant, also called the Lost Kitchen, in Belfast, Maine, in 2011. However, her personal life was falling apart. She married her son’s father, but the relationship was abusive and toxic. She developed an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs, and lost her restaurant, her home, and her son in the divorce.
She hit rock bottom and entered rehab in 2013. She moved back to her parents’ cabin in Freedom, and started to rebuild her life from scratch. She reconnected with her son, who was living with his father, and regained her passion for cooking. She opened her second restaurant, the Lost Kitchen, in 2014, in an old mill that she renovated with the help of her family and friends.
Michael Dutton: Erin French’s Husband and Partner
Erin French met her current husband, Michael Dutton, on the dating site Match.com. Michael Dutton is a media executive and a business development strategist. He is a managing partner and co-founder of 6CCMedia, a company that produces content for various platforms. He also works as a media advisor and an executive producer for the Lost Kitchen, helping Erin French with her television and book projects.
Michael Dutton and Erin French hit it off right away, and started a long-distance relationship. He lived in New York, while she lived in Maine. They visited each other frequently, and he supported her through her recovery and her restaurant endeavors. He proposed to her in 2017, and they got married in 2018, in a beautiful ceremony by the waterfall outside the Lost Kitchen. They now live together in Freedom, Maine, with their dog, Scout.
Michael Dutton and Erin French are a perfect match, and share a love for food, nature, and adventure. They also work well together as partners, and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They are happy and grateful for their life together, and celebrate their anniversary every year with a special dinner at the Lost Kitchen.