Harvest Moon Deli at Marketplace in Augusta, Maine

Harvest Moon Deli opened recently at Marketplace at Augusta, and it's already drawing repeat customers from the chain's Bangor locations. They make sandwiches and salads with house-baked bread and quality meats, then give them names like "Roast Beef of Burden" and "Steak Me Home Tonight" that hint at what's inside. The staff here knows the menu cold and won't rush you through deciding.

• House-baked bread, quality meats, fresh vegetables.
• Playful sandwich and salad names mask serious flavor.
• Staff patient with new customers, quick with regulars.
• Spotless kitchen and dining room.

Start with the Roast Beef of Burden on rye if you want a classic. The More Than Birds and Pork Side of the Moon show how far they push the concept. Don't skip the Steak Me Home Tonight sandwich or the Harvest Moon Salad. The sharp dressed pecan salad and a cup of tomato and basil soup round out the menu nicely.

Clean, light, and casual. The space has enough going on that it feels lively without shouting.

This is lunch-and-dinner casual. The kitchen takes care with ingredients and prep, and plates come out hot. Eric and the other staff members seem genuinely glad you showed up. It's the kind of place where a little attention to detail reads as real hospitality, not theater.

Guests keep coming back after their first visit, often citing the staff's warmth alongside the food. One recent visitor said Eric "lights up the place." People notice the cleanliness and the speed of the kitchen.