Restaurant Review

MaKer’s Smart

Ingredients for success.

BY NANCY ENGLISH

Mainersfelleven moredeeply in love with their favorite farm stands when the supermarket shelves emptied at the start of 2020, and our obsession with local food has only accelerated since then. “Farm to table” now covers cow to table, forest to table, and sea to table at e Maker’s Galley at 5 Commercial Street, where three long tables in one corner of the spacious emporium and some seats by the kitchen see only a fraction of the action. Start there for weekday cafe breakfast, Sunday pajama brunch, lunch, or dinner, and other purchases from Maine purveyors listed below the dishes on the menu may be inspired.

Cow’s milk feta from Winter Hill Farm in Freeport and goat’s milk feta from Abra-

ham’s Goat Farm &

Creamery in Newport came whipped together in a large bowl and crowned with tomato jam from the kitchen, its sweet tang a perfect contrast to the creamy salt ($12). An Italian Vermentino from Castello ColleMassari complemented this dish served with abundant crisp slices of toast touched with oil, as did a glass of French Chanteleuserie Cabernet Franc (5 and 8 oz. pours available; $11 and $17 for the white, $12 and $19 for the red, respectively). More of Winter Hill’s excellent cheeses are on the menu’s charcuterie board.

Fruit of the Forest Mushroom Farm in Gorham grew the selection of oyster mushrooms served on a square plate ($10), each nicely caramelized and meaty with umami. Skordo, a Brunswick spice company with retail outlets in the Old Port and at the Maine Mall, supplies the blueberry spice rub that makes the tender chicken on two generous skewers mildly fragrant and colors the accompanying yogurt violet ($16). is is not a doctrinaire menu but one that embraces what’s good from elsewhere as well as nearby, with inventive twists on local sh and seafood from Upstream in Portland. Scallop ceviche ($22) showcases Maine water’s purity with sweet, barely translucent bites of scallop marinated with citrus, garlic, ginger, Aleppo pepper, and fennel. Hake came perfectly steamed on a purée of squash, under a cap of pumpkin seed brittle ($18), and while I may quibble that these parts did not cohere, each was excellent in itself. e abundance on the menu persuades diners of the vigor of the local food world. May it sustain us for years to come. n

Andy’s Old Port Pub…Best traditional lobster roll on Portland’s waterfront, extraordinary pizza (even create your own!) and pub fare. Local fresh seafood. Live acoustic music. Never a cover. Local brews and waterfront style cocktails, 94 Commercial Street, Portland, 874-2639 Anthony’s Italian Kitchen 30 years of Old World recipes. Best meatballs in town. Mile-high lasagnas, fresh-filled cannoli pastries, 54 sandwiches, pizza. A timeless great family spot. Beer and wine. Free parking. 151 Middle St., Portland, AnthonysItalianKitchen.com, 774-8668. Bandaloop has moved into a restored 1700s barn on Route 1 in Arundel. Since 2004 we have offered locally sourced, globally inspired, organic cuisine. Our new home has plenty of space, parking, outdoor seating, takeout, and an event space in the loft. We continue to offer something for every palate—from vegans to carnivores and everything in between. bandalooprestaurant.com Bull Feeney’s authentic Irish pub will reopen soon! Hearty Irish fare, from-scratch sandwiches, local seafood. Maine craft beers and premium imported brews. Maine’s most extensive single malt, bour-