Leeward
The space, a large and high-ceilinged room in what was once a department store, belies the intimate vibe at this 2022 James Beard Award finalist for America’s best new restaurant. The menu is a celebration of the beauty and simplicity of rustic Italian cooking, with the flavors of Maine woven in: rigatoni Bolognese with pork from midcoast farms, the prettiest plate of scallop crudo you can imagine, with dayboat shellfish fresh off Casco Bay. Local sourcing is enshrined, the vast wine list is centered around semi-obscure low-intervention Italian pours, and the ever-changing cocktail menu at the bar is sophisticated and fun. Still, white tablecloth it ain’t: The open kitchen, tastefully thrifted decor, and often boisterous big-top tables in the dining room make the place eminently approachable, even though it’s a coveted reservation.
The space, a large and high-ceilinged room in what was once a department store, belies the intimate vibe at this 2022 James Beard Award finalist for America’s best new restaurant. The menu is a celebration of the beauty and simplicity of rustic Italian cooking, with the flavors of Maine woven in: rigatoni Bolognese with pork from midcoast farms, the prettiest plate of scallop crudo you can imagine, with dayboat shellfish fresh off Casco Bay. Local sourcing is enshrined, the vast wine list is centered around semi-obscure low-intervention Italian pours, and the ever-changing cocktail menu at the bar is sophisticated and fun. Still, white tablecloth it ain’t: The open kitchen, tastefully thrifted decor, and often boisterous big-top tables in the dining room make the place eminently approachable, even though it’s a coveted reservation.
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