A new star is already ablaze in Portland’s glittering galaxy of restaurants. I’m talking about a Tiki bar, a blast from the past gone modern by the name of Rhum, which opened last Saturday in the Old Port. It’s the brainchild of Jason Loring (Nosh and Slab) and Mike Fraser (Bramhall) plus a star-studded cast of chefs and mixologists who are killing it, as the saying goes.
The bar at Rhum, which circles back to the other side with another bar
Tiki bars in America were made famous by Trader Vic’s, a California hot spot born in the 1940s where the Mai Tai was invented to accompany Polynesian inspired fare. The San Francisco Trader Vic’s was perhaps the most renowned. It flourished as the watering hole for the city’s society illuminators who flocked there with unabashed glamour. I went there a few times when I lived in San Francisco years ago. Even then it was from another era.
Rhum is first and foremost a lounge that happens to serve an incredible array of small plates and sophisticated snacks—inflected, vaguely Polynesian–to accompany the incredible rum-based cocktails. These are not the run-of-the mill shake and serve libations but are presented in fanciful drinking glasses topped with umbrellas and other wisps of fantasy.
Clockwise: impresario Jason Loring; the bar and lounge seating; bar manager Sam Babcock and the busy bar for cocktails and food
The kitchen team includes Frank Warren Anderson, an LA transplant who hails from that city’s über trendy Animal, which is still one of the top restaurants there. His co-chef is Rebecca Ambrosi; they’ve worked together at various restaurants over the years. Anderson’s credentials include being in the kitchens of Jean-George Vongerichten and Thomas Keller. Interestingly I came across a blog called A Cozy Boat (see link) that highlights their skills.
Their focus is on raw bars—served by the boatload at Rhum. The kitchen is further aided by other local chefs’ talent helping out for now: Graham Botto (formerly of Central Provisions and Back Bay Grill) and the indefatigable Fred Eliot, who made Petite Jacqueline the ultimate (and only) French bistro in Portland such a hit. Add mixologist like the towering Sam Babcock and you’re in excellent hands as soon as you walk in.
Shellfish platter with oysters, scallops, mussels, shrimp and lobster
Let me set the record straight regarding how to find this place since others who’ve tried to explain had no sense of direction.
Its official address is 4 Free St., which is the basement of the Arabica coffee building (2 Free St) and the adjoining building(6 Free St). But that’s very confusing. Rather it’s located down the hill from the corner of Free and Cross streets. After the short walk down Cross turn right into the adjacent parking lot and the Rhum portal is a black and gold splattered door through which you hang down a long, dark hallway. Once inside the flash of this great big space is phenomenal. It’s got all the dazzling Polynesian décor touches in a low-lit space with a bar that circles the entire room flanked by comfy lounge seating around low tables.
Entrance to Rhum off the parking lot that connects to the larger lot on Free Street
As expected the noise level is practically deafening. Normally that’s a problem. But here you wouldn’t want it any other way. The energy is amazing and the food and drink—well be prepared to be knocked off your feet.
Fanciful ceiling lights: entry hall– a dark passage
Drinksmeister Sam Babcock brought out his signature Mai Tai for us. For a straight vodka drinker that I am, this is sweet stuff. But it was delicious. The only thing missing was a beach chair set at the ocean’s edge.
The Rhum bar
My guest had another rum drink—Wannahockalugi–Bimini Gin, Cruzan Rum, Owl &Whale Pineapple Rosemary Shrub (from Babcock’s own line of bitters), house made banana spice syrup, and coconut soda. It’s a special drink not officially on the menu yet. But don’t miss it. Just ask. Another cocktail that Babcock whipped up was a rum martini–Brugal rum, a bit of vermouth and Owl &Whale cherry bitters. Enticing, if not slightly lethal.
Clockwise: Wannahockalugie, Mai Tai and rum martini
The menu is fairly large and the two of us could only sample so much. From the pu pu platters to seafood towers there’s some monumental plates coming out of the kitchen. The towers run $45 to $115, depending on size, but it’s a great sharable.
The big guns seafood tower ($115) with all the shellfish you could want including shrimp from the gulf of Mexico, scallops, mussels, Island Creek oysters, crab claws and Maine lobster with incredible dipping sauces
The pu pu platter is at the kitchen’s whim but is classically a combination of barbecued meats and shellfish. Other choices include poke and jackfruit salads, beef tartare, bone marrow with seaweed among others. We went a different route and started with a raw seafood plate with Island Creek oysters, mussels, huge, meaty shrimp and lobster.
Shellfish platter with oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster
With drinks we snacked on crab Rangoons—very crisp and creamy inside– and then onto two of their spectacular dishes: one called kaya toast, which is brioche bread dipped into a runny 63-degree egg with soy and coconut jam. And the most stunning dish is the loco moro inari: foie gras, spam (yes, that’ s right, good old-fashioned spam) and quail egg, all of which tasted like the seventh sense alive on the plate.
Kaya toast–brioche bread dipped into a 63-econd egg with coconut jam
Loco moco inari
Rhum is seriously fun. The food is creatively conceived, with highly sophisticated flavors that are lavishly delicious. As a lounge, it’s the tops of tikidom!
