Restaurant Review: District; Portland, Maine

When we walked up to the front of District, we almost didn’t go in. The outside looks a bit dodgy, with few windows & a generally plain looking building – like the outside of a seedy bar; but boy am I glad we opened the front door, because what we found inside was a comfortable, modern space. After chatting with our server, we learned that, around since November 2010, District is a neighborhood place that “tends to draw the same faces over & over.” After our meal there, we certainly felt like part of the neighborhood.We sat upstairs, overlooking the downstairs bar area (which was generally quiet, save for a few cheers during the Yankees vs Red Sox game). To our left was a great view through the large opening into the kitchen & to the right, a large picture window looking out over Portland. Having played tourist all day, we were quiet hungry & District was ready to meet our challenge with their well thought out menu.

The duck tacos, the appetizer special, were a delicious spin on the traditional taco. The soft shells that craddled the duck carnitas are homemade in the restaurant & the ample amount of slaw on top give them a good crunch. The summer salad we shared was the perfect mixture of berries (strawberries, blueberries, & raspberries), arugula & a light balsamic vinegar. I had a skirt steak which was cooked perfectly & not drowning in steak sauce like skirt steaks usually are – it actually tasted like grilled steak, such a concept. My husband had the salmon, which was juicy & also cooked well. For dessert we split a summer fruit crisp, which was filled mostly with peaches, apples & a few strawberries. Washed down with a glass of Geary’s Pale Ale (appropriately served in a Red Sox glass), we ate like kings.