reviewed by Diane Hudson Oct 2008
License to Grill
Imagine–an F. Parker Reidy’s for the 21st century.
Discriminating diners in love with Chef Harding Smith’s first venture, The Front Room, are now also lining up at his staggeringly successful new restaurant, The Grill Room.
Set in the heart of the Old Port, the hot spot (a perfect coupling with a show at nearby Nickelodeon Cinema or Merrill Auditorium) features wood-grilled meats and fish–think F. Parker Reidy’s for the 21st century.
Add to that a splendid variety of wood-fired pizza, and you have a surefire recipe for success.
For appetizers, we savored the “wedge,” a crunchy almost-half-a-lettuce-head covered with creamy, chunky, blue cheese and tasty bacon bits–a bargain at $6.
And, OMG, the fried oysters! A subtle coating brings out the deep, luxuriant flavor of this delicacy, enhanced by warm bacon, apple, and spinach, complemented with a honey vinaigrette and hollandaise ($10).
Tender, crispy sweetbreads ($8) sport a zesty lemon butter sauce and capers, while wood-grilled escargot ($8) bask in garlic butter. The tuna tartar ($12), a knockout, is delicately seasoned to enhance its fresh flavor.
Fries lovers, take note: For $3, you get an enormous platter of the tastiest fries anywhere; try them with a side of blue-cheese vinaigrette for dipping.
For an entrée, I ordered the exquisitely cooked rack of lamb (5 handsome chops, $23). The lamb being plenty for sharing, my partner decided on the Pesto ($7) for his entrée, a wood-fired pizza with goat cheese, mushrooms, and fresh basil pesto. Another winner.
Reflecting the theme of generosity throughout, our desserts, creme brulée ($6) and blackberry sorbet ($3.50), were twice the size you’d expect, and satisfying.
Perhaps equally satisfying is watching the chef/owner calmly working beside his staff in an exceedingly busy kitchen. Here is a man who has found his forté and offers an open invitation for all to celebrate with him. And we do.
The Grill Room, 84 Exchange Street, Portland. Open Monday-Saturday, lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., dinner 5-10 p.m., bar menu available all day until 12:45 a.m. 774-BEEF (2333) or www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com/grillmenu
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