What would “Talking Food in Maine” at Damariscotta’s Lincoln Theater be without an evening recognizing one of Maine’s favorite offerings – lobster!

Host Cherie Scott and the Theater are pleased to welcome special guests Luke Holden and Ben Conniff of Luke’s Lobster, for an intimate conversation Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. With over 26 locations across nine cities in the U.S. and in Japan, Luke’s Lobster harnesses a passion for excellent seafood by offering sustainable dishes from lobster rolls and crab grilled cheese sandwiches to Maine-style sides and local desserts.

With a 40-year family history in the Maine lobster industry, Holden, Conniff, and Holden’s father Jeff Holden (a lobster processor) opened the first Luke’s Lobster location in New York’s East Village back in 2009. As demand grew, Luke and partners opened their very own seafood processing company in 2012 based in Saco. They have since gone on to expand throughout the U.S. in some of the country’s biggest markets, such as Boston, New York City, Chicago, Miami, and overseas in Japan and Taiwan. With 40 years and three generations of experience, Luke’s Lobster has developed relationships with the finest fishermen in the Northeast and Canada, guaranteeing that the seafood served in their shacks and carts across the globe honors their commitment to transparency in sourcing and quality. By working directly with fishermen they know and trust, and hand picking the best seafood, Luke’s Lobster cuts out the middleman bringing better tasting lobster, crab and shrimp for you to enjoy and a more value returned to fishermen through their innovative business model, helping to preserve and strengthen coastal communities.

You don’t have to travel around the world to get a meal from Luke’s Lobster. Their flagship restaurant is located directly on the working waterfront at 60 Portland Pier in Portland, situated beside their own lobster buying station. The restaurant features 360-degree views of the lobster industry, and like their shacks and carts, serves seafood straight from the source and traceable to the harbor of origin while offering an expanded menu and full bar. At Luke’s you can grab a sustainably sourced lobster, crab, or shrimp roll served in a split-top New England-style bun with a swipe of mayo, lemon butter, and of course their secret seasoning, all while knowing where their food comes from and how it has been harvested and handled.

Host Cherie Scott was born in Mumbai but now calls Maine her home. In 2015, she launched her culinary blog, MumbaitoMaine.com, to share her signature recipes and nostalgic anecdotes of her youth in Mumbai. Cherie recently curated a culinary series on regional Indian cuisine offered exclusively at the Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School in York, Maine. To celebrate Maine’s bicentennial, Cherie launched Mumbai to Maine’s podcast with a signature series: Maine’s Bicentennial Food Podcast, a culinary podcast sponsored by Maine Magazine’s Eat Maine. Each episode showcases Maine’s most creative and accomplished culinary taste-makers, food innovators, authors and entrepreneurs.

A free event. The Lincoln Theater is located in Damariscotta at 2 Theater St. Find additional information on all upcoming events at www.lcct.org or by calling 563-3424 during office hours Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.