{"id":12882,"date":"2017-04-27T17:54:02","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T21:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=12882"},"modified":"2017-05-04T10:06:37","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T14:06:37","slug":"back-on-the-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/back-on-the-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Back On The Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 2017 | view this story as a .pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

What\u2019s old is new<\/strong> again. The fundamental things apply.<\/span><\/h3>\n

By Claire Z. Cramer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"May-17-Hungry-Eye\"Remember when restaurants were special?\u201d asks Andrew Knowlton, editor of Bon Appetit<\/em>, in the April issue. We sure do. Knowlton, a notorious trend-hound, now pines for the days when the ma\u00eetre d\u2019 would pull out his chair in the sort of restaurant where patrons wore \u201csomething other than jeans.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

But maybe it\u2019s not about the white tablecloths\u2013maybe it\u2019s about the vibe, the ambience, and best of all, the food. In Portland, it\u2019s easy to find restaurants that are special in that way you remember, but also new and exciting.<\/span><\/p>\n

FONDUE & OYSTERS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCourtney\u2019s food is full of intuition,\u201d says Birch Shambaugh<\/strong>, co-owner with his wife Fayth Preyer<\/strong>, of Woodford Food & Beverage<\/strong> at Portland\u2019s ever-bustling Woodford\u2019s Corner. <\/span><\/p>\n

At lively F&B, site of the original mid-20th-century Valle\u2019s Steak House, chef Courtney Loreg<\/strong> takes us back by refashioning dishes we remember into something better. Croque Monsieur (and Madame), the Sunday night plat du jour, is \u201ccomfort epitomized,\u201d says Shambaugh. \u201cIt\u2019s the best take on a ham and cheese sandwich you\u2019ve ever had.\u201d It\u2019s hard to argue, considering the excellent smoked ham, impeccable Swiss cheese, rustic bread, and flawless b\u00e9chamel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the ambience\u2013deep, plushy booths, a long bar, plate-glass windows overlooking the great white way of Forest Avenue traffic\u2013and the background music. \u201cWe believe in vinyl,\u201d says Shambaugh. Spinning old albums on a turntable \u201cis the right soundtrack for what we do here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is where you rediscover the forgotten pleasures of Oysters Rockefeller, a grilled steak and fries, and Scallops Gratinee. \u201cWe do the old things we like,\u201d says Loreg. \u201cThe gratinee is basically scallop casserole.\u201d Don\u2019t pigeonhole these dishes as straight-up retro, though. The cheese fondue is made with Great Hill Blue. The Kale, Frisee, and Radicchio with Poached Egg appetizer is \u201ca hybrid of classic Caesar and Lyonnaise salads.\u201d The dressing is bright and lemony, spiked with pecorino, and the croutons and pork lardons have been swapped out for crisp, golden coins of fried fingerling potato. <\/span><\/p>\n

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We go in search of more reimagined classics, and we find some at Scales<\/strong> on Commercial Street. The big, airy seafood restaurant has windows for days overlooking the commercial waterfront and ferry traffic. Co-owner Dana Street<\/strong> admitted from the outset that he was giving a nod to the old Durgin Park in Boston, but we sense even more of bygone Anthony\u2019s Pier 4 elegance. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since this is a Street-and-partners establishment\u2013as are Fore Street and Street & Company\u2013there\u2019s the signature poured-concrete bar, complete with narrow trench for crushed ice to accommodate your raw-bar selections. There\u2019s mellow, repurposed wood, flattering lighting, and lazily rotating ceiling fans. Like the other two spots, Scales looks terrific and the service is professional.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s Boston brown bread with baked beans and bacon, if you must, and wonderful old staples such as grilled skirt steak, short-rib pot roast, and pan-roasted duck breast. More thrilling, on a recent visit the evening\u2019s specials are Monkfish Au Poivre, and Skate Schnitzel with an egg on top served with sp\u00e4tzle. How\u2019s that for shaking up the classics?<\/span><\/p>\n

A couple of old salts next to us at the bar pick their way through a pile of Jonah crab claws heaped on ice in front of them. On our other side, a young woman and her date are sharing an appetizer of\u00a0 <\/span>smoked bluefish on julienned, roasted beets over a swirl of lemony yogurt, all of it crowned with a tangle of brilliant green dill. (Beets are still very much in style.) Our bartender, Morgan, actually asks us if we\u2019d \u201clike that martini shaken or stirred.\u201d We urge her to use her judgment. <\/span><\/p>\n

We give a start when we discover there are no Parker House rolls on the menu. When Scales opened last year, it received much fanfare for its distinctive version. \u201cThey change the menu constantly,\u201d says Morgan. \u201cThe Parker House rolls will probably be back at some point, but right now they\u2019ve switched it up to cloverleaf rolls with chive butter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, we track down Parker House rolls baked fresh daily at Grant\u2019s Bakery<\/strong> in Lewiston. \u201cWe always have them because people always want them,\u201d says Pam Grant<\/strong>. \u201cThey\u2019re made with the same yeast dough as the plain dinner rolls, but people go nuts because they split them and slip in some butter, and glaze them with an egg wash to be shiny. And we eat with our eyes, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

FANCY BYGONE BITS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Remember when bone marrow was all the rage? Well, it\u2019s back. Find the roasted bones with local mushrooms and sourdough toast at Lolita<\/strong>. At Central Provisions<\/strong>, the marrow is liberated from the bones and presented on toast with fontina, horseradish cream, and onion jam. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the raw revival. Sounds queasy, but squeamish is out and raw beef is back in. We found shaved beef carpaccio with truffled asparagus salad at Crooners & Cocktails<\/strong>, and classic steak tartare with a raw egg yolk on grilled rustic toast at Woodford Food & Beverage<\/strong>. There\u2019s beef carpaccio with arugula and smoked-onion aioli at Tipo<\/strong>, the new fancy-peasant Italian restaurant on Ocean Avenue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fancied-up peasant food is Portland\u2019s own perpetual trend. Beets, Brussels sprouts, and kale are menu royalty here. And look at smelts! They\u2019ve filled the niche left empty when sweet little Maine shrimp became an endangered species. We discovered clever preparations on spring menus all over town, including fried at Lolita and served with a paprika aioli; with fiery pepper aioli at Tipo; and with fancy slaw and ginger mayo at Fore Street<\/strong>. Keeping it Nordic, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club<\/strong> serves pickled smelts. <\/span><\/p>\n

On the other end of the spectrum, once considered the epitome of pass\u00e9 party food, deviled eggs<\/strong> are suddenly on every bar menu in town. With a twist of modernity, Hot Suppa<\/strong> offers a Sriracha-infused, bacon-topped version; Terlingua<\/strong> dishes them up covered in smoked salmon and olives; while at Rhum<\/strong>, you can enjoy an unlimited number sprinkled with toasted coconut flakes during happy hour. Never say never.<\/span><\/p>\n

BEEF & BOURBON<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

OK, let\u2019s get back to old-time glamour. At this time of year, you might think of Exchange Street as the place where out-of-towners come to shop and eat Holy Donuts en plein air<\/em>, but it\u2019s also the Gold Coast for cocktails and steak. The Grill Room <\/strong>came first to upper Exchange, where you can watch the cooks at the open fire searing your New York sirloin and dressing your wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon. Steps away, at Crooners & Cocktails<\/strong>, you can nibble stuffed mushrooms before your tournedos and garlic-whipped potatoes. The dark, clubby interior calls out for bourbon.<\/p>\n

\u201cBourbon and rye are very big,\u201d says bartender Rachael Joyce<\/strong>, who keeps an impressive collection of artisanal bitters on hand for the Old Fashioneds and other hearty cocktails. \u201cThe bourbon and rye from Stroudwater Distillery <\/strong>on Thompson\u2019s Point are excellent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At Timber Steak House,<\/strong> a few doors up, memory lane is paved with Steak au Poivre and bourbon peppercorn sauce, and Surf & Turf with an eight-ounce filet steak and poached lobster tail. Call ahead and make a reservation and request a Chateaubriand for two to be cut to order for you. \u201cChef serves it with a red wine sauce,\u201d says manager Jenny Lord<\/strong>, \u201cbut we always have b\u00e9arnaise if you prefer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

SPRINGTIME IN PARIS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you really want to go full-stop nostalgic, take a field trip to Maurice<\/strong>, the charming 40-year-old classic French restaurant in South Paris. Visit over Memorial Day weekend and you can catch the famous Lilac Festival<\/strong> and 20th-anniversary celebration at the McLaughlin Garden there.<\/span><\/p>\n

At Maurice, Gallic charm has never gone out of style. With candlelight flickering on your cloth-draped table, you can indulge in Escargots \u00e0 la Bourguignonne and Coquilles St. Jacques with mushrooms and mornay sauce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGive us a day\u2019s notice,\u201d says owner Corey Sumner<\/strong>, \u201cand sure, of course we\u2019ll have your Chateaubriand and b\u00e9arnaise sauce. We\u2019ll slice it tableside.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 2017
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