Winterguide 2013

Think of this story as a banquet table – and bring a fork!

by Claire Z. Cramer

We are all foodies now, looking impatiently for the next new thrill. So how unexpectedly wonderful is it to learn that Portland’s extinct, unlamented dinosaur–Boone’s Restaurant–will rise again on Custom House Wharf this spring as the fourth in Portland restaurateur Harding Smith’s string of highly successful Rooms?

“Lobsters–and full lobster bakes with the mussels and kielbasa and all will be steamed over rockweed, like they do at lobster pounds up the coast, only without the paper plates,” says Smith of the new, as yet unnamed, Room. The harborside showplace will feature two floors of dining space, with outdoor seating in summer. “We’ll have fresh seafood displayed on ice that we can grill, simply, to order…and a few classics, like lobster pie.” An oyster and raw bar will be upstairs, with a small kitchen and “surprise menu” of clever seafood creations. We look forward to seeing what an innovative pro can do with a traditional Maine seafood venue.

So everything old really can be new again. Meantime, the new year is already open for business and it’s time to get tasting. See our calendar of delicious events that follows for something–classic or surprising–for your next thrill.

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