Erin French Releases Third Cookbook From Freedom's Lost Kitchen

Erin French, chef and owner of The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, published her third cookbook, "Seize the Supper," on Oct. 13, 2026, and discussed the business behind the restaurant in an interview with ELLE.

French opened the restaurant in 2014 inside a converted 19th-century grist mill in her hometown, a community of about 700 people. She said opening there was the biggest gamble of her career, and that people warned her a rural town without foot traffic could not support it.

The restaurant takes reservation requests only by mailed postcard. It drew about 20,000 in the first year under that system and now receives roughly 60,000 a year, according to the ELLE interview. French said the cards are stored in bins and drawn at random, and that she has held onto every one. "I keep them all," she said.

The business operates seasonally, closing in winter, which French said helps her staff recover from summer shifts that can run 16 to 18 hours. She said she has turned down opportunities to expand in order to keep the operation at one location.

French's restaurant has also been the basis for two television programs, and she has been a James Beard Award semifinalist on four occasions.

This story was first reported by AOL.com.