Many Portland diners were sad to see the axiomatically hip Baharat close its doors earlier this year. When they first opened years ago, their take on Middle Eastern Food was a trendy answer to its start as a food truck or the more upscale places like EVO and Tiqa. I loved the food in the first few years, its gutsy, easy to take fare was well prepared and reasonably priced. On my last visit about 5 months ago, it had lost its luster. The plating had turned from dazzling to muddy. I vowed not to return, and then it closed!
Baharat Circa 2017
From what I’ve learned ,the owners of Full Turn are related to the originators of Baharat, who’ve since moved downeast to be with family. From other chatter at Full Turn when I visited last week, I surmised it’s a mix of employee ownership and its founders. And in so doing it’s truly a neighborhood restaurant serving a simple menu of food and drink, in essentially the same room as before. It hasn’t yet reached its full hipifacation potential.
There’s more seating in the bar area and the rest of the dining room–a kind of cavernous space that just sort of disappears into the woodwork. The great wall of windows will be very inviting when those big garage style door windows open in the summer. At this time of year, sitting by them can be drafty. In fact on my visit, with my back to the windows, I had to put my coat back on over my shoulders to stay warm. That’s the only complaint. I’m not sure that there’s a fix, other than to turn up the heat on frigid nights.
Full Turn dining room and bar at 6:00 pm on December 2022 evening visit; by the time we left the rooms were filling up fast
The bartender knows it all with lots of history and current events about the place. And he fixes a pretty mean drink. I ordered a margarita. It was one of the best in town; the spice mix, juice and plenty of tequila in the brew created a very fine cocktail.
The menu is limited–on purpose, with the proviso that it will change every few months. I wonder what will get eliminated? The smash burger, the fried chicken sandwich, the two most substantial big courses that make up the entrée list, otherwise known as Big Snacks as opposed to Snacks (mozz sticks, pickles, chips and cheese, wings fries) as the two categories and one dessert.
If the objective is to have a burger and fries joint it translates into a side order of fries at $7 and a Smash Burger at $11 or Fried Chicken Sandwich at $14. This compares to $12 at Ruski’s for their great basic burger and fries. If you’re a fan of smash burgers–a flattened sliver of ground beef sandwiched under various toppings, grilled over high heat on a flat top to ensure a crisp outer shell, which presumably accentuates the fine flavors of ground sirloin or other beef mixes–you won’t be disappointed .
At Full Turn you can order a double smash burger for an extra $4, resulting in two thin patties under the weight of pickles, yellow American, sauce, etc). My dinner partner loved his burger. I less so. But I’m not a fan of these burger shortcuts, preferring the juicy heft of a 6 to 8-ounch piece of beef.
The smash burger on a brioche bun at Full Turn
The fries
The the fries, however, were some of the best I’ve had in Portland. What you get is a huge platter, enough for two to share without emptying the dish, and a good deal at the price. All together a burger and fries dinner is $18, on the high said compared to offerings at other places.
The Wedge salad was another standout–big enough for two people to share: two whopping wedges of crisp iceberg in a restrained (just creamy enough) blue cheese dressing, bacon, cherry tomatoes, and pickled shallots. We finished off that plate easily.
Wedge salad
There’s only one dessert on the menu, and it should not be missed. A small coupe containing lemon sorbet is more than meets the eye. It’s a perfect scoop of very lemony sorbet with accents of lemon -lime crystals that make it scrumptious.
Lemon sorbet
When I first gazed at the menu online a quick calculation is that one could get a pretty inexpensive meal here for about $35 per person. But when you add the drinks and dessert and even with sharing two plates (the fries and salad) it still costs close to $100 with two $13 drinks, tax and tip for two people.
These days it’s tough to find a cheap but good meal out. Even a place like Becky’s is relatively expensive for dinner and not very satisfying; best for breakfast or lunch. But to break the humdrum of constantly cooking in, you have to go out occasionally in these ultra inflationary times. The yen to dine out finds me at various places for lunch, notably SoPo Seafood, where for $15 you get a very good lunch (beer, wine and raw bar not included). As for the highly acclaimed 12 in Portland Foreside, it’s easily $150 per person, with pay-for parking in their lot next door–at that price it should include valet service. Some of the food is very good indeed and the rest is too gimmicky; I’d rather splurge and go to Fore Street, and others of that ilk that we still have.
NAME THAT DISH: Roast Chicken deconstructed at 12
A Full Turn, share your plates, don’t go heavy at the bar and do have that lemon sorbet. You’ll leave nicely satisfied and glad whether you live on Munjoy Hill as I do or elsewhere in the city to have such an agreeable neighborhood restaurant.
Full Turn, 91 Anderson St.,, Portland, ME 207-613-9849; no reservations
Rating: Good
Ambiance: Soon to be cool, very East Bayside at the base of Munjoy Hill/Washington Ave hub
Seating: Comfortable, but beware of drafty windows in winter
Parking: On Street
Price: Moderate, relatively speaking
