Edna and Lucy’s lures diners to Pownal

When I'm thinking over places where I can grab a meal, I never think of going to Pownal.

However, I recently have been hearing about a nifty restaurant called Edna and Lucy's which opened last spring just down the road from Bradbury Mountain State Park. So, on a sunny but blustery Wednesday afternoon, I stopped in.

What a cool place.

The restaurant is at the intersection of Route 9 and Elmwood Road, just behind the Short Stop gas station. You can't miss it because it's a red building. You walk into the main room, and the kitchen is at the back. The dining area is in a room to your left.

The restaurant has an old farmhouse feel. The colors are dusky reds and yellows and there is a lot of warm wood. The main room has a table set up with goodies, such as freshly made cinnamon sugar doughnuts, bars filled with baskets of produce, beverages in coolers and wine racks. The menu is on the wall in this room and you place your order at a counter separating the kitchen from the rest of the room.

In the dining room there are several tables and chairs and a bar with stool seating that looks out at Route 9 and a lovely field beyond the street. At the rear of the dining room is a table with condiments and the like and a place for depositing your tray when you're done.

I ordered a cheeseburger deluxe ($5.75) with sauteed onions. I sat at the bar because all the tables were full. While waiting, I took a moment to look around at the art on the walls. The restaurant was exhibiting prints by John Bowdren.

My cheeseburger was brought to me. I was impressed by the freshness of the bun more than anything. The burger itself was much as you would expect: hot and dripping with cheese.

As I was eating, I noticed a sign out in the parking lot, which I thought told me all I needed to know about the restaurant. It read: "Open 7 to 7, hot soup, chowder, chili, sandwiches, treats, Moxie." But for those who want specifics, the menu offers hot and cold sandwiches, such as grilled eggplant and black pastrami for $6.45 each and grilled chicken and a Caesar roll-up for $6.25. The chef and Caesar salads are $5.75 and a seasonal salad of roasted beets, butternut squash, goat cheese, walnuts, cranberries and mixed greens is $6.45. The soup changes daily. The restaurant also offers nightly dinner-to-go specials.

Edna and Lucy's