February 05, 2009
Frog & Turtle
Portland is, like my predecessor wrote, a "boozy ocean," and when you've been floating on that ocean things tend to blend into one big boat ride. I'm thinking it's time to head north in search of new, unboozed territory. Like the Frog & Turtle, a little restaurant and bar in Westbrook.
You might remember the Frog & Turtle as Chicky's Fine Diner, a charming restaurant with live music and tasty food, owned by the beloved Chicky. The threat of closing Chicky's had the local music and foodie community planning fundraisers and events to keep the joint alive, however it just wasn't enough. In the fall of 2007 chef/owner James Tranchemontagne bought the space to remake his Uffa!, the French restaurant that once lived where Evangeline now does on the corner of State and Congress streets.
The Frog, marketed to be a neighborhood restaurant and bar, is just that, but far more upscale than say Ruski's or The Snug. It's kind of classy, really, with those leather couches facing the band, low warm lighting, hard-wood floors, large windows facing Bridge St and a cozy bar to the left. The side room to the right, where the stage used to exist is now a dining area with theater-style curtains drawn for entrance.
The Tony Boffa Band played covers to a full crowd of your average 30-somethings to 60 years olds. He plays every Thursday night - some people show up just to hear them play. Sometimes they dance, sometimes they sing along. Pam Baker and the SGs, a blues band that plays monthly on Friday, seems to bring in a crowd as well.
A short video of the Frog's New Year's Eve party:
Besides dancing, there's more to appreciate - cribbage! I'd never heard of cribbage until I moved to Maine. It's a New England game, right? I'm pretty sure no one outside of New England has ever heard of it. Regardless, The Frog has tons of cribbage boards, which are set out every night but Friday and Saturday, and they're trying to start a league. All they need is a leader to take the reigns and organize it. Only issue is you can't stay for more than two hours to play as the place fills up rather quickly with dining reservations - including seats at the bar.
Take one look at the menu and you'll see why. With favorites like poutine, crepes, duck and rabbit any diner's palate is sure to be pleased. What most interests me is the brunch menu. Manager Claire Stretch says "Brunch is a labor of love." They love making brunch and offer a slew of drinks (Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Espresso Martini, Harvey Wallbanger) and house-made donuts, benedicts, scrambles, French toast and more. And if you're part of the Mug Club you can use your mug for Bloodies or Harveys on Sunday mornings.
The Mug Club is a pretty good deal, too. For $75 a year (each year the price goes down $10), you get a 24 oz mug to be filled at 12 oz prices, a t-shirt, $20 gift certificate on your birthday and deals on Tuesday's Mug Club Night (1/2 off burgers, flatbreads and sandwich specials).
The Frog takes drinking serious and offers a wine menu, cocktail menu, dessert shots and a healthy selection of bourbon. "In Bourbon We Trust" is the Frog's slogan and their trusted brands include Knob Creek, Makers Mark, Eagle Rare, Woodford's Reserve, Bulliet and JD's Single Barrell (costing $7-10 or $16 for a flight of three).
Cocktails are $8-9 and include martinis (Key Lime Pie, Espresso and others), Manhattan, Cosmos, French Silk, Brandy Alexander, Dark & Stormy, Key-Lime Ricky and The Swamp (pictured here). The Swamp is the Frog's signature drink. Picture the MacBeth witches and their cauldron full toxic potion and you have the Swamp - a green, smoking, bubbling, menacing brew in a martini glass. It's made with Absolut, pineapple and orange juices, midori and dry ice. Yes, dry ice! You can't touch it with your bare hands, but you can drink it!
The Swamp isn't for everyone. If you're looking to keep it simple with a tall glass of draft beer you're choices are Allagash, Murphy's Stout, Harpoon Celtic, Geary's Hampshire, Sierra Nevada and Long Trail (all are $3.75 and rotate regularly). Bottled beers include Peak Organic Maple, Samuel Smith's Pale Ale, Allagash Tripel, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale and other brews you don't find at the regular bar.
The wine list is full of the average reds and whites - some you can only purchase by the bottle. I had a glass of petite syrah for $7 and my companion had a $6 white. Normally, I would have ordered a whiskey, but there's something about the atmosphere that screams out wine. Or maybe it was just the couch full of winos (pictured here - don't worry, I know them) that inspired the change.
Claire, interrupted by regulars showing her pictures of their new baby, said the atmosphere ranges from the Thursday and Friday night dancing and singing crowd to a Saturday night jazzy dinner. You could dress up a little or stay casual in jeans. Both styles mingle well in this laid-back, but classy joint. If you're thirty or older and looking for a date night, The Frog is your place. The hipsters show up for Sunday brunch. Luckily, I can fit in with both crowds, and plan to.
Like I said, I've got to get out of Portland for a minute.
Comments
There are a dozen other "neighborhood restaurant and bar" citations that Ms. Martin could have noted. The Snug isn't a restaurant and to say that Frog and Turtle is "far more upscale" seems irrelevant given their dissimilarity.
Posted by rtkFebruary 6, 2009 04:52 PM
Yeah Chicky's WAS great. It unfortunately failed. The Frog and Turtle did not want to emulate a failed idea and is doing well as a result.
Posted by DirtFebruary 7, 2009 06:46 AM
The Frog and Turtle is fabulous! Its casual atmosphere is a welcomed change to many other establishments in the Portland area and the food is amazing. James and Kerry take great care in its preparation and are happy to accommodate. The menu changes just enough to keep it interesting but not so much that you get whiplash. And did I mention the brunch? Ian makes the BEST Bloody Marys and the homemade donuts are worth the trip - wherever you are coming from! Highly recommend - we bring all of our visiting family and friends to this restaurant - and they request return visits!
February 11, 2009 01:50 PM
The Frog and Turtle is too pricey for the geography that it is in. It offers an attempt at upscale dining without the clientele or management to pull it off effectively.
If this restaurant was located in the “Old Port” of Portland, it would fail due to the much higher-scale more relevant pricing restaurants that are there. It MAY succeed based on the few other dining options that currently surround it.
February 11, 2009 03:47 PM
The Frog and Turtle is a great place! The food is good, price is reasonable and the owner and staff are great people. James does a great job with the menu, beer selections and drinks.
Posted by MarcFebruary 13, 2009 01:52 PM
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When Chicky's fell and the The Frog and Turtle opened it was insult added to injury. The restaurants took such opposite approaches. Chicky's was such an institution during its short life. Affordable dressed-up diner food with live music.
The Frog and Turtle offers an expensive, mediocre take on "fine dining" with all the ambiance of a sports bar- TVs blaring the whole time.
Posted by JkFebruary 6, 2009 02:46 PM