Havana is a restaurant in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine, United States.[1][2] Established in 1997 by Michael Boland[3] and his wife Deirdre Swords,[4] the restaurant has received several awards, most notably for its wine list, which has achieved Wine Spectator's Award for Excellence[4] every year since 2004.[5][6] A Cubano-influenced restaurant,[7] it has an attached outdoor bar, the Havana Parrilla Tapas Bar and Grill,[8] converted from a garage in 2003.[4]
| Havana | |
|---|---|
 The restaurant's sign in 2019 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1997 |
| Owner(s) | Michael Boland Deirdre Swords |
| Head chef | Cassady Pappas |
| Food type | Cuban-influenced |
| Street address | 318 Main Street |
| City | Bar Harbor |
| County | Hancock County |
| State | Maine |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 04609 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 44°23′03″N 68°12′11″W / 44.3841287°N 68.203186°W |
| Website | www |
Sitting United States president Barack Obama dined at the restaurant on July 17, 2010,[3] during his family's vacation on Mount Desert Island.[9] The president had paella and the first lady, Michelle Obama, had lobster thermidor.[3][10] It was the first presidential visit to the island since that of Howard Taft exactly a century earlier.[11]
Head bartender Mark "Duffy" Dyer worked at the restaurant between 1997 and 2023.[4][12]
Boland and Swords opened a sister restaurant, named Havana South, in Portland, Maine, in 2010, but it closed shortly thereafter.[13]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Esquire included Havana in its list of "100 restaurants America can't afford to lose".[14]
References
edit- ^ Havana – Fodor's
- ^ "It’s Not Easy Being an Optimist in Maine" – New York Times, October 14, 2020
- ^ a b c "Bar Harbor restaurateur finds Obamas 'genuine'" – Bangor Daily News, July 18, 2010
- ^ a b c d Viva Havana – The Maine Mag, October 2008
- ^ Havana is American fine dining – Havana's official website
- ^ Havana Restaurant – Wine Spectator
- ^ "WHAT'S DOING IN; Mount Desert Island" – New York Times, August 5, 2001
- ^ Havana: Parrilla – Havana's official website
- ^ Havana – Facebook, 19 July 2010
- ^ "36 Hours in Bar Harbor, Me." – New York Times, July 14, 2011
- ^ "Obama family spends active day on MDI' – Bangor Daily News, July 16, 2010
- ^ "Mount Desert Island" – The Maine Mag, July 2021
- ^ "Havana South closes its doors" – Portland Press Herald, January 7, 2012
- ^ "100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose" – Esquire December 29, 2020