Update:
I paid another visit to one of my favorite restaurants on the weekend during a four day stint of indulgence in Portland. It was nice to see that the place hasn't declined in my absence.
Started with their version of Oysters Rockefeller, which if it doesn't match the version served at Antoines it will do until the next time I hit New Orleans. Followed it up with a broiled and lemon buttered trout done to perfection, and a blackberry and lemon torte. Accompanied by a Hendricks Gin Martini, and finished by espresso and biscotti.
My son had the swordfish, which he described as excellent, and a selection of local raw oysters, which he praised highly.
As noted in my original review, the place is very old school, right down to middle aged, very professional and very convivial male waiters, that are a huge addition to the experience.
If you visit Portland, and you enjoy eating, this place should be on your list.
Note that it became part of the Schick and McCormick chain of restaurants a few years ago, but it has done nothing to change the place.
Original Review:
Superlative seafood, with a particularly fine selection of fresh oysters. The Dungeness crab is something I'd risk mortar fire for, and if you're not in a seafood kind of mood, the steaks and chops are pretty good.
The ambiance is old and stately but fun, hearkening back to its birth as a bar and restaurant in the decades before Prohibition. It's not cheap, but nor is it overly expensive, considering the value of the experience.
The bar is excellent, perhaps the best all round bar in Portland, with highly skilled bartenders serving fine hand crafted cocktails and a selection of top end craft beers. Their happy hour bar menu is superb, and extremely cheap, with stuff like a half-pound cheeseburger or a plate of mussels for $1.95.
Among my favorite joints in Portland, a city that holds a lot of my favorite joints.