Nestled in the heart of Portland, Maine’s historic Old Port district, Fore Street Restaurant has earned a stellar reputation as a must-visit dining destination. Its enduring popularity, even during the colder months, speaks volumes about the quality and experience it offers. My own recent journey, mirroring a serendipitous encounter with a Boston colleague and fellow food enthusiast, Sheryl Julian, reinforced this sentiment. Despite the winter chill and the challenge of securing a reservation, the two-hour drive north to Fore Street proved to be an invigorating late-winter escape to one of our cherished New England culinary gems. Julian, along with Maine-based friends who also happened to be dining there, further attested to Fore Street’s consistent allure, a testament to its status even amongst locals.
While the discerning palate of a critic might always find minor imperfections, both Julian and I, seasoned in the world of food writing, willingly set aside our professional lenses upon entering Fore Street. The welcoming sight of wooden crates overflowing with local apples in the vestibule and the glimpse of fresh herbs and vegetables from nearby farms within the glass-walled walk-in refrigerator immediately signals a commitment to quality and locality. For Julian, her dining experience was, in her words, “flawless,” a high praise indeed.
Fore Street’s defining characteristic is its inherent transparency, a principle embraced long before it became a modern trend. Established over two decades ago, the restaurant’s open kitchen design is a theatrical showcase of culinary artistry. Surrounded on three sides by tiered tables and booths, diners are afforded a panoramic view of the kitchen, akin to seats in a theater-in-the-round. The focal point is undoubtedly the wood-fired oven and the mesmerizing dance of spits turning over an open hearth. The restaurant’s setting within a renovated brick warehouse further enhances its character, retaining original brick walls, wooden beams, high ceilings, and expansive windows that once offered workers unobstructed views of the bustling port and Casco Bay ferries.
Fore Street’s location within Portland’s Old Port is another significant draw. This revitalized neighborhood, brimming with restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries housed in handsome brick warehouses, provides an engaging backdrop for pre- or post-dinner strolls. Adding to the area’s vibrancy is the year-round farmers’ market, a recent and much-celebrated addition to Portland’s architecturally rich downtown. Despite initial controversies surrounding rental costs, this market, with its diverse array of food shops, holds the potential to emulate the success of Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market, setting a benchmark for similar ventures nationwide.
The driving force behind Fore Street’s culinary philosophy and execution is Chef and owner Sam Hayward. He has played a pivotal role in establishing Portland and Maine as a thriving hub for innovative restaurants and artisan food businesses, drawing comparisons to the Bay Area’s dynamic food scene. Hayward’s culinary journey began in 1974 on a small Maine island, followed by classical training in New York and New Orleans kitchens in the mid-1970s. Inspired by John McPhee’s 1979 New Yorker article about a chef pursuing his culinary vision in rural Pennsylvania, Hayward returned to Maine and opened a restaurant in Brunswick in 1981. There, he forged direct relationships with local farmers and fishermen, a practice that became a cornerstone of his culinary approach. Despite cultivating a devoted clientele, including Julian and myself, Hayward’s Brunswick venture faced financial challenges due to the restaurant’s limited size. However, it was during this time that we recognized Hayward’s exceptional talent for sourcing the finest local ingredients and transforming them into exquisite dishes with understated skill and precision.
Given Fore Street’s waterfront setting and captivating port views, many diners are naturally inclined towards fish and seafood. Hayward’s commitment to sourcing exceptional ingredients shines through in his seafood selections. He meticulously selects plump, pristine Pemaquid oysters, considered by many to be the finest on the East Coast. Sweet, diver-caught scallops, delivered directly from the boats and untouched by chemical treatments, showcase their natural pearl gray hue. Flavorful Atlantic smelts and Scottish-style smoked salmon from Stonington further exemplify his dedication to quality and local sourcing.
However, Hayward’s culinary heart seems deeply rooted in the elemental flavors of wood and fire. His mastery extends beyond seafood to encompass dishes that highlight these techniques. His signature fish and shellfish stew is enriched with not only traditional tomato and fennel but also generous lardons of applewood-smoked bacon sourced from a Vermont butcher, roasted to perfection in an open terra-cotta dish within the wood-fired oven. Scallops are grilled over applewood from Maine orchards before being incorporated into dishes like a tart shell with lobster meat and sliced maitake mushrooms, a favored ingredient among chefs for its lobster-like flavor. Rope-cultured mussels, raised on a nearby farm, are roasted in a garlic-almond butter, a surprisingly harmonious pairing that complements the mussels’ delicate flavor and clean taste.
Hayward’s impressive oven and hearth truly command attention when it comes to meat and game, particularly pork and rabbit. Whole rabbits and pork loins are often seen rotating on the spits, the rabbits impressively sized, resembling large roasting chickens. This captivating scene evokes images of medieval woodcuts, with joints slowly turning and cooks working diligently at large wooden tables. The spit-roasted meats, which typically include chicken as well, are marinated overnight, ensuring deep flavor and succulent tenderness after being cooked to perfection.
While desserts at Fore Street also often showcase the oven’s capabilities, after indulging in the restaurant’s savory specialties, lighter options often provide a more refreshing conclusion. A palate-cleansing sorbet, especially one made with tart wild blueberries or cranberries – both prominent Maine exports – provides a fittingly local and transparent finale to the dining experience.
Fore Street, 288 Fore Street, Portland, Maine, 207-775-2717. Dinner service is available from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, extending to 10:30 PM on Friday and Saturday, and concluding at 9:30 PM on Sunday (with a 10:00 PM closing time during the summer months). Reservations are recommended, and major credit cards are accepted.
