Warren's Lobster House: First Impressions

On a recent trip to Kittery, Maine, we stopped at Warren's Lobster House for lunch. This was my first time at this restaurant, and it's located next to the Piscataqua River, just across from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It definitely has an old-school feel, and it's website claims that the restaurant was established in 1940, by Warren “Pete” Wurm, making it over 80 years old. 

The Portsmouth Herald, August 31, 1938

The restaurant's roots though might extend back to at least 1938, when Wurm might have first had a retail and/or wholesale lobster business. The above was the first newspaper ad I located concerning this business, and during the rest of 1938, lobster prices would range as low as 19 cents a pound, and never more than 23 cents.

The Portsmouth Herald, June 6, 1940

The above is the first advertisement for the restaurant, Warren's Lobster Co., noting it sold Lobster Patties, Fried Clams, French Fries and more. Their website states that when Warren’s was first opened, it was only a "six-stool lobster stand."

The Portsmouth Herald, October 24, 1940

Here's another of the earliest ads, mentioning that Fried Smelts were a special that week, and that Fried Fish were a common menu item. 

The Portsmouth Herald, July 18, 1941

Could Warren's Lobster House be a year older than claimed? Check out the large advertisement above, noting the restaurant's Second Anniversary, which would mean the restaurant opened in 1939. Plus, check out those prices! In an article in the Portsmouth Herald, July 24, 1941, it was also noted this was their second anniversary. In addition, owner Warren "Pete" Wurm had just opened a new, larger dining room, with a capacity of 100. The restaurant also had a smaller dining room for groups of 30 or less. So, did the restaurant first open in 1939 or 1940?

Today, the restaurant is even larger, with a capacity of 350, and it has seating on an outside deck, looking out on the river. It's a very casual restaurant, and was quite busy on a weekday lunch. It's clear this is a very popular spot.

It has a lengthy menu, which is primarily seafood although there are other options as well, from chicken to steak. There's plenty of fried seafood options, including Gulf Shrimp, Calamari, Sea Scallops, Native Clams, Haddock Chunks, and more (plate prices averaging $25). 

Some of the seafood entrees include Lobster Stuffed Haddock, Seafood Jambalaya, Scampi Casserole, Salmon Au Gratin, and Crab Topped Chicken Oscar. There's also an entire page of Lobster options, from Popcorn Lobster to Lobster Stuff Lobster Tails, Baked Lobster Mac n' Cheese to Double Stuffed Lobster Rolls, and much more. 

Most of the main dishes include the Soup & Salad Bar, which contains over 60 items (another very old school concept). Prices are reasonable, considering the quantity and quality of the dishes, as well as noting the high prices of some seafood items, such as Lobster.

I opted for a Fried Combo Plate of Sea Scallops and Popcorn Lobster ($35). The Popcorn Lobster consists of pieces of fried lobster claw and knuckle meat, with a side of melted butter. The dish came with a side of french fries, as as well as Soup & Salad Bar. The plump scallops were sweet and tasty, with a nice, clean taste. And the popcorn lobster was quite good as well, also sweet and with a nice, clean taste. 

My dining companion ordered the Tails & Claws ($38), a baked stuffed lobster tail and three boiled lobster claws. This dish also included the Soup & Salad Bar. The stuffing was buttery and slightly crisp, and the lobster was tender and delicious. 

I was pleased with our lunch choices, and there's plenty of the menu items I'd like to try on a future visit. It's an old school New England seafood spot, specializing in lobster, and if you're in the area of Kittery/Portsmouth, it would be worth checking out.

MEat Butcher Shop and Lil's Cafe: More Kittery Foreside Hotspots

After a fine lunch at Anju Noodle Bar, I made a couple quick stops to two other food businesses in the Foreside neightborhood. I really need to spend more time in this area, lingering at these two and the other food businesses. I suspect that this neighborhood will only continue to grow and prosper, adding other independent businesses and enhancing the appeal of the area.

The MEat Butcher Shop, which opened in 2014, is a local, whole animal butcher shop and they
source their animals only from farms within 100 miles of Kittery. In addition, they focus on humanely, naturally raised animals, with no use of hormones or antibiotics. Their beef may be pasture raised or grass fed, and some is organic as well.  Here is a list of some of the farms they use, and you can also find a blackboard at the shop which lists the current farms. Besides meat, they also sell fresh produce, wine, beer, some pre-packaged foods and more.

The meat looked very good, ranging from various cuts of beef to sausages, lamb to pork, chicken and ducks. If you desire a certain cut that you don't see, you just have to ask. And they also can provide recipes if you so desire.

Their deli has plenty of charcuterie and cheese, including homemade roast beef, kielbasa, and Italian truffled ricotta. They make about 30 sandwiches a day, the type changing day to day, and once they sell out, there are no more for the day.

I bought some Sirloin Tenders, which were sourced from PT Farm, in North Haverhill, NH, and marinated them in my own homemade Garlic Teriyaki sauce. I then grilled them and they came out quite well. The meat was tender and flavorful, lean and juicy. If this is an example of the quality of all of the meat at MEat, then it is well worth visiting this shop.

After visting MEat, we made a quick stop at Lil's Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch every day. They also make all of their own pastries and bread on premises. In addition, they have a variety of coffees and teas, including fresh brewed iced tea. Dan Ford recommended that I try one of their Crullers ($2.35), which looked like a glazed and grooved cake donut.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I really it was actually light and flaky, more like French Cruller. The exterior is sweet and crusty, almost like fried dough, while the interior is flaky (like a croissant) and eggy (like the interior of a popover). Despite being fairly full from lunch, I still was able to devour this cruller because it was so damn good.  This is an addictive treat and I understand why they are so popular. Next time I visit Lil's Cafe, I'll bring several home with me, as well as try some of their other baked goods, like their Cinnamon Rolls or Monkey Bread.

Get to Kittery and explore the Foreside neightborhood.

Anju Noodle Bar: A Kittery Foreside Hotspot

It seems many people think Kittery, Maine, is just about the discount outlets. Sure, the outlets can be fun for shopping, however the culinary options are lacking in many respects. You'll mostly find chains like McDonalds, Burger King, and the Weathervane. Bob's Clam Hut is one of the exceptions and a good option. However, there is more to Kittery than the outlets and you would benefit from exploring other areas of Kittery, including the Foreside neightborhood.

The Foreside neighborhood is located across the water from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and it has become a small area dedicated to music, arts and cool food spots. Earlier this week, I visited Dan Ford of the Blue Current Brewery, a new Sake brewery in Kittery, and he introduced me to a few of the food options in the Foreside area. I was impressed and will be returning again in the near future to explore more of the culinary offerings. Food lovers need to put Kittery Foreside on their radar.

We began our exploration by having lunch at the Anju Noodle Bar, which is owned by Gary Kim and Julian Armstrong. The term "Anju" is a Korean word which roughly translates as food intended to be consumed with alcohol. The concept seems similar to a Japanese izakaya, Anju is open for lunch and dinner every day except Mondays. It is a small restaurant, with about 38 seats, including a counter area and a small number of tables. It has an intimate vibe and was fairly busy on a mid-afternoon Tuesday. I can easily see this place being packed at night, especially on weekends.

I got to meet one of the owners, Gary Kim, who has worked at previous restaurants including Pesce in Portsmouth and The Black Birch in Kittery. His partner, Julian Armstrong, has also previously worked in a number other restaurants and has also been involved in wine sales. In 2013, they opened Son-Mat Foods, a company to make Korean kimchi and other similar products, and then in 2014, they opened Anju Noodle Bar, They have garnered some well deserved raves though it is clear that more people need to know about this interesting and delicious restaurant.

We sat at the counter and it overlooks both the bar and tiny kitchen, so you can watch the chefs preparing your dishes and marvel at how they accomplish so much in such a small space. They make their own kimchi and hot sauce. Their Menu was divided into Small Plates ($6-$12), Medium ($9-$11), and Mains ($13-$18). It is an eclectic menu in some respects, as you'll find dishes including Meat Balls and XO Roasted Corn alongside more traditional Asian dishes such as Okonomiyaki, Ramen and Shrimp Toast. You can also get sides of different Kimchi ($4). I found plenty of the menu which appealed to me, ending up selecting three dishes to sample.

The Pork Bun ($6) is made with cucumber, pickled red onion, hoisin, and kimchi  mayo. As you can see, the bun is packed full, and included a large, tender rectangle of pork. It was a tasty blend of textures and flavors, sweet and salty. The bun was soft and slightly chewy and it was a good value for the price. If you don't want meat, you could instead try their Eggplant Bun.

The Rice Cakes ($11) are made with onigiri. 5-spice duck confit. and dragon sauce. It is an ample dish with lots of tender, flavorful duck, some crunchy rice, and an intriguing sauce that added a little spicy heat. There were some unknown veggies in the dish, which I didn't ask about, but they only added some flavor and texture to the dish. It earns a hearty recommendation.

The Shoyu Ramen ($13) is made with MEat bone broth. tare. slow-roasted pork shoulder. ajitama soy egg. and nori. The bones comes from MEat, the butcher shop next door which sources animals from local farms, and their noodles come from Sun Noodle. I was impressed with the depth of flavors in the broth, which was salty and tangy, with a strong umami element. It was well balanced, so that no flavor overwhelmed the others, instead working together in harmony. The noodles were thin and chewy, just the right texture, while the egg was soft with that wonderful gooey yolk. There were plenty of pieces of tender pork and the entirety of the dish was satisfying on several levels. Damn tasty ramen and highly recommended.

For drinks, you can get Wine, Beer, Cider or Sake. Their wine list has plenty of interesting choices which should appeal to wine lovers. A number of their beers are local to New England though there are some unique brews from elsewhere too. They have seven Sakes available by the glass or bottle. With our lunch, we enjoyed some Blue Current Junmai Ginjo Sake, which is available by the glass ($8) or 375ml bottle ($30). I will be posting a full article about this brewery next week, but I will say that it made an excellent accompaniment to the food. It is the type of Sake which I can sit and drink all afternoon.

I was thoroughly impressed with the cuisine at Anju, feeling it is a good value for the quality and quantity of food you receive. The dishes are well composed, with balanced and complex flavors. They have a very good drinks program and it is a fun atmosphere. I definitely will return here to try more items on the menu and it earns my highest recommendation. Check out the Kittery Foreside neighborhood and sample the bounty that can be found.