Classic. That’s the word that comes to mind when walking through the doors (and down the gangway, and through the yacht sales area, and past the gift shop, and into the front lobby) of DiMillo’s Restaurant & Lounge. You step into a period piece that’s reminiscent of family vacations to seaside destinations — Maine style.
Additional Photos
The interior is warmly lit with dark, shiny wood detailing, rigging hanging about the restaurant like decorative chandeliers, and brass banisters guiding you along the length of the restaurant. And there’s always the novelty that you’re on a really big ship. The place hasn’t changed since 1982 — and that’s probably for the best.
DiMillo’s is a landmark in Portland, and there’s a good reason why: The DiMillo family, in one restaurant establishment or another, was in the food business long before Portland discovered its foodiness.
Back in 1954, Tony DiMillo opened Anthony’s, the precursor to DiMillo’s. After various incarnations — including moving Anthony’s to Center Street, opening DiMillo’s on the Portland waterfront in 1965, and then purchasing DiMillo’s Marina in 1978 — Tony bought the ship The New York, which houses the establishment we know today.
Before becoming the only floating restaurant on the upper East Coast, the ship’s resume included being a car ferry, housing for a youth center art colony and a clubhouse for a yacht club.
It’s tempting to explore the entire floating restaurant — which I did, of course — before settling down at the expansive bar. I was instantly happy with my choice of location, because the bar area is downright nifty.
The entire bar is enclosed, with the bartenders working the middle area. And the bar is very well stocked with pretty much any booze and mixer you can imagine. The bar stools are small swivel armchairs that are mostly cozy, and yes, you can wave to your friends on the other side of the bar because it is a big, open rectangle.
The bar and cocktail menu, like the restaurant, is also classic and pretty much timeless. You know you’ll be able to find lobster, scampi and fried clams on the menu and complement them with a mai tai, margarita or local brew. There are the options of a frozen mudslide, trimmed with chocolate sauce, or a Godiva chocolate martini (with Absolut Vanilla, white creme de cacao and Godiva chocolate liqueur).
I was instructed to ask my bartender for other available frozen cocktail options, and I must admit, I was tempted to order off the cocktail list just to embrace the whole experience. Instead, I ordered a glass of Vinho Verde to go with my mussels and fries. (Yup, another classic. Starting to see a trend here?)
The wine list offers plenty of by-the-glass options ranging from $6.75 to $10. You’ll certainly be able to find something light enough to remind you of summer or big enough to go with the roast prime rib au jus ($22).
Another staple of DiMillo’s is happy hour (4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday) and Super Terrific happy hour (4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday). In case you haven’t heard of what makes DiMillo’s happy hour (both regular and super terrific) so terrific, let me enlighten you: free buffet.
Yup. Free. And it’s not just one or two little leftovers from the night before that are gone within the first 10 minutes. It’s a legit, well-stocked, tasteful buffet of crudites and munchies. Spend $5 on your drink check, and you’re good to go. While you’re there, you might want to try something from the Sunset Menu (4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday), which has solid options like balsamic grilled chicken or grilled salmon with dill pickle butter, plus chowder or salad, a non-alcoholic beverage and either bread pudding or ice cream. And your grand total for this dining experience? Fourteen bucks. Go ahead and try it. You know you want to. Couple it with 50 cents off all drinks, and you’re bound to leave a happy diner.
DiMillo’s is a well-loved favorite on the Portland dining scene, and for good reason. If you’re looking for timeless ambience, real folks and tried-and-true menu items across the board, take the walk out to the end of the marina and stop by DiMillo’s. You’ll be glad you did.
Johanna Sorrell is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
