We wound up for dinner at The Front Room by default. Our first pick was the convenience of Roustabout, a few minutes from home. It was closed for a private party. Second choice, up the hill to Lolita. And that, too, was closed for a private party. It was as though we had spiraled into a conspiracy to keep us from enjoying the dinner hour. But it’s holiday time and many restaurants in Portland are enjoying increased dining traffic with seasonal fetes.
We found a parking space, however, near Lolita—a near miracle since the arcane parking rules on Munjoy Hill, Portland’s most trendy neighborhood, defy urban ease, probably the most difficult place to park in the city with No Parking signs everywhere.
Then it occurred to us to repair to the Front Room, a few blocks away. As we approached the restaurant it looked dark. Oh, no. Closed too? It was just the angle of light and darkness that gave that impression. But as soon as we walked in we were so glad. What a warm and welcoming room, with its beamed ceilings and open kitchen lauding over the room.
The dining room is warm and welcoming
We sat at the bar. The bartender has been there for years, and it looked as though everyone in the room has been coming for years too. It’s truly a neighborhood place. Why would some errant tourist trundle up to the Front Room or the other two places in the neighborhood? The simple reason is they’re all good.
We went past the appetizer list and zeroed in on the main courses. My favorite has always been the roast chicken. My friend, who I thought would have had the meatloaf, all smoky wrapped in bacon, chose spaghetti carbonara instead. We enjoyed our well-made drinks, and the kitchen was up to speed presenting our dishes in about as much time as it took to prepare.
The bar is a popular spot for dinner
This roast chicken was probably one of the best I’ve had at any restaurant in Portland. It could have been homemade by an accomplished home cook. It was beautifully burnished and juicy, served over a lusty bed of mashed potatoes and topped with quickly sautéed local spinach.
Perfect roast chicken
What made the chicken so tasty was the superb quality of the bird. The restaurant gets their poultry from Sunset Acres, a farm in Brooksville, known more for its cheese and dairy. Though on the farm’s website it lists their poultry products from Warren, Maine, which would make it presumably chicken from Maine-Ly Poultry. The flavor is the way you imagine a farm-raised bird to taste: full and rich.
A luxurious carbonara
Speaking of richness, the carbonara was extraordinary–so velvety in texture from the sauce coddled in egg yolks, Pecorino, Parmesan and big chunks of pancetta.
Chef Harding Lee Smith keeps his “room” restaurants harmoniously humming. And I was glad to rediscover the Front Room– the quintessential neighborhood dining hall, which are getting harder to find in Portland beyond the big-deal places that define our food scene now.
The Front Room, 73 Congress St., Portland, Maine 207-773-3366 www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com
Rating: An easy 4 stars for the quality of its cooking, putting local ingredients to good use
Ambiance: Intimate, though the decibel level can be high
Seating: Comfortable booths, tables and bar seating
Parking: If you’re lucky, on the street
$$$: Moderate
