Yikes, what an awful experience. I am so sorry. I hope you will let the restaurant know when you’re feeling up to it.
Same happened to me on a trip so I have particular sympathy. Even worse when you’re away from home.
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Sent word to Scales, but no response so far.
That said, we really enjoyed Scales. It’s on a wharf, and there’s a narrow passage for autos leading past the main entrance where you meet up with the valet (complementary, an especially nice touch on a blustery evening). The high-ceiling room has an open kitchen to the right as you enter, with an iced seafood display fed by an industrial ice maker that drops crushed ice continuously from on high. Rather mesmerizing.
As with Fore Street, the main dining room is divided among 6-top booths and 4-top tables. We were on the early side and they gave us a booth for our small party of 3 when we inquired. We were there to explore, and we had starters in two waves: tuna crudo and fluke ceviche, along with “cloverleaf” rolls fresh from the oven in their small skillet. Second wave was mussels (again from the same source as those at Fore Street, really plump and delicate), this time in a mustard and cream sauce. For mains we had pan-seared scallops, really beautifully seared, the tops carmelized to a crunchy sweetness, baked haddock, and duck two ways (breast and sausage). Every dish superb, though the duck breast ordered medium came out rare. For desert, a selection of frappes were a sweet diversion from the ordinary and a wonderful way to finish. Service was a bit more efficient than Fore Street, as the courses were well-paced.
On reflection Scales and Fore Street had in common their staffing levels - generous, to say the least, in contrast to many places in the Boston area that are experiencing staff shortages. It would be interesting to understand why – Covid-19 mitigation policies, pay/benefits, paid sick days???
Unfortunately the food poisoning my daughter and I both experienced (nailing the mussels as the culprit) brought a premature end to our culinary adventures in Maine for the weekend, though we are excited to return to check out Standard Provisions, Street & Company, and a host of funky small places. I’m curious if epidemiological testing of shellfish for toxins or dinoflagellates is the norm, or something that is (or was, pre corporate takeover) unique at Legal Seafoods?
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Postscript- Scales responded, graciously.
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Belated thank you to @MaxEntropy for mentioning Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth. We snagged a doable, though still splurgy for us, off-season rate on a spacious suite there a couple weekends back. How great to be able to walk to Crescent Beach in winter. (Note that we bundled up for cold and wind. Also toted microspikes for our winter boots in case the ground was icy. Hey, it’s New England.)
Food-wise, the treat of our getaway was a cheese and charcuterie box for two from The Cheese Iron in Scarborough. They require a minimum 48-hour notice to put together a box or platter, so I called a few days ahead. Beautifully composed with lots of little tastes. This one gave us nibbles for two afternoons to enjoy with beers we bought to taste back at our room.
Foulmouthed Brewing in South Portland is a new-to-us stop we made to pick up beers to sample. We look forward to returning there to try their small brewpub in warmer weather.
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Absolutely gorgeous!!
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TT - so glad you found Inn by the Sea to be as much fun as we did. We are heading back in May for another birthday celebration - and another foray into the Portland food scene. I just saw in the Globe that Portland is among the top ten most expensive cities for luxury real estate.
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