By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Since he was a little boy, cooking has been in Nicholas Orgo’s blood.

“I grew up in a Greek and Italian family and food was important to us. It was the focal point at our large family gatherings. I watched my grandmothers do most of the cooking, and I thought it was great that they would make such delicious meals,” Nick remembers. “I started helping with them at a young age, mostly doing things like rolling meatballs or kneading dough.”

Nick’s parents owned a couple of diners in New Jersey.

Today, he carries on the family tradition. Nick runs a very successful catering business — M.A.N.E Catering — and will soon embark on an expansion, launching Stella’s on the Square after purchasing the historic Tom’s Homestead Restaurant on North High Street in Bridgton. Nick closed the deal in December with long-time chef and restaurateur Tom Doviak, who called the Homestead both his business and family home for 40 years.

“My wife (Jessica) and I decided to purchase Tom’s Homestead because we love the town of Bridgton and wanted to cement our roots here for years to come,” Nick said. “Additionally, my business was growing and I was out growing my current space in Gray. When looking for my next space, we knew I wanted to be in Bridgton. We are both already so involved with the town in so many other aspects it just seemed like the next logical step. Our heart is in Bridgton, now our business is too!”

The plan is to use the commercial kitchen as the heart of the catering business, while renovating the former restaurant space into dining space for special events. The Homestead will be renamed Stella’s on the Square — named after the Orgo’s daughter.

“Initially, Stella’s on the Square will be a special events space and will be offering take-out and delivery, with a rotating menu of scratch made food. By special events, I mean we will be offering many opportunities for the town to join us and take part in what we have to offer. We will be offering farm-to-table dinners, charity events, private dinner parties for groups as little as six, wine dinners, cooking classes, cooking clubs, cooking themed birthday parties for kids and adults, cocktail parties in the garden, corporate lunches, annual event gatherings, holiday parties, anniversary dinners, rehearsal dinners, celebrations of life, baby showers and much, much more,” he said. “We want Stella’s on the Square to be the place the community loves to come to. The place that brings people together, feeds them amazing food, pours them a great drink, and creates a sense of joy that last a lifetime!”

Bridgton selectmen welcomed Nick “to the neighborhood” — Town Manager Bob Peabody lives a stone’s throw from the Orgo’s new venture — Tuesday night during their virtual board meeting, which they approved a liquor and special amusement permit. During his quick overview of planned activities at Stella’s, Nick envisions outdoor events, some of which could occasionally include two or three-piece musicians. Mainly, he looks to create a place with community in mind. Nick is no stranger to community involvement. As he mentioned to selectmen, he and his wife are involved in several town groups, including the Chamber of Commerce. Nick can often be found whipping up a dish or two for Community Kettles held at the Bridgton Community Center as a member of the Rotary Club.

Nick and Jessica strive to be fully immersed in their community. Stella’s on the Square will certainly an extension of that desire.

Moving north

Nick’s move to Bridgton came in 2017.

He is originally from Nutley, N.J., which is about three miles from Manhattan. He is the youngest of three children — he has a sister, Demetria and brother, Steven. His connection to Maine came early on.

“Some of my fondest memories are my childhood, where we spent summers at Camp Ellis Beach in Saco. I moved to Maine full-time when I was 22, in August 2004,” he said.

Nick graduated from the University of Southern Maine, and met Jessica in Portland in 2007. 

“I love cooking, skiing, traveling, spending time with family and friends and helping my community,” he said.

Yes, he truly loves to cook.

“I love feeding people good food. I love to see people happy and full of joy that a meal can bring. I love to bring people together and nothing does that better than food,” he said. “Food preparation is super fun and exciting to me, as it is always progressing with new foods, new flavors, new techniques, etc. I am learning new things often and that keeps my passion burning.”

Nick says his cooking skills have improved through years of practice, continually trying new recipes and techniques, some with success and some with failure. 

“My specialty is cooking all of our food from scratch. This best allows us to control the quality of our dishes, adapt them as I want, and it allows me the ability to best adjust the recipes based on my clients’ preferences,” he said. “Complete flexibility is our specialty and providing clients with a dish/meal/event the way they want it.”

Nick decided to open a catering business instead of a restaurant because the hours are more conducive to family life.

“My family is my number one priority,” he noted. 

M.A.N.E. Catering has been in business for six years. M.A.N.E. is an acronym for Nick’s nieces and nephews — Madison, Alexander, Nicholas and Eleni.

“As I said before, I am family man first. I named all of my businesses after my family. Stella’s on the Square is named after my daughter and Jazzy Jeanne’s Jersey Dog, a hot dog cart, named after my mother,” he said.

Catering presents a range of challenges.

“Every event is unique, and every client’s needs are different. Some of the biggest challenges we face are the working with those different clients at different locations, using different equipment, navigating different terrain and creating menus and events to meet those challenges. Knowing my abilities and limitation at each unique venue and with each client, is the key to a successful event,” Nick said. “Normally, our biggest challenge is staffing. The hours are long and require a lot of hands-on work. The biggest challenge my business faces is Covid-19 and if we will still be allowed to have gatherings. So, I guess my biggest challenge is learning how to best adapt to the current circumstances with having little control over the outcome.”

On the cooking side, when asked if he has a favorite dish to prepare, Nick said, “Believe it or not, I do not have a favorite dish. My favorite thing to cook is something new. I love to continuously trying new foods, dishes and recipes. I get bored very easily, so it the different flavors, textures and aromas that drive my passion.” 

While Stella’s on the Square will not be like its predecessor — a restaurant — it will look to create a warm atmosphere where the community can gather for special occasions or charitable events or special meetings, relax and enjoy incredible food dishes.

Nick has been busy working on the Homestead, making improvements and changes with a hopeful eye for better things to come in 2021. Like his cooking and all things Bridgton that they do, Nick and Jessica are putting their hearts and souls into this next adventure.