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
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
Veteran Portland restauranteur Dana Street (Street & Co., Standard Baking and Fore Street) and his team including award winning chef Sam Hayward and executive chef Mike Smith didn’t rush to get this restaurant open. Street is meticulous and exacting in the running of his establishments, and it shows in how well this young restaurant is fulfilling that vision. Chef Smith, who is largely responsible for creating a classic brasserie style menu of land and sea has done so with New England cooking in its purest form. Most every ingredient is locally sourced or made in house like their own Worcestershire sauce used in many dishes.
After sunset the enormous room is still warm and cozy
When you order a piece of local fish like haddock, Chef Smith’s aim is to have it retain its natural flavor without being gussied up. I can attest to that on my first visit when I dug into a simple pan-sautéed piece of haddock, lightly breaded with panko and cracker crumbs, buttered and served in a cast-iron skillet, accompanied by lemon wedges and Parker House roll slathered with melted butter. The fish was flaky and light. In fact, all the fish served at the restaurant–from cod to swordfish–is brined in a simple solution of salt and sugar, which helps retain the moisture and flavor integrity.
A perfect dish of pan seared breaded haddock with Parker House roll
That their concept dates back to the original Scales in the former Portland Public Market, this iteration has come full circle, with a fairly large menu of old-fashioned dishes. The menu has been compared to Ye Olde days of the historic Durkin Park (part of the Ark Restaurant chain) in Boston’s Faneuil Hall before it became a tourist attraction rather than a dining hall of good eats.
The open kitchen; Chef Smith, left
In my several visits first with friends at table and later dining solo at the bar, the variety of dishes and level of cooking were superb. I’d go back just to nibble on the buttery brown bread or delicate corn bread made with heritage flint local cornmeal from Maine Grains. And that butterscotch pudding? Don’t miss it.
Deeply satisfying–rich and creamy butterscotch pudding
The space itself marks the opening up of Portland’s wharves to businesses not directly related to the fishing industry, which local law mandated against for years. Walking onto Maine Wharf, adjacent to the outside deck of Flatbread Company and across from Casco Bay Ferry Terminal, the short walk on the newly installed sidewalk is more like a romantic stroll down to charming harbor side wooden structures. Right off Commercial Street there’s a small public pay and park area on the wharf with a $5 per hour tariff, but mostly you have to rely on street or garage parking. Or keep your Uber account current to get there effortlessly.
The dining room and oyster bar; waiter staff in blue button-downs
And as Portland’s downtown waterfront gets inhabited with more residents instead of commercial tenants, lucky to those who can just walk over and enjoy a good meal on the docks at Scales.
It’s fortunate that this sidewalk exists because the pier itself is treacherous territory in the winter, often a sheet of ice. On our first visit, that stretch was totally glazed over. Way before the renovations of the wharf and construction of new buildings, my office was at the end of the pier and if snow or ice had accumulated I practically needed snow shoes with studs to get to my office door without slipping into the brink. (One time it nearly happened.) The sidewalk that connects the new buildings was totally clear of winter elements, very walkable and safe.
At first glance the exterior of the Scales building looks like an old-fashioned fish shack on the water
It’s no surprise that the space has some similarities to Fore Street: the big-paned mullioned windows overlooking the harbor; the polished concrete bar and the wooden booths look so much like a brightened ode to Fore Street. Tables are large and well-spaced. And the proportions of the high-ceiling room are grand. At one end is the enormous open kitchen, with the bulk of the kitchen’s facilities stretching way back to the inner workings of this space. The bar runs along the side and on my second visit it was apparent that word caught on. It was as bustling as a Saturday night scene at Fore Street.
Wait staff is in uniform: light blue button down shirts, jeans and white aprons. And for a restaurant that’s barely a week old, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable of the menu and the restaurant’s amenities. Typical first-night stuttering of a new operation was nowhere in sight.
A few kitchen idiosyncrasies were evident. The kitchen doesn’t send out the typical complimentary bread basket, to accompany wine or cocktails. Instead some of the dishes come with a Parker House roll or are available a la cart such as the corn bread served with a delicious honey butter.
At the first dinner we shared everything. The tuna ventresca is a wondrous first course. Tuna belly is brined in olive oil into a confit and put on a bed of thinly sliced potatoes moistened with a chili aioli. Don’t miss this wonderfully creative dish.
A wonderful starter course of tuna ventresca, confit tuna over a bed of thinly sliced potatoes
Fish and chips was a monumental plateful. Hake fillets are dipped into a classic batter of beer and all-purpose flour, with a touch of vodka, which gives the coating extra crispiness when deep fried. The fries were extremely crisp but creamy within.
A great heapign dish of fish (hake) and chips
We also shared a small order of fried clams. Coated in cornmeal and flour they were fried perfectly to emerge crisp and deliciously briny.
Griddled brown bread and fried clams
The lobster roll is more than just the basic formula—no fusion pretense within this bun. Mounds of lobster meat are stuffed into a typical roll and served with fries and a beautifully made Cole slow with lots of sweet-sour vinegar dressing. We also ordered a small bowl of clam chowder to see how this standard New England dish fared here. No worries. It was clam chowder dreaminess. Not thick like wallpaper paste but velvety smooth without extraneous spices, only fat clam bellies and strips floating in the broth.
A classic lobster roll with fries and a delicious Cole slaw
This wonderful meal was surprisingly moderately priced. With all of these shared dishes and cocktails and glass of wine (a prized Oregon Pinot Noir) the tab was about $55 per person before tax and tip. Most entrees are priced well under $30 except for swordfish and a full plate of scallops. Otherwise you can have a dressed lobster tail for $14.95 or such sides as braised Stonecypher cabbage with bacon ($6.50) and a list of sandwiches including a lobster roll ($19.50), hamburger platter ($15.00) and a grilled cheese sandwich (9.50). Something for everyone.
Besides seafood, I’m anxious to try these robust dishes like braised short ribs, pan-roasted duck breast with cranberries and spiced pistachios; and for crowd pleasing all-in-the family dining there’s a 64-ounce dry aged rib steak for $125.
Desserts like that wonderful butterscotch pudding and a truly unique take on maple marshmallow sundae are part of a larger sweet menu of New England classics (Indian pudding, chocolate buckwheat puck, among others), and even a cunning list of frappes.
The Scales bar for dining is already in high demand though turnover is quick
Several nights later I sat at the bar and enjoyed a special that evening of cold swordfish belly done teriyaki style followed by a big bowl of the overnight baked beans (heritage marfax beans) with housemade sausage.
Swordfish belly, apple pie with vanilla ice cream with spiced caramell sauce and cornbread with salted honey butter
Along with the corn bread with its delicious side of salted honey butter and had-to-have again griddled brown bread, it was a gloriously simple meal. And that, dear readers, is the new Scales.
Scales, on Maine Wharf, 68 Commercial St., 207-805-0444 www.scalesrestaurant.com
Rating: It’s everything we hoped for. This will be one of the most important, archetypal restaurants in New England. Definitely a glittering galaxy of 5 stars. By summer the restaurant will also be open for lunch and offer outdoor seating overlooking the water
Ambiance: A great loft-like room
Tables: booths and tables for 4+; 2-tops and a lively bar scene for drinks and dining; reservations are accepted and advised
Service: perfect, extremely attentive
Parking: a limited number (about 10) of spaces at the beginning of the wharf ($5 per hour) otherwise street and garage parking or Uber or taxi.
