Fore Street

11/05/09

never really got the big deal

by gambino

this place is just ok, never understood big deal. yes, you will get a good meal, not a mindblowing, great meal. but just good all around and priced like you are gonna get a life changing meal i think. just ok, good place to go if you're a yuppie and wanna feel like a big shot and dont get out of portland much.

• Pros: good steak, nice atmosphere
• Cons: way overpriced

08/09/09

Pretentious

by Lapidum

Six of us ate dinner there on a very busy night. The atmosphere was loud but comfortable. The steak was good and rare, the onions with it were over-spiced, maybe too much salt. The meal does not come with any side dishes. No salad either. Twenty-five dollars for one steak on a plate? Come on! I've eaten in numerous high end restaurants and this was not the caliber of high end that doesn't include sides. We ordered two side orders of mashed potatoes, costing five dollars each. My husband ordered a salad, ten dollars extra. One of my sons ordered chicken. The chicken looked raw. The meat was very pink, and holding onto the bone. The waitress said, I can cook it a little longer but the chicken is brined so it always looks pink. It looked raw despite what she said. It was a half a chicken with the skin-on just placed on a plate. He didn't eat his meal. The bread was grainy, and good. This meal was the only disappointing meal on our vacation.

• Pros: Good steak, good duck.
• Cons: Mostly overspiced and overpriced, small portions.

03/08/09

loud, smokey, and cramped

by dulcesarita

This is not the type of atmosphere in which I expect to dine on fois gras. The sound of people chattering is like that of a busy cafeteria, and the food itself is uninteresting in light of the prices they ask.

• Pros: free parking
• Cons: the food, the atmosphere

03/05/09

Good pricey food

by CSMobileUser

Great food but expensive different menus daily limited vege choices

01/14/09

Loved It

by scottgor

This was a great experience. Everything that we had was wonderful. The atmosphere was as good as the food and service. A find

03/16/08

Wonderful dining experience

by exercisegirl

We're from NYC and have been to Portland twice in the last month. We've eaten at Fore Street both times, and will definitely go back again. Although not everything has been perfect (sent my fish back once because it wasn't cooked well enough, and sent a side dish back because it wasn't hot enough), it is still one of my favorite dining experiences. The wait staff is very knowledgeable, the wine is great, and all the seafood dishes we've had have all been awesome. The ambiance is wonderful too. In fact, we've said both times that Fore Street is as good as any restaurant in Manhattan.

11/10/07

Can't go wrong with great Local maine specialties.

by love2eat26

I've been to fore street many times, and I have to say that every time has been very enjoyable. Recently I went to four street with my family, while driving up to maine from phily. Fore street is always our favorite restaurant in maine, because of its amazing ambiance and great service, not to mention reasonable prices. When we got there the waiting staff sat us immideatly and we sat down near the window, which had a great view of Downtown Portland. The waiters quickly brought us bread, with oil and butter. The bread is the best bread I have ever tasted, and can be found next door at Standard Baking Company. For appitizers I reccomend the Mussells with nuts in them, and the winter Salad. For Entree's you can never go wrong with some of their cheaper options, my personal favorite, the hanger steak/butler steak with onion marmalade. Each steak tastes amazing. They have very little fat, and nice sized portions. Surprisingly my favorite part of the meal was the amazing tasting mashed potatoes, unlike any other. If you want to spend more money ($33) you can enjoy the duck breast, which looks fantastic, although i've never tried it. Fore street has amazing deserts, like chocolate sufflets, upside down cakes, homemade chocolates, and my favorite; the cheese platter. The cheese platter allows you to pick 3 cheeses all from around maine. Each cheese is either firm, semi firm, or not firm.

Overall the best dining experiences I have had have been at four street restaurant.

• Pros: Amazing food, great ambience. great steak
• Cons: Unfortunately prices will continue to rise.

07/04/07

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06/13/07

Portland's most decorated restaurant lures gourmands from all over New England and beyond.

by Eric Grossman

The Scene
Foodies come from far and wide to bow at the altar of the James Beard Award-winning chef Sam Hayward. Housed in an old warehouse, the bi-level, high-ceilinged space sports a distinctly rustic charm, and its location, a short stroll from the bustle of the Old Port, makes it a true destination. Twinkling candles and copper-top tables lend a romantic vibe. Efficient servers are well-versed in the menu's many intricacies, and the well-chosen wine list is consistently lauded as Portland's best.

The Food
Hayward and his staff are on view for all to see, as most seats have a direct view into the sprawling open kitchen. The menu is printed nightly, guaranteeing a different culinary experience with every visit. Many dishes can be described as a gourmand's idea of comfort food: plump rope-cultured mussels are roasted and served swimming in garlic-almond butter, while sweet organic Maine fingerling potatoes are roasted in duck fat.

04/19/07

Good but not Great

by templeton1

I went to Fore Street this past weekend and it was good but certainly not great. I've been to Portland numerous times and Fore Street has always been recommended as a top place to eat. I made a reservation a few days before and they called me in the morning to confirm (which was quite nice actually especially given the poor weather). Our waiter was pleasant and helpful. In deciding on a wine, he insisted on bringing a sample so that I would be pleased with the choice. Apparently, the menu changes every night. My girlfriend and I split a fettucine with mushrooms. I got the pork loin for an appetizer and my girlfriend got the duck. Later for dessert (we saved our appetites knowing that Fore Street's reputation), I tried a banana chocolate tart while my girlfriend tried a chocolate peanut butter souffle. For every course, I can say the same thing. The food was good but not exceptional. Perhaps my expectations were higher given the numerous reviews I've seen on tv and in the print media but the food was just good. It is very heavily concentrated om meat, chicken and fish and less on vegetarian/pasta meals. Also, the meat/fish are served separately from side dishes so the combination can be a bit disjointed. The parsnips were good but I'm unsure if they really went with the duck and the pork loin (this particular side is big enough for 2-4 people). I think I was also hoping for something more savory and perhaps some sauces as opposed to a well cooked meat. I'm sure that many will like this place, especially if you a meat and potatoes type but I certainly won't hurry to go back. I would try Fore Street again but I think I would try a few other places first.

• Pros: Atmospehere and service
• Cons: Food is "just" good