Destination Maine: Can't miss dining for seafood and more
Planning a trip to Portland, Maine, or beyond this summer? Here are some dining spots you can't miss. If you don't believe me, you can believe the James Beard Foundation, which made them finalists in two categories.
Make no mistake, there is a lot of destination dining in Portland, which is often mentioned in the same breath as Providence for their exceptional restaurant scenes.
I have long had favorites in Portland, restaurants including Duck Fat, casual and fun, and Twelve, a place to sit at the chef's counter for a tasting menu. Then there are the great bars, including Novare Res Bier Cafe, for beer, and Alpine Hunt Club for cocktails.
With a Portland chef up for a James Beard Best Chef Northeast award, and the restaurant group that includes the famous Fore Street up for Outstanding Restaurateur, it was time to add to my list.
Izakaya Minato
I was intrigued to try the intimate Izakaya Minato. You can only make reservations for four or more here. Owner/chef Thomas Takashi Cooke aims to bring classic neighborhood izakaya dining to Portland’s East End. He explains that izakaya translates from Japanese "to stay, sake, shop," for a spot to gather over shared plates and drinks.
His menu is different, full of dishes that one does not see in many places. His set-up is different. As you enter, there are six bar seats and two seats facing the open kitchen. There's a large community table opposite the bar. The dining room is in the back and is a quiet space compared to the energy in the front of the restaurant.
There's a Crudo of the day, yellowtail on this day, served with spicy wasabi stems for some heat. We wish we had ordered one each.
It's all about small plates to share, but it was nice to see so many items priced from $8 to $16. Yes, a couple will probably order four to six dishes, which add up. But it was something of a relief just seeing less than thirty-something dollar entrees.
Beef Tataki with crispy potatoes is a Japanese version of steak frites. What a treat.
Cooke's Beef Tataki was tender with a vibrant ume ponzu sauce, but it was like a fun version of steak frites because he served it with crispy sticks of potato that were toothpick-sized. They were delicious.
The Minato Ribs excelled in texture, crisp on the outside, tender inside. The glaze was a tare sauce, which was sweet and savory. The Kamo Yaki Udon was the noodle dish made special with yummy duck breast.
The $10 JFC is Japanese Fried Chicken made with thigh meat at Izakaya Minato in Portland. Dip it into spicy mayo and mix with cabbage slaw.
There's always a tempura and it was scallops this day. I think the Miso Custard Broiled Razor Clams sold out early in the evening.
It's hard to choose what to drink with a huge sake and Japanese whisky menu. But the cocktails tempted. A well-balanced gin cocktail was paired with yuzu sake, Pernod and vermouth and made purple with butterfly pea flower. The Samantha San was a light style Cape Codder.
The very tiny kitchen at Izakaya Minato in Portland produces some delicious Asian dishes. That is chef Cooke in the red beanie.
Focus on seafood
For something totally different, I ventured to Scales Restaurant at 68 Commercial St. in Portland, where it is all about seafood. And it's a large restaurant with many great seats at a long bar, banquettes by the bar and tables on a lower level that look out on the opposite side of the wharf.
Scales Restaurant is in former waterfront warehouse so there are high ceilings and water views. It's airy and feels good to dine there.
Scales is on the waterfront in the Old Port neighborhood. It's part of the Dana Street group, including Standard Baking Co. and Fore Street, the most famous Portland restaurant for decades. It was opened by Street and chef Sam Hayward 30 years ago.
It's fascinating that James Beard has recognized the group, it's a finalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, so long after Hayward won a James Beard Best Chef Northeast award 22 years ago.
The Seafood Stew at Scales in Portland, Maine, features clams, mussels, white fish and squid. It also has pancetta and fennel, all in an aromatic soffrito base
It's fair to say, Portland would not be the restaurant city it is today without the groundwork laid by Street and Hayward. They have inspired a generation of chefs to open restaurants in Maine. They preached sustainability from the day they opened Fore Street in 1996. They staff their restaurants well. They are good neighbors.
Scales has double of everything from bar staff, to raw bar staff, to oyster shuckers, to open kitchens.
It is the food, the freshest seafood you can imagine, that shines at Scales. It's beautiful, from the freshly shucked Maine oysters, Tuna Tartare and Black Bass Ceviche. Fresh fish sit on ice as you walk into Scales. Fresh ice comes down a chute in front of one of the kitchens.
Black Bass Ceviche with capers and pink peppercorns is a light dish perfect for the start of a meal, especially with a cocktail.
The Seafood Stew at Scales features clams, mussels, white fish and squid. It also has pancetta and fennel, all in an aromatic soffrito base. It's a delicious version and accompanied by housemade grilled sourdough bread from Standard Baking Company.
The restaurant also has meat options, including a cheeseburger that is right in every way, with meat from Caldwell Family Farm and a hearty fresh roll made in house by Scales pastry and baking team.
Don't miss the excellent wine list or the cocktails that include the Ginger Blossom, which includes Creme de Violette, or the Boot Strap Old Fashioned.
