We had three days in Portland and enjoyed meals in several well-known places. Our Wednesday lunch at Central Provisions was outstanding. We walked in around 1pm and found only a few other patrons, so got seated immediately. It wasn't loud and the wait staff was attentive, happily answering questions about the dishes we were considering and offering suggestions. We shared the 4 dishes we ordered: the spicy beef salad (raw beef in a spicy sriracha marinade), porchetta nestled in a bed of greens, asparagus salad and ramp vichyssoise. The beef was our favorite with the asparagus a close second; I thought the vichysoisse was a little too thick but it tamed the heat of the sriracha beautifully. We shared an ice cream sandwich filled with rhubarb-studded vanilla ice cream. because why not? It was a delightful meal and we will happily return the next time we are in Portland.
This was one of those rare meals where there was consistency from the first bite to the last!While there was no rhyme or reason to my dishes (Uni, bread, Spanish salad, cheese) or drinks (Manhattan, Slovakian wine, Pinky Pink wine, dessert wine), everything just paired well and tasted great.I have no hesitation recommending Central Provisions, and can’t wait for my return visit!
My husband and I are huge foodies and love to travel. We absolutely loved this restaurant and tried to compare it to all of the places we have been around the world and nothing compared. We started with champagne for me and a whisky drink fat washed in peanuts for him that were both exceptional. Our first course was the caviar flight which was delicious. It was so much fun to try several different types of caviar side by side and pick our favorite. Next we had a ramp vichyssoise with fresh cherries and almonds. It was so fresh and flavorful. The combination of textures and flavors were really off the charts. We followed that with an asparagus and fiddlehead salad where again the freshness of the ingredients and the flavors paired together were the star of the show. We then had a black pepper pimento cheese popover with pickled ramps which was so savory and good. Our final plate was bone marrow toast, which was as rich and delicious. By this point I could not eat another bite, but got the key lime pie dessert to go and it did not disappoint! Service was top notch and the atmosphere added to the whole experience!
My partner and I visited here this past Valentines Day, and we had an amazing time. The place was busy (understandable) but we never felt ignored by our waitress, who was able to take the time to talk with us. All of the food was great, and months later we are STILL talking about the delicious smoked carrots.
The open kitchen grooves through prepping, cooking, and serving many small plates. The staff is attentive and informative. Chef finishes each plate by hand and then it’s ready to serve. This is a wonderfully precise, prepared, and creative team. And the dishes measure up. Don’t miss it.
If you're looking for great service and unique food, book a reservation with Central Provisions. If you're unable to get a reservation, try to get in the basement bar area. Sometimes places are all hype, but CP is not that....they live up to expectations and more. Try it out, I promise you'll love it.
I’ve always like Central Provisions — service generally good and an interesting menu, well prepared. Tonight was something else. The restaurant is sometimes on the noisy side, but this was off the charts. Our group of six were seated, with a blaring speaker right over our heads, making conversation or hearing the waiter all but impossible. Two requests to lower the volume went unheeded. Then a request to speak with the manager was met with a lot of lip from the waiter. So we left.
Small plate Tapas and good energy. Starting my quick Portland Maine restaurant hop here. Sitting at the chefs counter with an entertaining look at all the food being prepared.Ordered a “Peeper” local Maine Brewing Company beer (light and crisp $8) Which I paired with my first plate: “Spicy Beef Salad” (photo). This raw dish, was favorite of the night. Definitely a good slice combined with what I would call a Thai style peanut, great cilantro and spicy taste.Delightful!! ($16)I followed that with the Amaranth Crusted Scallops ($25) which was served atop a creamy coleslaw and included four medium sized scallops which I’d rate a 4 out of 5 after having the beef.I was told to get there early (even on a Tuesday night) which I did. It was definitely full when I left an hour later.
After a long wait, I finally was able to have a proper experience at Central Provisions.Without getting into every detail of this culinary exploration. I’ll simply say it was as good as I hoped, with only one real misstep. The bone marrow dish. The marrow was lost in the cheese and breading. But as you can see… we tried many different things, and frankly it was a party for the palette.Don’t miss this spot… it’s one of the best places in Portland Maine.
Enjoyed lunch at Central Provisions yesterday ~ which was also my first time there. I've visited the Old Port many, many, many times but have never found my way to Central Provisions. Luckily I was traveling with a friend who took control of the situation when we both got a little peckish around lunch time. She confidently steered us there and we were the first guests in place for lunch time. Wicked cool space with attentive staff. I loved sitting at the bar (upstairs) because we could watch all the love and care going into our meals and prep on future meals. We both got the baja fish sandwiches which were absolutely delicious. I was hesitant to order that for just a moment because our server Meghan S wasn't exactly sure what type of fish was being used in the fish sandwich (pollack or cusk?) but in the end it all worked out perfectly. I only wish I ordered 2 fish sandwiches! These don't come with fries and next time I will be sure to order a side of those. They looked delicious passing by me and going to other diners' tables so that was a rookie mistake on my part. I did HOWEVER, order the marinated olives off the "snack" section of the menu and just like with the fish sandwich, I could've eaten 2 servings of those. The lemon zest paired with the delicious olives and olive oil made for a perfect snack for sure.