Standard Baking

As we walked down the newly paved sidewalk to the front door of Scales, which recently opened on Maine Wharf, a diner—unknown to us–came out of the restaurant and said, “You have to have the butterscotch pudding.”

The stroll down Maine Wharf to the restaurant is charmingly romantic

The stroll down Maine Wharf to the restaurant is charmingly romantic

Well, it’s hardly surprising that the long-awaited Scales is living up to expectations as the quintessential seafood restaurant on Portland Harbor.  But, really, it’s much more than that.  For one, seafood is not it’s only calling card as you discover that Scales is pretty much a New England brasserie with a lot of prized possessions on its menu.  Indeed, it could turn out to be that glistening star beyond all others in Portland’s rather glittering galaxy of dining options.

By day the room is dazzlingly bright overlooking the harbor outside

By day the room is dazzlingly bright overlooking the harbor outside

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The flourish and fanfare that swirled around the opening day of the Portland Patisserie and Grand Cafe last week—with many of the city’s serial foodies assessing and inspecting–doesn’t even begin to show the depths of this French-inspired grand café. Classic breakfast fare like croissants or almond-topped brioche breads are part of the lineup in addition to all the Euro-style pastries and cakes, sablés and cookies, salads, soups, quiche,  crepes and sandwiches on house-baked baguettes or focaccia for lunch or light suppers.  It’s all prepared in the long narrow kitchen in the rear of this corner retail space on Market and Milk streets in the Old Port.

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