Meet the new Katahdin

Same as the old Katahdin

by Joan Lang

THE NEW BOSS: Becky Lee Simmons, the new chef-owner of Katahdin.

Katahdin is one of those places that -- for a certain segment of the population, anyway -- is part of the very fabric of the Portland community. And so, of course, many people may have viewed the news that it had changed hands earlier this summer with a bit of alarm. But I'm here to report that Katahdin is still Katahdin, maybe even better.

"This restaurant has been an icon in Portland for nine years," says Becky Lee Simmons, the new chef-owner, who had been enjoying the restaurant as a customer since it first opened, every time she came to Maine to visit her family for the summer.

A native of San Francisco -- where she helped to launch some of the Bay Area's own culinary icons, including Catahoula and California Café -- Simmons always wondered what it would be like to live in Maine. Earlier this summer, she had her chance. She hooked up with Katahdin's founding chef, Gretchen Bates, who was exhausted from years in the business and reeling from the recent deaths of both her mother and her business partner. Bates, looking to get out, passed the reins over to Simmons, who reopened Katahdin on July 5 after a brief hiatus.

Not a whole lot has changed, actually. "It's not my intention to put this place through a lot of upheaval," says Simmons. "I just want to take it to the next level, make the food a little more upscale without freaking people out."

The décor is still the same funky, homey mix of mismatched chairs and china, barn-board walls and gallery art -- and it's simply not true, as widely rumored, that Simmons painted over the mural. "I've been through five restaurants, and I know people have their loyalties, so I'm smart enough not to change things just for the sake of change."

Most of the crew is still there, too -- yes, Virginia, including bartender Michelle, dispensing her killer carafes of martinis.

What is a bit different is the food, which is more sophisticated than the mom-food classics Portland came to love. "People got real familiar with Gretchen's comfy food," says Simmons, "and I didn't want to wipe that out entirely. But I did want it to reflect my background, which includes a lot of South American, Asian, and French influences." And of course the lighter, hipper style of California.

Simmons has left many menu items intact, including the wonderful biscuits, marinated London Broil, angel hair pasta, and Caesar salad. Gone are the fabulous pan-fried oysters and the cure-all pot roast (about whose absence the table next to us one night groused almost nonstop). But she has kept the notion of a nightly blue-plate special, which includes soup and salad at the very gentle price of $13.

The menu itself is a bit simpler, the specials a little more special-occasion, such as the perfectly seared Alaska halibut dressed with a flavorful vinaigrette that I enjoyed last week. Crab cakes were light and honest-tasting, with a lovely lime-spiked tartar sauce, and a special appetizer of grilled shrimp over garlicky white beans was immensely satisfying. Even grilled pork chops, which can be sort of a clinker, were very tasty, especially with the charred white corn and tomato jam that typifies Simmons' culinary sensibilities.

The desserts, which Simmons makes herself, have been cranked up a notch, too. The mandarin orange crème caramel is light and delicate, and the evening's special of chocolate bourbon pecan pie had us fighting over the last few bites -- warm, gooey, and sell-your-soul chocolaty. The wine list has also been revamped, with more nice little California wines that complement the cooking.

Basically, fans can expect more of the same from the new owner of Katahdin, evolution rather than revolution and a great sensitivity toward what longtime fans have come to expect. "I want to continue the tradition," says Simmons. She may even keep the clever January "white sale," when everything white -- scallops, veal, pasta, white wine -- is sold at a discount.

"My style is not as funky as Gretchen's was, but I'm committed to keeping the business going much as it was. A lot of people miss the old Katahdin, but as a new owner, I could have pulled this whole place apart. Now I'm starting to get thank you letters from people who appreciate what I've been trying to do." Give her a chance.

Joan Lang can be reached at joanmlang@aol.com.