Got the blues? Need connection? In the mood for an upscale meal you can actually afford? Why not gas up the car and head for downtown Rumford?
 
That’s right: Rumford. A struggling paper-mill town in the western foothills of Maine, where the economic downturn has left a sobering chain of “Closed” signs along much of Congress Street.
 
Two years ago, Brian and Jess Nichols seized an iffy opportunity to open their own restaurant in the erstwhile lobby of the old Hotel Harris — also known as the Strathglass block — the architectural jewel of the business district. This Beaux-Arts-style building recalls Rumford’s boomtown heyday, when the Oxford Paper Company ran the whole show and store windows glittered with merchandise.
 
The renovated interior is the handi-work of Jess, a graduate of the textile-design program at Syracuse. She’s re-cast the capacious room in homey, pleasing shades of yellow, terra cotta, and purple that pick up the striated hues of the original oak floor. In the daytime, natural light carpets in through the grand, floor-to-ceiling windows; the same room at night feels lush and warm and tucked away.
 
On any given night, the restaurant bustles with chatty diners; on weekends the place is positively jumping. If you’re back for a visit after growing up here, you’ll run into your fifth-grade teacher, or the guy who rebuilt your mother’s porch. If you’re a stranger, the hometown vibe will make you wish you lived here, or somewhere like it.
 
Oh, and you’ll love the food.
 
“Fine dining without pretentions” is how Brian describes his Italian-influenced menu that includes a truly memorable tiramisu. The fried calamari, served with a chipotle-marinara sauce, also rivals any in the business, and the pizzas come with thin crusts and generous toppings that hold together beautifully with just the right amount of cheese. Among the entrées and pastas, you’ll find Bourbon sirloin, chicken saltimbocca, and Amore made with reduction sauces, balsamic drizzles, aiolis, demi-glaces, and pestos. These sophisticated dishes are served up like comfort food in liberal, piping-hot portions with grandma-style sides.
 
The Nicholses, who met while working at a brewpub in Bethel, have been in the restaurant business since they were old enough to work. Brian graduated from the New England Culinary Institute and did time in countless kitchens while waiting for a chance to strike out on his own.

 
Now that they’ve gotten their wish, the couple has embroidered their goals, hoping to further influence the palate of this “steak and potato” part of the world. “The seafood guys have been bringing in things like Asian sea bass,” Brian says. “That’s a flakey white fish that my diners would love.”
 
It’s difficult to imagine this radiant couple, who proudly live in Rumford, having to resort to a hard sell. Young, avid, and welcoming, they’ve earned the affection of their regular diners. Sitting at the bar on a Tuesday night is Wayne Gallant, the Oxford County sheriff, chatting up the bartender. “Wonderful people,” he says, explaining why he likes coming here. “Being in law enforcement,
 
I have to be picky about where I’ll stop in for a beer. This is a nice, safe, family-friendly environment.”
 
“It’s all about gathering, about community,” agrees Joe Sirois, a vegetarian enjoying a sumptuous Greek salad. “Honestly? I think this place has given the town a much-needed lift.”
 
To maintain that atmosphere — to succeed at all in this, or any restaurant — Brian and Jess believe that the owners must be a constant, reliable presence. “One of us is always here,” Brian says. “Owners will notice the little things — how the place looks, how fast the food comes out. It takes only one bad experience to lose a customer forever.”
 
To everyone here, Brian’s Bistro clearly is about much more than the food. “It seems like the restaurant has rejuvenated a certain morale, in a strange way,” Brian says. “We’ve actually gotten busier.”
 
“I’ve had people come up to me in the grocery store to say thank you,” Jess says, bemused. “They thank me for opening this restaurant.”
 
She laughs, looking around at her dream come true. “I tell them, ‘No, no! Thank you!’ ”
 
Brian’s Bistro is located at 25 Hartford Street in Rumford. Open Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. Entrees range from $11 to $18. 207-364-3300. www.brians-bistro.com