Anneke Jans - Kittery Maine bistro, restaurant, ME

Portsmouth Magazine: 20 Best Restaurants: By Sarah Hamilton (October/November 2007)
www.portsmouthmag.com
"Chef Charlie Cicero has a menu that is reflective of the Seacoast’s agricultural abundance as well as other regions brought together for an American style bistro delight. "
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Hippo Press: Bringing Italia to New Hampshire A conversation with Mary Ann Esposito: By Susan Ware(November 2007)
“…Where do you eat out in New Hampshire?
Actually, we eat a lot of fish, and my favorite restaurant is Anneke Jans in Kittery, Maine. It is a small place; the food is good and very consistent. ”
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TV Diner with Billy Costa (April 2007)
“…The chef mastered another vinaigrette in the earthy baby green salad with port poached cranberries and topped with creamy cabernet dressing...Desserts absolutely delightful and elegantly presented, the lemon tart with blueberry coulis and creme fraiche in a flaky buttery crust was a wonderful combination of sweet and sour...Anneke Jans is worth the drive!”
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Down East (November 2006)
“… Anneke Jans is proof that sometimes dreams do come true…is the kind of friendly place where you really can stop in for just an appetizer and a glass of wine at the bar, yet the professional cliber of the food and service make a visit feel very special. ”

Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors
“… "Balance is the key in any dish, in terms of texture, appearance and flavor," said Cicero. Among his favorite offerings is octopus braised until tender, then grilled and served with roasted red pepper sauce, olive oil, poached potatoes, and microgreens dressed in an aged sherry vinaigrette. ”
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Maine Sunday Telegram
“Meticulous dishes are being plated at Anneke Jans (pronounced ANN eh ka Jans) in this seaside town, in a black room with a half moon bar. It's worth the drive. ”
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Edible Boston
“Chef Cicero’s relishes having access to local farmers and fishermen who deliver the freshest products directly to his kitchen. This truly facilitates his creativeness”
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Seacoast Online Home and Garden
“… Chef Charlie Cicero of the charming Euro-American bistro Anneke Jans in Kittery, Maine, likes a good family dinner gathering. Like many modern chefs, Cicero keeps that grill going far into the fall, creating family fare with a bit of an exotic flair. ”
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Mainetoday.com
“Meticulous dishes are being plated at Anneke Jans (pronounced ANN eh ka Jans) in this seaside town, in a black room with a half moon bar. It's worth the drive.”
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Chowhound.com
“…All in all, a tremendous experience. I highly recommend this place!”
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GKM Independent Survey CO. 2006
“Voted the Region's #1 Restaurant for Dining Excellence.”

Who is Anneke Jans? She is a distant relative of Andy Livingston. She is one of New York’s most famous citizens. Her own lifetime was not so remarkable. Her fame was attained years after her death. Anneke's notoriety was gained by having descendants who initiated one of the country's most famous litigations. In a long series of lawsuits, the claimants asked for ownership, in whole or part, of real estate on Manhattan that had belonged to Anneke. They claimed that Trinity Church had illegally acquired title, and that the property rightfully belonged to the descendents of Anneke Jans.

The Jan's property encompassed 62 acres of lower Manhattan. This property was of little value untill New York's northward expansion, and this mediocre farmland was improved to the point that commercial buildings and private dwellings had been built on it. After a number of transfers the farm became property of the Trinty Church. However, in one of these transfers, one of Anneke's minor grandchildren had inadvertently been omitted from the deed. His descendents discovered this fact about 1750, and between then and1847 sued repeatedly and unsuccessfully to break the church's title to the land. In spite of these legal defeats, the myth would not die; another suit was instituted in 1909, and in the next quarter century the cause attracted much publicity. Lawyers, genealogist, and promoters seized the opportunity to make a fast buck and started searching for all living descendants of Anneke Jans, who turned out to be more numerous than the descendents of the passengers on the Mayflower. Finally, the Legislature passed a special act quieting the title and forbidding any further suits, on the grounds that similar irregularities would have called most titles dating from the seventeenth century into question. It also became clear that if the heirs had won, there would be so many of them that the share of each, even in the vast wealth in dispute, would have been less than the contributions many of them were induced to make toward the expenses of litigation.