Larry Torrey

Review of Eventide Restaurant

We ate there last week with some friends, at their...

We ate there last week with some friends, at their behest. My impression after eating one lunch is that it is a seafood restaurant run by, and run for, people with little understanding or experience with Maine seafood. I had a poor experience and will not return.

First, it was overpriced with very tiny portions. That could have been overlooked if the food was good. I tried the much-lauded lobster roll, and was disappointed. Too small, warm rather than chilled, and the flavor of the house mayo was only marginally appealing. McDonald's lobster roll is better, quite frankly. With the many great lobster roll choices available in coastal Maine, I just don't understand their approach.

I also tried their 6 oyster sampler, and was not impressed. They tasted old, maybe poorly kept, with generally the taste of a lobster trap bait bag.

My wife tried the Torn Scallops, and trying to find the two little scraps of over-cooked scallop was the most amusing part of the dish.

The lobster stew was watery and thin, the service was marginal (one waitress brought us a wrong dish, and when that was pointed out she simply shrugged and said "keep it" as she walked away).

At the end of my meal, I departed wishing that I had gone to J's, DiMillo's, Gilbert's or any number of good Portland seafood restaurants. That's where I will go next weekend.