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 When I first heard that three of my favorite Portsmouth, New Hampshire, restaurants were changing hands, I was alarmed. It wasn’t long before my fears were allayed, though. Anthony Alberto’s Ristorante Italiano wasn’t actually changing hands—it was just being renamed Ristorante Massimo’s, for its owner of four years, Massimo. Pesce Blue had been sold to its general manager, Cliffe Arrand, and the former Lindbergh’s Crossing has been bought by its chef, Evan Mallett, and rechristened the Black Trumpet Bistro. I breathed a sign of relief. I talked with each owner about what would change—and what wouldn’t.
I’m a sucker for old school restaurants—the ones with white linens, tuxedoed waiters, candlelight, and banquettes. Unfortunately, they can be kind of hard to find these days, with hipper, trendier eateries competing for our dining dollars. But I’m delighted to say that one such Portsmouth fixture isn’t getting edged out by anyone. In fact, this world-class Italian establishment has been delighting loyal customers for more than a dozen years. It’s so popular that you’re lucky if you can get a table on a weeknight in March. With accolades from Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, The Phantom Gourmet’s coveted Great Ate list, and Yankee Travel magazine’s Editor’s Choice five years running, it’s no surprise. The newly christened Ristorante Massimo—formerly Anthony Alberto’s Ristorante Italiano—has a very loyal customer base. So much so that in launching the restaurant under its new moniker, the message has been one of reassurance—the world-class food and service, and old-world, Italian charm, will remain. Everything guests counted on at Anthony Alberto’s will be every bit as good as it has been in the past, including the wonderfully warm and elegant atmosphere. Housed in the building that was the government Customs House from 1816–1850, you can still see the original cellar arches, the exposed wood beams, and the brick and stone walls. Mahogany-finished walls complete the sense of warmth. Massimo Morgia, the proprietor, has been co-owner of the establishment since 1994, where he played a major role in establishing Anthony Alberto’s reputation for gracious hospitality and world-class Italian cuisine. After becoming the sole proprietor in 2003, he recently decided to celebrate his personal pride in the restaurant by giving it his own romantic Italian name. Born in Pontecorvo, Italy, Massimo has traveled extensively and mastered the art of creating not only authentic Italian tastes but an authentic sense of welcoming Italian hospitality. His family emigrated to Beverly, Massachusetts, when he was a child. “Growing up, every Sunday dinner was a feast. Everything was fresh and purchased that day from local specialty markets,” whether Massimo’s family was living in Italy or Massachusetts. His family grew their own vegetables, jarred their own sauces, made cheese, and cured their own meats. “Eating wasn’t just part of our day, it was the core occasion around which our entire family worked, gathered, shared, laughed, and lived." This tradition of connection to one’s food continues in the kitchen at Massimo’s with house-cured meats, the best seasonal ingredients, and house-made pastas and breads. Chef Jethro Loichle had my jaw dropping when he talked about the pig they had purchased and raised on an organic farm where they could supervise diet and living conditions. Now that’s commitment. Clearly, Jethro is a man who loves his work. As he says, “I want to be the best that I can be and let everyone share in my growth because a true chef never stops learning.” Previously at 98 Provence in Ogunquit, Maine, and The 100 Club in Portsmouth, Massimo sought him out in 2005. Jethro has been described as someone who spends every waking moment thinking about ingredients, new twists on old classics, and new ways to delight his guests. And unlike some top notch restaurants, there is no barrier between “front of the house” and the kitchen. Everyone seems genuinely committed to making the experience at Massimo’s as perfect as it can be. It feels like a family. The menu offers inspired variations on classic Italian dishes and ingredients like Osso Bucco di Maiale, slow braised pork osso bucco with leek bread pudding and baby mache greens; Tortellini alla Bolognese, house-made whole-wheat tortellini filled with herbed ricotta cheese with stewed tenderloin, pork, and lamb in a tomato ragout and topped with grilled rabbit loin and shaved Parmesan; or Manicotti di Aragosta, house-made herbed pasta rolled with Maine lobster ricotta and topped with sautéed shrimp and scallops, finished in a tomato-basil ragout. An essential part of the Massimo’s experience is Sommelier and Assistant Manager Davide DiGenova, in this case actually family—he is Massimo’s nephew. Like his uncle, Davide’s experience of food and wine is deeply rooted in authentic Italian traditions. Growing up, he spent summers at his grandparents’ farm in the Abruzzi region, helping his grandfather tend the Trebbiano and Montepulciano grapes in their vineyard. “Just before supper, it was my job to go out to the stone cantina, or wine cellar, and fill up the empty wine bottle with wine from the oak barrels,” he says. “Of course, I would always sneak a little sip! Of all the time I spent in Italy, my fondest memories are of Nonno and Nonna." Davide has worked at the restaurant since 1996 and in 2001 earned a degree in culinary arts. His passion for wine is evident. “Watching guests close their eyes as they sip a wine I’ve specially selected for their meal gives me a meaningful and profound satisfaction." There is a real sense of harmony at Ristorante Massimo. You feel that the staff is attuned to the needs of their guests, whether they are there for a romantic dinner, a business meeting, or a family celebration. You feel cared for, not just well fed. That works for me. Across town on Market Street, Pesce Blue, one of Portsmouth’s best known, cutting-edge seafood restaurants, is now under the ownership and watchful eye of Cliffe Arrand. Cliffe—who had been a supervisor there from 2003 to 2005 and general manager prior to becoming proprietor—purchased the establishment from founder and veteran restaurateur Joachim Sandbichler. Pesce Blue opened to rave reviews in 2002, earning kudos from NECN’s TV Diner, the Boston Globe, and the Union Leader, as well as a Wine Spectator award. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Pesce Blue get more accolades as Cliffe and Chef James Walters pursue their new vision. Though young, the twenty-something owner is no stranger to the restaurant business. “I started in the restaurant business when I was thirteen as a dishwasher,” he says. “I quickly moved through the restaurant doing everything there from grilling to salads. When I was seventeen, I was given the opportunity to manage the very successful downtown location of Me & Ollie’s bakery. After a short trip to Spain and Italy, I came back with a real drive to work in a fine-dining restaurant. There was only one place I wanted to work, and it was Pesce Blue. I came in as a supervisor and fell in love with the place. They had the same passion and love for food, wine, and service that I did.” Having always dreamed of owning his own establishment, when the opportunity to buy Pesce Blue came up, it was a dream come true  Cliffe and James are continuing their previous focus on coastal Italian cuisine while drawing more on Cliffe’s roots in Sicily and Naples. They have developed a “Small Plates” menu, with more than a dozen items like Oil Poached Tuna Salad, Tuscan White Bean Salad, House Cured Salmon, and Veal Polpetti (little meatballs) with Garlic Herb Oil, all priced from $3 to $8, making a visit to Pesce Blue feasible even if you’re on a budget. Along with Sunday night tasting menus and $8 Pizzette Night on Wednesdays, Pesce Blue has opened its door to those who think they can’t afford a great meal. There are still higher priced, high-end regional wine-tasting dinners and special events, as well as competitively priced regular menus, but these new options have made Pesce Blue more accessible to more people. Cliffe and James are expanding the number of house-made items, like their own pancetta, pastas, ricotta, cured salmon, and all desserts. (Be sure to try their amazing Olive Oil and Orange Cake.) In addition to sourcing seafood from local suppliers, specialty items come from nationally known Browne Trading Company (see Chef Jason Kennedy’s profile on page 128), which means Pesce Blue diners can savor a fish that was caught in the Mediterranean twenty-four hours ago. “Being able to serve that to our guests is a very rewarding experience,” says Cliffe. Cliffe and James are also taking their wine program very seriously, Cliffe tells me. “We are serving wines by quartino—little quarter in Italian—a glass decanter that holds one quarter of a liter, about a glass and a half of wine. Serving wine this way allows guests to control the amount of wine they have in their glass. It also provides the wine-by-the-bottle service with just a taste of a delicious wine. It allows us to provide some interesting wines that would normally not be accessible by the glass. Think about how nice it would be to be able to accompany our grilled lamb chops with a quartino of Barolo and not have to commit to a bottle." As the new owner says: “We hope people will try us again. I just have so much passion about food and wine, and I want to share that with people."
 Last, but by no means least, Evan Mallett, Chef/Owner of the Black Trumpet Bistro describes himself as “a chef on the loose.” And he’s been let loose in what he describes as “the most charmed restaurant between Boston and Portland." Under his guidance, the building that once housed the ground-breaking Blue Strawbery is entering the next stage of its evolution. As the former chef at Lindbergh’s Crossing (the restaurant that had occupied the same building since 1996), Evan had the perfect opportunity to continue to wow his large group of loyal fans when he took over the business in March. At Lindbergh’s Crossing, Evan pushed the boundaries of French cooking, incorporating Mediterranean influences in classic French bistro fare. Now he’s pushing the boundaries a little further. Like his wife Denise of nine years, Evan had always felt a special connection to the building itself—the couple feel that the building has a certain magic that defies rational explanation and maybe even a benign ghost or two. The brick and stone building at 29 Ceres Street was originally a ship’s chandlery; the signatures on the hand-hewn beams date back to the early 1800s. But in 1970, the building opened its doors as Chef James Haller’s Blue Strawbery. The restaurant revolutionized Portsmouth dining, but in those days, Ceres Street was a far cry from the current civilized quaint/chic place it is today. In those days, there were topless bars, street fights, and the proverbial drunken sailors off merchant ships at the docks. But James Haller had this crazy vision of the type of restaurant at the time unheard of in the area. He forged ahead to create one of the most revered restaurants in New England, which he owned until 1996. The building next housed Lindbergh’s Crossing, the creation of Scott O’Connor and Tom Fielding. Although Evan had been in the restaurant business at Washington, D.C.’s River Club, he was at that time working as a restaurant critic, food writer, and freelance journalist for a variety of New England publications, including the Boston Herald, the Boston Phoenix, and the Improper Bostonian. During this time, Evan also traveled widely on business and had a chance to experience culinary cultures around the world.  He and his wife Denise had moved to Portsmouth and happened to have dinner at Lindbergh’s. They were smitten. With Denise’s full support, Evan applied for a job as a line cook with Chef Jeff Tenner—a move that was based, Evan says, “on how good that meal made me feel.” During his interview, he recalls Jeff asking, “Why should I hire you?” and Evan replied, “Because there’s nowhere I’d rather work.” He got the job.
He goes on to say: “Jeff showed me something I’d never seen, except in the two of us [he and Denise]: indefatigable dedication. A neurotic energy combined with a passion for making people happy.” When Lindbergh’s opened Ciento, its Spanish-themed tapas restaurant in 1999, Evan moved over as executive sous chef. (For reasons I never understood, Ciento closed in 2001—the food was great.) Evan became friends with a flamenco guitarist who performed at Ciento. When the restaurant closed, he asked if Evan would come consult with his mother who was opening a restaurant in Mexico. Never one to pass up an adventure, Evan, Denise, and their two-year-old daughter Eleanor moved to San Miguel de Allende,
a mountain village where Evan and Denise consulted on the restaurant and jointly operated a Cajun-themed restaurant and gourmet food shop. Using the techniques of French cooking he had learned in his early days, he began to absorb and appreciate the flavors and culture of true Mexican food, something he says is almost impossible to find in this country. “I learned so much about the value of family and the love that went into the food. Whether it was a celebration with paella for forty or the economy of creating something wonderful with a little masa, some water, cactus paddles, and green onions, it’s such a family culture." But in 2003, they got a call from Lindbergh’s. Would he return to fill the spot that was being vacated by Jeff Tenner? With their second child on the way, it seemed like a godsend. The rest, as they say, is history.
 His gratitude to Scott, Tom, and Jeff is evident. The transition when he returned was incredibly smooth. And the more recent transition of ownership has been virtually seamless. “I want people to know how much I owe them. They have been such professionals, such extraordinary human beings, and great restaurateurs.” The relationship was a blending of two families—his restaurant family and his real family.
Evan’s years in a Hispanic culture and his previous travels worldwide changed his life and helped shape the chef he is today. As he puts it, “rabid curiosity and first-hand experience” have brought North African, Greek, Turkish, and Caribbean flavors to the Black Trumpet’s dishes. The inaugural menu featured dishes like muhamarra (a blend of roasted peppers, garlic, and pomegranate) with house-made sesame lavash (thinner and more wonderful than any store-bought lavash* you’ve ever had). There was a roasted pork shoulder served with mashed yucca and calaloo (a Caribbean green) in a piquant adobo sauce, a calamari salad sautéed in harissa** and preserved lemon, and pan-fried Rhode Island sardine fillets on a bed of Lebanese couscous with a Moroccan tomato sauce. The menu changes every six weeks to allow the staff to take advantage of the freshest and best of the seasons. With only minor—but noticeable—changes to the interior, the site still pays homage to the building’s history and is still one of my absolute favorite rooms in town. The service remains warm and professional. Why Black Trumpet? Evan is an avid mushroom forager and, while hiking with his family, came across a meadow filled with black trumpet mushrooms. It was an epiphany. At once invoking sleek lines, a wild edible mushroom, and jazz, it was a natural appellation for the new venture. A reassurance to his loyal followers: there is only going to be more to love about the Black Trumpet Bistro. Taste Tips * Lavash is an Armenian flat bread or cracker.
** Harissa is a Tunisian hot red sauce made with a variety of ingredients, including smoked chili peppers, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, and olive oil. It’s used both in cooking and as a condiment. It’s used widely throughout the Middle East.
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