Ada’s Kitchen in Rockland

Jan 6

“Ada’s is what I like to call Rockland’s living room,” said Jenn Rockwell. “It’s a place you can depend on.” Eight and a half years after opening, that sense of ease and familiarity has become its calling card. Ada’s is where people land on a Tuesday night, where families come for dinner without overthinking it, and where regulars know exactly what they are ordering before they sit down.

Rockwell has been deliberate about resisting the idea that a restaurant needs to be a special-occasion destination to matter. “It’s not just a fancy date-night restaurant,” she said. “It’s an everyday place for everybody.” That philosophy shows up across the restaurant, from the bar and dining room to the downstairs space used for gatherings and celebrations.

The menu reflects that balance. New York–style pizza remains a standout, with a crust Rockwell says holds its own against anything she grew up with in New Jersey and New York. Fresh pasta is made in-house daily, including a carbonara prepared the traditional way, no cream, no shortcuts. Meatballs follow the same recipe they opened with, and the pomodoro sauce simmers for nearly 30 hours at a time. “Some things people depend on us for,” Rockwell said. “We listen to that.”

Behind the scenes, her path here was anything but linear. Rockwell studied marketing, art, and international relations, then worked in food education in New York City before returning to Maine. Her family’s roots run deep in the Midcoast fishing industry and in downtown Rockland itself. That long view still shapes how Ada’s operates today.

The bar mirrors the kitchen’s approach, with Italian classics like Negronis and spritzes alongside thoughtful mocktails made with housemade syrups and purées. “I’m just as likely to choose a mocktail,” Rockwell said. “When it’s crafted with care, it feels just as special.”

What keeps Ada’s full is not novelty. It is reliability, openness, and the sense that this is a place built for real life. As Rockwell put it, “You can swing by for takeout, a drink or something quick, or you make a night of dinner here.”

FAMOUS FOR:
Scratch-made Italian American food, especially New York–style pizza and housemade fresh pasta.

ADDRESS:
449 Main St in Rockland, ME

WEBSITE:
adaskitchen.com