I’d like nothing better than to go to a restaurant–the only face covering being my beard–to settle into the simple pleasures of indoor dining.
Recently I asked a friend where we should go out to eat ( inside). Her response listed these restaurants for indoor dining: “Tuscan Table (it’s so large), Royal River Grill House, Boone’s, Scales, Fore Street, etc.” It ran the gamut of choices, leaving out some. I suggested Chaval because they offer wonderful garden seating behind the restaurant. Last Friday night I was not able to secure a spot outside but reserved a table inside, requesting the big round one at the window, far enough away from other diners. By 8 PM we were finished and only a few tables in the main dining room were occupied. But there was a steady stream of take out orders being picked up at the front door and the garden dining area was humming. Indeed Chaval has taken every precaution to abide by the city’s inside dining rules. Without the buzz of a packed restaurant, the atmosphere was subdued.
The dining room and entry at Chaval; Sole stuffed with clams in a spinach puree; ice cream roll
Bar or counter dining is basically minimal at most restaurants. I’ve even been to Moody’s and Becky’s where counter seating–once a mainstay–is off limits. Scales and Fore Street have devised plexiglass shields between seats for twosomes at the bar. If there’s a silver lining the kitchens are less stressed than they would be with crowded dining rooms and the food is more carefully prepared.
But for now I’m still enjoying eating in the open air. And if there’s a water view, all the better. I’ve yet to go hunker down under the bunker-walled enclaves on Middle Street–as though those fortifications that mark many outdoor dining rooms were devised to prevent runaway Mack trucks from plowing diners down.
The Middle Street restaurant row is the most popular in the city. Though the mass of diners seems too close for comfort.
I limit my dining out options to lunch, preferably either on the water or overlooking it. Having a table on a busy street is not appealing after sunset. One in particular whose food I like a lot is on such a busy corner and is smack dab in the path of a blinding setting sun. Sunset is earlier now (6:30 ish). Will restaurants be installing lighting when the sun sets by the late afternoon?
Top: The bar and halibut in meyer lemon sauce at Fore Street; Bottom: The patio at Scales and tuna
Solo Italiano taking reservations and setting up for the evening’s roster of outdoor dining
Here is a short list of what I like. I know, I know. There are other spots, but …
My three favorites at lunchtime include the patio at the Cumberland Food Company, in the heart of Cumberland Center’s farm country; Mr. Tuna along the Eastern Prom and EVO-X at Fore Points Marina at the end of Thames Street.
The patio at Cumberland Food Company–a day in the country!
Chef/owner Bryan Dame has quite a following at both breakfast and lunch. Most recently I had a grilled chicken sandwich served on homemade focaccia. The lightly grilled chicken breast was melt-in- your- mouth tender, but it was the bread that was the star–bursting in flavor, with a texture that was both silken and hearty. It just crumbled in your mouth like the flakiest pastry.
The chicken sandwich with flavored mayonnaise served with housemade pickle served on the patio at Cumberland Food Company
Mr. Tuna’s daily specials and standard menu offer distinctive choices for hand-roll aficionados. Just pull up to a bench and enjoy the view overlooking Casco Bay.
One of my favorite spots for a quick lunch in the neighborhood overlooking Casco Bay: Mr.Tuna has superb hand rolls: tuna, crab and avocado
EVO-X Fore Points Marina at 58 Fore Street is the only structure that has been created thus far at the vast urban renewal project of the former Sprague boat yard. Its eventual buildout of residential, public and retail spaces is years away, and no ground has been broken yet. But the food truck serves superb food under the direction of executive chef Matt Ginn (EVO, Chebeague Island Inn).
The grand patio at EVO-X with bar and food truck hugging the water’s edge
The food truck and bar are set are at the water’s edge. I love the spot.
Fore Points Marina dining deck, the patio and food truck (in background)
Getting there by car is a bit tricky. You follow Commercial Street to the end, then continue on even though the sign says road closed until you get to a gate where you deposit $5 for all-day parking. Follow signs to Fore Points Marina, then bear left to the rear of the fenced in parking lot. Put the parking sticking on the dash and you’re all set. Otherwise you can just walk down Thames Street until you reach the discreet entrance to the food truck that is the food source for the marina’s dining option. You’re at the water’s edge on the harbor with a great view of visiting yachts tied up at the marina. A friend who’s a personal shopper at Whole Foods often fills orders for these yachts into the thousands of dollars to feed crew and passengers in private-dining bliss.
The dining bar overlooking the yachts at anchor at Fore Points Marina
If you’re hungry and a big eater, you really have to order two dishes at lunch, which are about $20 each or $40 for lunch. It’s on the high side for Portland lunch wallets. I get by with one dish. And the dishes have varied greatly. There’s the fried fish sandwich with the day’s aioli on a soft-bulky roll with a bag of chips on the side. The fish could be any of those inexpensive but wonderful local firm-fleshed fish like hake, pollock, haddock. Pair it with a nonalcoholic Arnold Palmer (iced teach and lemonade) and it’s a perfect lunch. Then there’s the fried chicken sandwich. Forget about Popeye’s travesty on a roll. This is the real deal. One of my favorite dishes was a special of the day: squash blossoms stuffed with lobster in a sweet chile sauce and the most unusual was a crab cake, ultra thin but packed with flavor.
Fried chicken sandwich; crab cake with celery root chips and squash blossoms stuffed with lobster
I’m not sure if I’ll frequent any of the outdoor dining rooms when the temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Though my home kitchen, which happily gets a lot of use, is getting a little long in the tooth of menu ideas. From sheet pan dinners summarily heralded by the NYT cooking site to all manner of roast chicken and chicken sautées, to pasta, to the occasional roast and pot roast and braises, all otherwise known as quarantine cooking, I’ll step out occasionally to dine inside or out. And it’s’ comforting to know we still have our options.
