Let’s start with the fries, since that’s what Norman Owens did.

Owens built the concept for Sea Salt Fry Co. around his Belgian-style frites. Like many of Maine’s top twice-cooked spuds (Duckfat’s fries and Finestkind’s hash browns in Saco among them), they’re made from Green Thumb Farms’ Norwis potatoes, which he swears by. In fact, he had them regularly shipped out west some years back when he was chef-owner of the Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated Hot Box Grill in Sonoma, California.

At Sea Salt, you can get them cooked in vegetable oil or duck fat for a $2-$3 upcharge — worth it for the deep, savory richness. They come plain, spice-rubbed or topped with the likes of buffalo chicken tenders or duck gravy and confit. They’re (mostly) crisp outside, creamy inside, well seasoned with sea salt from Slack Tide in York, and served with delectably tangy malt vinegar aioli.

Owens has good reason to draw attention to his restaurant’s eponymous fries. But Sea Salt Fry Co. is no mere fry shack.

A former partner at Sand Dollar Bar and Grille in York, Owens knows that familiar comfort food sells in this market; quality versions of smash burgers, chicken tenders, fish & chips and steak frites make up the core of his menu. But he’s also cooked in acclaimed kitchens like Canlis in Seattle and Cafe La Haye in Sonoma. So he augments the pub standards with locally sourced, bistro-style weekly specials — mushroom gnocchi, seared scallops in green curry sauce, salt cod brandade with olive tapenade — that let him color outside the lines a bit.

For his tuna tartare cannoli ($19) special, he dresses fine-diced yellowfin tuna with tamari, sesame oil, ginger and sambal and pipes it into crunchy rice paper shells, served on a bed of shaved purple cabbage with kimchi aioli. While I wanted more kimchi heat, the dish was full-flavored nonetheless, yet also remarkably clean and fresh. The special is such a hit that Owens plans to add it to the regular menu, using Gulf of Maine tuna when bluefin season opens in June.

The chef keeps things simple, so star ingredients can speak for themselves. A shareable side dish features steaky chestnut, lion’s mane, oyster, shiitake and comb tooth mushrooms ($16) from Dunk’s in New Hampshire, glistening with garlic butter and showered with toasted breadcrumbs bearing hints of citrus zest and sage. In his crispy egg salad ($14) with a local chicory blend, creamy yolk from a panko-coated farm egg softens the biting warm vinaigrette, loaded with bits of fragrant North Country Smokehouse bacon.

The smash burger ($12 for a single 3.5-ounce patty, $17 for a double) is a stellar showcase for grass-fed beef from Maine Family Farms, though it’s the spicy ranch dressing flecked with house-made sweet pickles — Sea Salt’s “company sauce” — that makes it irresistible. Just as seductive is the British-style sticky toffee pudding ($16), a marvelously moist, date-sweetened cake that swims in a glossy pool of salted caramel, with rolling waves of rich whipped cream.

Other dishes missed the bull’s-eye. A hefty 8- to 10-ounce portion of haddock in the fish & chips ($32) overhangs the plate, but the fish was underseasoned and the crunchy beer-batter coating was a touch oily.

The stripped-down chimichurri that comes with grilled hanger steak frites ($38) was punchy, but more like a French persillade: all parsley, garlic and acid. Owens said he left cilantro out of the mix because it’s polarizing. That’s understandable, but it still would have benefitted from the traditional oregano and chile flakes. Thankfully, the tender steak — with extra umami oomph from anchovy-laced cowboy butter melted on top — was so tasty it didn’t really matter.

Sea Salt’s bar program includes a New England-heavy selection of draft and canned beers, along with Maine riffs on cocktail classics. The Poutini ($15) is a bracing, briny martini using Maine’s Cold River potato vodka and olives stuffed with Pineland Farms cheese curds. Maine Root ginger beer didn’t deliver the peppery punch I’d hoped for in their whiskey-based Maple Ginger Mule ($16), though Maine maple syrup nicely countered the tart lime.

Owens — who holds a level 2 certification with the International Sommelier Guild — curated a tight, smart and value-minded wine list ($9-$14 by the glass, $29-$64 for bottles), including a floral Provencal rosé, grapefruity New Zealand sauvignon blanc, and a Roth cabernet from California’s Alexander Valley.

Owens didn’t change the interior aesthetic much from the space’s previous tenant, Lee Frank’s, though he brought in comfy silver-blue chairs with armrests, and hung local art in the wood-paneled bar area. Friendly staff roam the hardwood floor purposefully, alert to customer needs. Owens makes frequent appearances in the dining room to deliver dishes or just introduce himself and chat, an endearing practice that makes guests feel all the more welcome.

Sea Salt Fry Co. opened in December. While it seems to have a solid fan base of families and foodies already, the summer will be its real test: A string of restaurants have launched and shuttered in short order at this location.

“Every single local that comes in reminds me that the place is cursed,” Owens said, bemused. “I don’t see any reason why anything should have failed there. It’s right on Route 1. It’s a good space.”

As a Sox fan, I don’t believe in curses (anymore). Restaurants in viable locations make their own luck, for better or worse. By some accounts, Lee Frank’s had staffing issues and couldn’t keep regular operating hours, frustrating would-be customers. The tenant before them, Gravy, specialized in hot meat sauce — try selling that to summer tourists.

I think it’ll probably be tough to score a table at Sea Salt Fry Co. during tourist season, particularly on the side deck. And I’m eager to see how Maine’s gorgeous summer produce inspires Owens’ specials. My hunch is that he’s just getting warmed up, and that we can expect to enjoy excellent food from Sea Salt in the months — and years — to come.

RATING: ***½
WHERE: 231 Post Road, Wells, seasaltfryco.com.
SERVING: Noon-8 p.m. Thursday through Monday
PRICE RANGE: Sides $9-$16; sandwiches and mains $12-$38 (22-ounce ribeye for $75)
NOISE LEVEL: Medium-low/medium
VEGETARIAN: Some dishes
GLUTEN-FREE: Several dishes
RESERVATIONS: No
BAR: Beer, wine and cocktails
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
BOTTOM LINE: Chef-owner Norman Owens launched Sea Salt Fry Co. in a location with a history of quick turnovers, though his tasty pub fare and savvy, seasonally driven specials ought to give the restaurant considerably more staying power than its predecessors. The delicious namesake fries, seasoned with locally harvested sea salt, come fried in your choice of vegetable oil or duck fat (it should go without saying, splurge for the duck fat). Outstanding dishes include a splendid smash burger, mixed local mushrooms and a twist on the French bistro staple, frisee aux lardons, topped with a panko-coated soft-boiled egg. Look for his Asian-influenced tuna tartare cannoli this summer, when the rice paper shells will be stuffed with Maine bluefin tuna. The ample haddock in the fish & chips we tried was underseasoned — though the crisp beer batter is flavorful — and livelier chimichurri would have enhanced the scrumptious grilled hanger steak. The wine list is tasteful and approachable, and cocktails highlight local spirits and specialties. Save room for sticky toffee pudding, a classic British cake that makes a divine vessel for Owens’ salted caramel sauce.

Ratings follow this scale and take into consideration food, atmosphere, service and value and type of restaurant (a casual bistro will be judged as a casual bistro, an expensive upscale restaurant as such):

* Poor 
** Fair
** Good
**** Excellent
***** Extraordinary

The Maine Sunday Telegram visits each restaurant once; if the first meal was unsatisfactory, the reviewer returns for a second. The reviewer never accepts free food or drink.