August is sweeter at SoPo’s Saltwater Grille

When South Portland native Mark Loring decided to pour his considerable restaurant experience into this all-welcoming, family establishment, he must have felt like he was in on a secret.

"Honestly the view sells itself, it's obvious why someone might like to come experience what we do," admits congenial bartender Blake. "But the food and drinks are what draw our clients back."

We are willing guinea pigs to test the validity of this claim. Though the decks are expansive, our attentive, honest server Amanda cozies us up at a corner table. Augmenting the warm outdoor lighting, there seems to be a lot of laughter echoing across Fore River. Portland glows across the water at dusk. Not bad for a Monday night.

Above us, we would learn later, is a massive private function room with its own bar. Not a bad spot for The Big Day either.

We each dive into the creative cocktail menu. My date goes out on a limb with the brand new SWG Arnold Palmer ($5.50), a strange brew of Sweet Carolina Sweet Tea Vodka mixed with ice and lemonade. This raises an eyebrow. Sweet Tea Vodka? Sounds like a low-shelf option at RSVP that they've had on sale for months to no avail. Little did I know this marquee offering is a favorite for the Grille's regulars. See, some of Blake's favorite bottles on the bar come from right up the Turnpike in Lewiston, the locale of Maine's own star distillery, White Rock. Buying local or not, I am still a skeptic. Turns out, this Arnold Palmer is dangerously good. Smooth, crisp and refreshing, the booze was hardly noticeable. White Rock's line of Pinnacle Vodkas is also featured throughout a formidable martini list.

It is time to delve into a fantastic looking menu, replete with local seafood options, as well as plenty of alternatives for those more drawn to a "Grille" than the "Saltwater." With the salty sea literally tempting our palates, though, it is clear that the seafood will dominate our order. We start with two tasty soups, the Lobster Corn Bisque and Clam Chowder, offered at the extremely reasonable price of $4.99 per cup. While a crafty restaurateur could easily charge double that to an eager Maine tourist, it's clear that when it comes to food and drink, Mark and the Saltwater Grille want to welcome occupants of every tax bracket.

Amanda recommends a generous portion of Cracklin' Calamari ($15.99), artfully tossed in balsamic vinegar, as a regular's staple, but we instead opt for the SWG Appetizer Sampler ($14.99). Elegantly presented in perfectly-sized portions, we enjoy a Seafood Cake (deep fried indulgence), Crab Guacamole (though the homemade chips are amazing, the guac is a bit flavorless, underwhelming. This is sad, because the concept of "Crab Guacamole" has unbelievable potential) and two beautiful, giant gulf shrimp crisscrossed in a traditional cocktail sauce.

In order to add a notch to our belt on our "Mussels Tour of Maine," we of course go for the Bangs Island Mussels ($12.99 as an app, $16.99 as an entrée over pasta). While the mussels are succulent, we want more, crispier bread for the fantastic broth. What is an order of mussels, after all, without the endless dipping of bread that follows?

As some vicious mosquitoes choose us off their own menus, we decide to forego the owner's kind bug spray offer and seek refuge by the bar inside to enjoy some of the Grille's long wine list. Blake shows us some of the crown jewels, the Gazela Vinho Verde ($5.99/glass) as a white and the Conquista Malbec ($6.99/glass) for red, which we heartily enjoy, while he muses on the soul of the place.

"You know, this place is a destination. You come here if you know about it. We don't get the SMCC crowds, we get young families looking for a peaceful, pleasurable experience. We get a lot of folks right off of their boats." He gestures towards the three child-sized lobster Adirondack chairs by the fish tank populated by a couple neon clown fish, adding with a wink, "And we've got the best baby-sitters around."

Mike Olcott is a freelance writer.