DiMillo's Floating Restaurant: Your Stomach Will Feel Just Fine on this Boat!
Written: Mar 11 '05 (Updated May 22 '06)
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Pros: Lines move quickly getting in.
Cons: I don't know what the busy summer season brings to this restaurant.
The Bottom Line: DiMillo's is probably the most famous and dined in restaurants in Portland. It certainly is the largest. Good food too.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: DiMillo's Floating Restaurant |
I was pleasantly surprised a number of months ago when my family and I made our first visit to the Portland, Maine seaside area known as Old Port. The old cobble stone streets were lined with refurbished turn-of-the-century architecture that were filled with small chic store fronts, specialty shops, and many fine restaurants in which to dine. One such place that is well advertised is DiMillo's Floating Restaurant.
Some Facts
Even though the huge craft goes up and down with the tides, you will hardly believe you are on the water except, that is, for the fine nautical views it offers. Though you may have to walk a bit, there is ample parking in a huge gated lot.
From the DiMillo web site I learned that this restaurant was once a car ferry that made runs between New Castle, Delaware, and Pennsville, New Jersey and later between Newport and Jamestown, Rhode Island before it was purchased by the DiMillo family and converted into one of the country's largest floating restaurants and the only one in the North East. By the way this place was refurbished, I had no idea it was a car ferry. It is beautifully built and decorated. More later.
As you approach the restaurant from the lot you realize its awesome size. They do have valet parking. The boat is over 206 feet in length, with a beam of 65 feet. This place can hold over 600 guests in our First Deck Dining Room, Port Side Lounge, Second Deck Dining Rooms and three Outside Decks.
They do take reservations and their web site suggests giving a call as you are leaving for the place so they may try and get you seated as soon as possible.
In reading their site information I found out that DiMillo's has run one restaurant or another gradually building up to this one for over 40 years. This is a family run business and they seem to take great pride in what they have accomplished and what they do.
They open a 11:00AM every day of the week.
The Atmosphere
Upon walking up to this place I couldn't help but wonder what kind of service we would get in a place that can serve so many people. I was pleasantly surprised.
We were taken on a walk to our table. This place is large. We passed other access areas to different rooms. Our table was on the upper level of the two level dining area and more in the center of the room. The lower room level is on the perimeter with large windows all around.
The tables were all dressed in white cloth with small lamps upon it. I was seated in a very comfortable arm chair. Nautical themed lighting supplemented the natural lighting from the outdoors.
The wood finish of the walls is exquisite in some kind of redwood and panel. Brass trim, hurricane lamps and soft music completed the comfortable and pleasing atmosphere.
When we were there the place was not crowded. I do wonder if the mid-summer feel is the same. The outside dining areas were closed due to the cooler fall season when we were there. I would like to try dining under the stars one evening.
The Menu
The usual sea fare was offered but they did have a few items that were different than the norm. Under the Appetizers they offered "Our Famous Escargot, Baked in puff pastry with garlic butter, mushrooms and white wine"
Under soups they had "Haddock Chowder" at $6.00 Bowl and $4.00 a cup.
The real specialty of DiMillo's is their lobster and they are not shy about what they offer. They first have Our Famous Twin Lobsters, Two 1-1/8 lb lobsters, baked stuffed or steamed . (Serve to one person only) I did see a plate share fee of $6.00 on the menu.
They then go on to offer lobsters at different sizes and prices stating with a single 1-1/8 lb $22. and going up to a 2-1/2 lb lobster at $44.
Also prominently displayed on the menu is Dimillo's Lobsterbake. Clam Chowder, salad, 1-1/8 lb. lobster, steamed clams, vegetable, potato, beverage and dessert. $35
This is a favorite type meal I enjoy and if you are going to Maine to have a lobster dinner, this seems to be a good choice.
DiMillo's also has lobster Out of Shell
There's Lazy Lobster sauteed in butter and sherry. $22
or the
Admiral's Portion $37
Baked Lobster Pie
or the Deep Fried Lobster Tails both go for $22.
A full seafood menu with broiled and fried fish along with scallops, shrimp and clams are also available priced $18-$22 for the fisherman's platter. Surf and Turf in different portion sizes are on the menu too.
All the dishes I mentioned come with a salad, that is OK and potato, very good.
DiMillo's also has a full selection of meats with Prime rib in three portion sizes, Black Angus Sirloin Steak, Filet Mignon and more.
Put all this with a seven or so Italian dishes and you have a very complete menu that even someone who doesn't care for fish can enjoy.
Chicken Picattaa and Chicken Cacciatore looked good but its the Lobster Fra Diavolo that caught my eye. I had trouble not ordering the Seafood Alfredo or Seafood Scampi.
Everything looked so good. All the Italian dinners at $19-$23 per dish are served with Salad and Garlic Bread. I thought it a good value because the portions are healthy. Well maybe I should state that differently. When I say "healthy" I mean a good large amount of food while others may take "healthy" as some tiny fork-sized offering you might find in an over priced French restaurant. I always wondered why so many of those places had the word "La Petit" in them was that because of the tiny portions? I digress.
Final Thoughts
We didn't stay for dessert but we did enjoy what we had. The portions were healthy, as I explained earlier, and were prepared well, brought to the table in timely fashion and were presented nicely. More important, everything I had was delicious. This wasn't an overly fine dinning experience but it was fine. I would not consider this place to be a romantic destination, but perhaps when the open air decks are available it could be a bit more intimate.
The staff was friendly enough and very business like. They knew the menu well and were open to our needs in prompt fashion. The rest rooms were clean and well stocked.
I thought it a bit strange that bread was offered only upon request. We waited a bit before we finally asked for it. I should say that it is written on the bottom of the menu, but to be honest, I rarely ever read the fine print. I'm usually looking in the right hand column at the prices.
I did notice that some diners with children sent them to the gift shop while they continued lingering over coffee. I'm not sure if the DiMillo's like that or not but they do seem to do a good business in their gift shop.
Portland has some finer dining and more inventive chefs in other restaurants nearby but for a beautiful view, good service and delicious food, this place is worth a try.
Street and Co. A fine restaurant in the Old Port Section of Portland.
DiMillo's Floating Restaurant
Gilbert's Chowder House
Shipyard Brewing Company
Fore Street Highly rated by frommer's Guides
Three Dollar Dewey's Awesome brew selections.
Local 188 A refugee from the 1960's
Portland, Maine
Portland Museum of Art
Portland Head Light
Howard Johnson's Hotel, Portland
Coastal Maine, One man's view
Bar Harbor, Maine
Acadia National Park
Boothbay Harbor
Recommended:
Yes
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