*Photographs By Jack Bingham

This issue’s Best Kept Secrets takes you on a tour of family-friendly restaurants and hidden gems from Cape Neddick, Maine, to Concord, New Hampshire, and features menus ranging from American comfort food to authentic Japanese cuisine.

On Route 1 in Cape Neddick, Maine, check out Frankie & Johnny’s. The small, unassuming building sits among large boulders, and in summer, informal rock gardens greet the visitor with waves of color. Thanks to the hard work of chef/owner John Shaw and his wife, Thea Rostad, you would never know that the restaurant was originally a double-wide trailer. Years of work have created a cozy space with a checkerboard floor, brick-red walls, large windows with bamboo shades, and a small side room for private functions. A gas fireplace, candles on the tables, and a player piano add to the homey ambience.

Shaw and Rostad live at the restaurant, and it’s not unusual to have their two young daughters help with serving, or occasionally sitting down at the piano. Frequently, guests also join in, and sing-alongs are not uncommon.

Frankie & Johnny’s has a loyal local following, thanks to the considerable kitchen talents of Shaw. The restaurant has been run by Shaw and Rostad for many years, but was initially started by Shaw and Thea’s brother, Frank, hence the name. As first conceived by Frank, the eatery was going to focus on health food, and in the beginning, the menu was stocked with tofu, bean burritos, and lots of salads. It didn’t quite catch on, but a revamp, and John’s deft touch, soon had people flocking in.

“We’re still all about healthy dining,” says Rostad. “In fact, our slogan is ‘Food that loves you back,’ but we’ve found the types of dishes that work. We do all homemade pastas, big salads, numerous vegetarian and vegan offerings, and everything is fresh. There is no heating things up in the microwave or storing them in the freezer. Everything is cooked to order. We also give healthy portions—John likes folks to have enough for a second meal.”

Shaw prides himself on getting fresh, quality ingredients, and what he does with them is mouthwatering. Favorite appetizers include the Lobster Truffle Purses; delicate wontons stuffed with fresh Maine lobster, mascarpone cheese, and truffled butter, baked until crisp. The fresh Maine Crab Cakes are pan-fried and served with Cajun remoulade. The house salad has been on the menu since the opening, and could easily be a meal. It boasts an abundance of field greens topped with grilled vegetables, fresh fruit, cheese, and spiced nuts, with your choice of their house-made dressings served on the side. Among the most requested entrées are Blackened Pork Delmonico, which is two very moist ultrathick pork chops served with a sweet pear cream sauce and a poached pear on top, and accompanied by mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables; then there’s the Harvest Pasta, featuring sautéed garden vegetables in a garlic and basil pesto, and Camilla’s Chicken (named after their daughter), which Rostad says “is so good it should be illegal.” The dish offers chicken sautéed with garlic, basil, artichokes, calamata olives, and fresh tomatoes, and finished with a lemon butter sauce. 

Desserts are equally intriguing and include a Funny Bone cake, a decadent creation blending chocolate layer cake with peanut butter and white chocolate ganache; crème brûlée; grilled pineapple with caramel glaze; bread pudding with blueberries and a whiskey sauce; and for the vegans, pineapple and coconut sorbets.

Frankie & Johnny’s hosts a lot of birthday parties and other family celebrations as longtime guests think of the restaurant as a second home. Rostad picks up a stack of guestbooks, filled with customers’ comments and memories. “We’re like family to a lot of guests,” she says. “And not just to the locals. We have a gentleman who comes up every summer from Louisville, Kentucky, because he loves the food and the atmosphere.”

She glances at a large black-and-white photo of the two of them, taken when they were first starting out, and smiles. “You know, I fell in love with John partly because of his cooking. He cooked for me and just won me over. Over the years, he’s worked that same magic on a lot of our guests. That’s why we’re still here.”

Frankie & Johnny’s is located at 1594 Route 1 in Cape Neddick, Maine. Hours vary with the season and reservations are recommended. BYOB. Call (207) 363-1909 for more information.

Return south to find a bit of India transported to Kittery, Maine. Tulsi, located at 2 Government Street, offers authentic Indian cuisine by two of the area’s finest Indian chefs. Tulsi is owned by Janet Howe and Rajesh Mandekar, the head chef, who once worked in Manhattan. Mandekar and Howe previously created Divine Cuisine, a company which sold pre-packaged Indian foods to grocery stores and at local farmers’ markets. At the farmers’ markets, they offered tastings of their dishes, which introduced many locals to Indian food, and gained them a following.

“People had been asking for years, when will you open a restaurant,” says Howe. “And Raj was dying to have one. We finally took the leap and opened this past July.”

The space is small, intimate, and with a decor totally unlike many Indian restaurants. The walls are deep gold, the floors hardwood. Black-topped tables with matching chairs cushioned in red and gold strike a bold note, while artistic wooden sculptures adorn the walls. Dominating one wall is a multicolored panel whose hues showcase traditional Indian spices. There is the rust of chili peppers, yellow of tumeric, dark brown of cumin, and the tan of coriander. Paul Bonacci of ARQ Architects in Kittery, who was also the architect for the space, designed the panel. It is made of Japanese plaster and colored with actual spices from Tulsi’s kitchen. Like the restaurant, its feel is elegant and exotic.

The name “Tulsi” is Hindu in origin, and is the name of holy basil, the most sacred herb in all of India. “People revere the plant for its medicinal properties,” explains Mandekar. “Every house in India has this plant but we don’t cook with it like the Italians do; the plant is cared for and has a spiritual purpose.”

Mandekar sees the goal of the restaurant as bringing different cultures, regions, and cuisines together for people to experience. The former tandoori chef (the tandoor is the traditional clay oven used in Indian cooking), grew up in Calcutta in eastern India, and had a background in Indian cuisine with lots of French influences, while the new chef, Shyamal Gomes, adds yet another dimension. Mandekar grew up near Mumbai, a very international part of India, and has a background encompassing many ethnic cooking styles. As a result, the menu complements not just one region of India, but “every corner,” according to Mandekar.

“We have added the influence of local products to our cuisine so the food has the flavor of India but also the flavor of the region,” says Mandekar. “We use a lot of local seafood; we’ve brought in lobster and mussels and incorporated them into Indian recipes.”

The menu is small, but offers a balance of vegetarian options and traditional; of hot and mild, with each dish made to order.

Already customers are raving about the Mussels Pooriyal, an appetizer of fresh mussels poached with spices, and served with a creamy curry sauce. (“One customer said he could eat those mussels all night long,” quips Howe.) Equally popular is the Shrimp Balchow, which features shrimp in a tangy, spicy Goan sauce served with a crispy Naan bread (an unleavened light bread). Other favorites include the Chicken Tikka Masala, tender pieces of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, grilled in the tandoor oven, and simmered in tomato cream sauce; and the Kashmiri Lamb Curry, with fresh cubes of lamb braised in Kashmiri spices. Vegetarians are big fans of the Palak Paneer, which is fresh spinach sautéed in spices and finished with cream and homemade Indian cheese; and the Navratan Korma, a blend of nine different vegetables in a light curry, cashew, saffron, and cream sauce. For a winter lobster dish, Mandekar has created a lobster curry using roasted onions and roasted coconut over white fish. The entree is presented in lobster tail shells.

Mandekar is passionate about cooking, and the healthy attributes of Indian food, with its wonderful blends of spices and vegetables. “Indian food is very healing,” he says. “The tumeric, the cumin, and other spices have great health benefits. India has the lowest percentage of dementia in the world, and doctors say that turmeric may be responsible. One hundred to 150 years ago, Indians still primarily used herbs and spices for healing, then strong European influences came in and we started to get away from our traditions. Some of the new influences were good, but the bad thing was that we started to lose the healing knowledge we had had for centuries. Today, we are reversing that trend and blending the best of European medical knowledge with our skills.”

And Americans are recognizing those skills, finding “Indian medicine” very easy to take.

“We have an elderly gentleman who comes in regularly for his meal of Indian food,” adds Howe. “His doctor recommended it, and he says it helps keep him sharp!”

“Many folks think that Indian food is just spicy and hot,” she continues. “But once they taste it, they are surprised. Going out to an Indian restaurant is actually a great night out for families—the food is healthy, affordable, and kids love it.”

“We want people to experience the best of India,” says Mandekar. “Our restaurant is a small way for people who haven’t traveled to experience a different culture. It is a way for us to bring India to them.”

Tulsi is open 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Takeout and catering are also available. Beer and wine only. For more information, call (207) 451-9511, or visit www.divinecuisines.com to find a link to Tulsi.

Just inland from Kittery is the small town of Eliot, Maine. Along the town’s commercial corridor of Route 236 sits what has become one of the town’s most popular eateries and gathering places, The Shipyard Brew Pub. When the pub first opened in June 2005, it was a tiny little eatery that seated only forty-four people. Within two years, demand required an expansion, and now the Pub has a second larger dining area, game room, and outside patio. The dining area has a nautical feel, with dark blue walls, wainscoting, a fireplace, and models of ships adorning the walls. Large screen televisions let everyone enjoy the big game from any corner of the room, and the adjacent game room makes it easy to relax with a round of pool or other entertainment before or after dinner.

“The goal was always to start small,” says Jason Canty, manager. “We wanted to be the neighborhood gathering spot, offering good pub food to complement Shipyard Ale. We never wanted to be just a bar. We wanted to be a family place, too.”

Darren Kelley has been the chef since day one, and his menu is a large reason for the pub’s success. The Jonah Lump Crab Cakes have been on the appetizer menu since opening day, and given their popularity, won’t disappear any time soon. The pan-fried cakes are served with a traditional remoulade and fresh lemon. Equally popular is the gently fried calamari, served with a sweet and spicy balsamic glaze and fresh lemon; and the chicken wings and drums, served either buffalo style with blue cheese dressing or BBQ style with ranch dressing. The extensive menu includes a hearty line of burgers, wraps, soups, and salads, plus their famous chowder and award-winning chili. Entrées are also available, and dinner favorites include the grilled flat iron steak, featuring marinated all-natural beef with mushroom-bacon risotto and creamed spinach, and the Roasted Chicken Breast, with mashed Yukon gold potatoes, cranberry chutney, braised spinach, and gravy. The dessert offerings include some standard favorites, such as banana splits and ice cream sundaes, but also items such as warm bread pudding with creme anglaise, and peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate sauce, topped with whipped cream. 

“Darren always uses fresh ingredients and cooks with care,” says Canty. “His reputation is really growing. Initially, people just got BLTs or one of our burgers, but as the menu has expanded they’re coming in more and more for steak, mussels, and other dishes. In the summer we offered more seafood, but in winter we’ll serve more comfort food, such as meat loaf, mac ’n cheese, and chicken pot pie. The menu is so extensive that there is something for everyone; I say if you can’t find something that appeals to you, you must not be hungry!” The pub also offers a children’s menu.

Adding the game room has made a huge difference in the pub’s success, as families now have a fun place to wait for a table, or stay and play after dinner. “We love to see families come and make a night of it,” says Canty. “It’s what we’re all about.” Folks have also booked the pub and game room for special functions. “We had a class reunion here. They decorated the game room with photos and mementos; we provided the meal, and then they played games there,” he notes. “It was a fun and unique event.”

When asked what’s made the Shipyard so popular, Canty smiles. “I know it sounds corny, but this truly is a place where everyone knows your name. And we make an effort to know our customers. For example, with our Mug Club, we have more than 150 members, but our staff knows which mug is yours, what you want in it, and your favorite sandwich. The personal approach draws folks in. We see lots of regulars; people come and see their friends here, see folks they know. It’s a very relaxed, personal environment. It makes for a nice evening out.”

The Shipyard Brew Pub is located at 28 Levesque Drive in the  Eliot Commons Mall in Eliot, Maine. The Pub is open Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11:30 to 10:00 p.m. Full bar. For more information, visit www.shipyardbrewpub.com, or call (207) 686-2026.

For a taste of the Far East, go west, to Concord, New Hamp-shire, and Moritomo Japanese Steak House. Located in Fort Eddy Plaza, a strip mall, Moritomo is nonetheless a flavorful slice of the Orient transplanted to the Granite State. There are low tables with tatami mats for eating on the floor Japanese-style, and private rooms behind sliding doors that add to the exotic atmosphere. If you like a more convivial setting, enjoy the Benihana-style performances as chefs demonstrate their masterful skills while creating teppanyaki-based meals (teppanyaki is an iron griddle). A great hit with families the Benihana show entertains both with the performance and lots of jokes while a feast is created before your eyes.

Moritomo is owned by Thomas Kum, Charlene Fang, and Alvin Ooi. Since 2001, they have attracted a strong clientele, who appreciate not only the cuisine but the personal commitment of the owners and staff. “We have a lot of regulars,” says Kum. “I think what brings people back is not only the food quality but also the service. Our staff knows not only the names of our repeat customers but also what they like to order. We have an almost personal relationship with them, and enjoy visiting with our many guests.”

The cuisine is authentic and represents foods from all over Japan. The menu is extensive, encompassing a seemingly endless array of sushi and sashimi, teriyakis, tempuras, soups, noodles, maki and temaki, or hand-rolled sushi, and a large selection of hibachi items. By far the most popular items are the signature rolls, which are named for the different guests who created the rolls. “You can create your own roll,” says Kum. “Just tell the chef what you’d like and he’ll make it for you. We’ll put it under your name so the next time you come in, you just ask for your roll.”

Some current Signature Rolls include the Fred Roll, which is a spicy crunchy tuna, cucumber, and eel roll topped with salmon, avocado, and yellowtail. The Charlene is spicy crunchy shrimp, seaweed, and crabmeat topped with eel and avocado. Some of the rolls are amazing creations with as many as seven ingredients.

“We love the signature rolls,” says Sandie Perreault, a regular customer along with her husband, Dan. “We’ve tried most of them and they are all yummy.” (In the interest of full disclosure, Sandie and Dan are the parents of Taste Art Director Candace Perreault.)

Equally popular are the many combinations from the hibachi, including a range of surf and turf options, such as steak and shrimp, steak and scallops, steak and salmon, and steak and lobster.

“We do lots of combinations to try to please everyone’s tastes,” says Kum. “But if you want something that’s not on the menu, we’ll cook it for you. You can request anything and we will make what you want. Our goal is to please the customer. Whatever the customer wants, we try to do. We feel that’s what brings our guests back over and over again.”

“Moritomo has fantastic food,” says Perreault, “but it’s also the way they make us feel that makes them unique. We’ve been coming for so long we even get hugs when we come through the door. They just always make you feel special and that sets them apart from other restaurants.”

Moritomo Japanese Steak House is located at 32 Fort Eddy Road in Concord, New Hampshire. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Full bar. For more information, call (603) 224-8363.

Behind the Scenes at The Regatta Commissary Kitchen

Every day, huge batches of food are whipped up at the Regatta Commissary Kitchen and shipped to six restaurants located throughout the state of Maine. The kitchen is part of a restaurant/banquet center complex in Eliot, Maine, which includes the Regatta Room function hall and The Shipyard Brew Pub. The kitchen serves the Eliot complex plus the Seadogs restaurant in Bangor, Seadogs in Topsham, Federal Jacks in Kennebunkport, the Inn on Peaks Island, plus White Cap Lodge at Sunday River.

According to Ed Nadeau, food and beverage controller, about six years ago the company began producing their popular chowder in large volume at their Kennebunkport location and shipping it to the other restaurants. It worked well, so when The Shipyard Brew Pub was due to be renovated and expanded, they decided to construct a permanent commissary kitchen at that location.

“The beauty of a commissary kitchen is that it saves time and keeps recipes consistent,” says Nadeau. “We can save prep time for individual kitchen staff at each restaurant by providing them with certain items already made. And, by having them all made the same way at one location, you get uniform quality.”

In addition to chowder, the Commissary Kitchen produces soups, sauces, certain desserts, and condiments, plus items such as sautéed onions and mushrooms. The gleaming new facility is 2,200 square feet and is equipped with oversized steam jacket kettles that produce from forty to eighty gallons of chowder or soup at a time, and a giant mixer standing four feet tall, among other key appliances. The walk-in freezer is massive, measuring 480 square feet with a ten-foot ceiling. Everything is on wheels so it can be moved about the kitchen, or to the Shipyard Pub or banquet hall.

Unlike restaurant kitchens, the Commissary Kitchen is in operation forty hours a week, and chefs don’t work on the line, but rather have more structured duties. In addition to producing for the six restaurants, they also work full time creating food for the Regatta Room’s functions. With such demand, they may produce as much as 275 gallons of clam chowder a week, 400–500 gallons of soups and sauces per week, and 100–150 pounds of crabcake mix each week. The Commissary Kitchen also makes its own pasta in bulk and roasts chickens in bulk, shipping them both frozen so the restaurants can use what they need. They may also prep up to thirty cases of turkey every week for sandwich wraps and other dishes.

This is also a research and development and training facility. “If there are special sauces that a restaurant requires, we see if we can make them here and streamline the process,” says Adam Clingensmith, chef and Commissary Kitchen director. “For example, we do the sauce for Seafood Cioppino here. The same is true for certain dishes; we’ve found we can do faster prep and maintain quality by creating chocolate soufflés, cheesecakes, and pineapple cakes here. This is more cost-effective too, as we can centralize the purchasing of certain items.”

The Commissary Kitchen chefs not only use the opportunity to develop new recipes, which are sent to the outlying restaurants who serve them, but they listen to feedback on these dishes. At the same time, chefs from the various restaurants can submit recipes that are wildly popular at their eateries to see if they fly at the other locations. The Shipyard Brew Pub’s famous pulled pork sandwich was created in Eliot, but was so well received it’s now offered at several other venues. “Developing a recipe is a way for a chef to leave his mark on the whole company, and that’s important to them,” says Nadeau.

At different times of the year, all the general managers and kitchen managers come to the kitchen for training and brainstorming, and often to attend seminars by leaders in the food industry.

There are slight regional differences in the various restaurants’ menu requirements, with coastal eateries such as Federal Jacks needing more seafood, and the northern restaurants serving more meat loaf and soups, but the Commissary Kitchen is able to easily meet all demands.

“We have a strong, young workforce,” says Nadeau.  “They are ambitious and their goal is to make each restaurant better and it shows.”

Crystal Ward Kent is Contributing Editor to Taste magazine and has written for Taste since its inception. She is a frequent contributor to numerous regional magazines, including Yankee, Accent, and New Hampshire Home.

Be first to write a review | Quote this article on your site