PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A longtime local chef has found his niche by bringing new life to an eatery at the Presque Isle Country Club.
Since its early May opening, Parkhurst Siding Pub has been a hit with customers, bringing in more business than owner Rob Ottaviano could have hoped for.
Located at the Presque Isle golf course, the pub is another new restaurant in a string of new business openings in the city. The site is completely separate from the golf course and, unlike many country club eateries, is open to the entire community. This is Ottaviano’s first restaurant, and he can’t wait to unleash his creative freedom.
“People in Aroostook County are hardworking people, and I think they are very conscious about where they spend their money,” Ottaviano said. “They would much rather give their money to a sole proprietor than a corporation.”
Ottaviano has been in the hospitality business his whole life, he said. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Connecticut, he lived in Torino, Italy, with family for a year before moving back to Stonington, Connecticut, where he ran a lobster bake catering business. He’s been in Aroostook County for 20 years.
Ottaviano worked in food services for Aramark, both at the University of Maine at Fort Kent and Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle. He gained some statewide fame as a finalist in the World’s Best Lobster Roll competition in 2017 in Portland.
Most recently, he was food and beverage manager for Ignite Presque Isle at Rodney’s at 436 Main before he opened Parkhurst Siding Pub.
Business has been so brisk that he hasn’t had a day off in two months.
Like most in the restaurant businesses, Ottaviano has struggled to find enough employees. His dozen staff members are still not enough, and he is looking to hire more kitchen staff.
“I’ve got a great staff, and I am very lucky, but you can’t burn out the good ones because eventually they’ll say it’s not worth it,” Ottaviano said.
He formulated the idea for the pub when some country club members suggested he take a look at the space on offer. Over the years, the eatery has been operated by several different people on a seasonal basis.
Though he was busy at his previous job at the Northeastland Hotel, he managed to find some time to check out the space. He was hooked.
Ottaviano spoke with the Presque Isle Country Club board members and all agreed the restaurant should be separate from the golf operation.
“I see [the Presque Isle Country Club] as such an undervalued and underutilized asset in Aroostook County,” Ottaviano said, calling the location the best-kept secret in the city with its views of rolling green hills.
Now, Ottaviano is busier than ever making plans for the pub, including sourcing local and Maine brews to serve.
Beer and spirits in Maine have exploded in the past year, he said. The pub serves craft brews from Mossy Ledge Spirits in Etna and Battery Steele Brewing of Portland, which was started by Presque Isle native Jacob Condon along with Shane Noble.
He plans to change the seasonal menu at Parkhurst Siding Pub monthly so it won’t get stale for the customers. There are daily specials like a pub steak or a strawberry spinach salad with seared scallops.
He will present a fall menu at the end of August with some harvest-themed dishes.
Ottaviano plans to offer some themed events such as pig roasts or lobster bakes, and the restaurant also does catering under his other business, Northern Maine Catering.
Parkhurst Siding Pub is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
