Spring arrived tentatively this year and so did my taste for what we what we all think of when somebody says “Maine cuisine.” My first experience at the Lobster Pound in Cornish was nothing but a deep-fried disaster.
When somebody suggested Gilbert’s Chowder House, one of the few restaurants in the Old Port with staying power, I reluctantly agreed, thinking of “chowder” as nothing more than that pasty goop New Englanders like to eat before devouring a half-pound of fat-soaked bread crumbs (where is the shrimp in fried shrimp?).
However, Gilbert’s wasn’t quite as bad as all that, and apart from their dining utensils – the incredibly wasteful paper and Styrofoam variety – I enjoyed my Down East dinner.
We started with local beer. Our server delivered two frosty pints of Shipyard Summer Ale. Notably, our beers tasted crisp and fresh, as if the tap lines were just scrubbed clean.
Waiting for our friends, we casually took stock of our surroundings: a collection of photographs of various fishing boats, a life-sized swordfish on the back wall and a short bar with a meager selection of booze behind it.
We told our server we were waiting for two more people and she snapped, “OK, but are they gonna be here soon? We close at nine.” Feeling pressured to get dinner started, we ordered a couple of chowders.
True to my preconceived notions, the chowder was thick and gluey. The texture of the roux (a butter-flour mixture used as a thickening agent) overpowered even the potatoes, whose presence in chowder shouldn’t go unnoticed. I detected hints of bacon and black pepper, which were pleasant distractions as I navigated through the almost-impenetrable cup. If there were any actual clams, they were only the back-up singers in this slightly off-key little number.
Other offerings included corn, fish and seafood chowders. There was also a seafood chili, which we dared not try. Something about a pile of Maine shrimp and scallops smothered in cheddar cheese and swimming in someone’s new interpretation of chili, sounded, well, a little wrong.
By the time our friends arrived, we were ready for the “Maine” course (sorry, I couldn’t help myself), despite the fact that we were nearly full. The beer continued to flow smoothly from the taps to our mouths as we waited patiently for the rest of our dinner and discussed lobster prices in Maine. (At Gilbert’s, a pound-and-a-quarter lobster is only $16.95. Across the street at The Old Port Sea Grill, it’s $10 more.)
But all of us had eaten boiled lobster more times than we could count, so we opted for other Maine fare: broiled scallops, a lobster club sandwich and two versions of fried haddock – one on a bun and one straight up. Thankfully, these selections outdid their chowder predecessors in both taste and texture.
Dusted with a light coating of buttered crumbs and broiled, the scallops were tender and right at home on their bed of rice pilaf, which included peas and carrots and tasted mildly of chicken stock.
The lobster club actually featured the fresh variety (I was expecting frozen), nestled between slices of tomato and bacon on toasted white bread. We noted that the mayo was left considerately on the side.
The fried haddock was as all-around perfect as fried haddock can be: flaky, fresh and encased in a crispy, savory fried crust. Of course, french fries completed the spread and we munched them hungrily in between sips of beer.
Other options we didn’t have room for included: fried whole-belly Maine clams, Maine crabmeat roll, steamed mussels and of course, fried Maine shrimp and boiled lobsters.
We hadn’t saved room for dessert but by the looks of the chalkboard menu on the wall, on which a lonely “peanut butter pie” had been hastily scribbled, we figured we weren’t missing much.
Though I had gone in with a bad attitude I left feeling fairly satisfied. We’d spent $80 on dinner for four (before the tip), which is not bad considering we had two beers apiece. Most of the food was indeed deep-fried, just as I’d expected, but it didn’t leave us incapacitated.
I don’t think I’ll go back until they shape up and start washing their own dishes. It may be part of the “Maine experience” to eat lobster off a paper plate but there won’t be any Maine left to experience if they keep this up.
Gilbert’s Chowder House is located at 92 Commercial Street in Portland. Their telephone number is 871-5636.
Marie Stolzenburg can be contacted at [email protected]