Leeward, a new pasta and wine spot on Free Street in Portland, opened mid-March for a week of service before our coronavirus shutdown began. It served takeout for a while then reopened for outdoor dining only at the end of July. I made it there last week for a meal on the patio, on a windy night when the beach blanket stashed in my friend's car came in handy.
The restaurant's menu features some appetizers/small plates and then several handmade pasta dishes. The chef Jake Stevens used to work at Eventide Oyster Co. and owns the restaurant with his wife Raquel who manages the front of the house.
Inside the restaurant is bright and airy, with lots of blonde wood and an open kitchen. (The only dining is outdoors, so I just passed through the unused dining room on my way to the restroom.) The patios are constructed in the parking spots of Free Street, but will end October 21st.
I started with a cocktail, the Early Twenties with tequila, lime, corn, cilantro, and hot smoked paprika. It was a lot sweeter than that list of ingredients implies and just one of many intriguing cocktails. I was also tempted by Closing Ceremonies with gin, lemon cantaloupe, and mint and Future Teller with rum, lemon, husk cherry, birch sap, sumac, and honey.
We ordered most of the menu, starting with a thick slice of toast topped with 'nduja (a spicy spreadable pork sausage) pear slices, fried Marcona almonds, and drizzled with honey. The meal was off to a great start.
The kitchen sent out this grilled lentil and broccolini, which we had overlooked due to its unsexy ingredients. But it was rich with hearty and smoky flavors.
The chicken liver mousse with a crab apple mostarda and crackers. So good, with its salty, sweet, richness. We also enjoyed the summery burrata and roasted apples, with radishes, pecans, sourdough crisp and balsamic vinegar.
Then it was on to the pasta. My favorite was the first dish I tried—a butternut squash egg yolk raviolo with delicata rings, brown butter, and fried sage leaves. Stunning.
We also plowed through the saffron malloreddus with a smoked lamb ragu, collard greens, and rosemary, the simple tonnarelli (a squared-off spaghetti) with fresh pomodoro, basil, and garlic, plus a squid ink spaghettini with squid, pickled chiles, and cherry tomatoes. Needless to say, we were stuffed.
But always have room for dessert, especially when it's a savory cheesecake with watermelon, husk cherries, and hints of fennel. A great way to end a windy evening on Free Street.
Despite the wind that night, the patio of Leeward was very comfortable, spacious and heated with gas heaters. The menu is also available for takeout, plus fresh pasta, sauces, gelato, wine, and cocktails. Their comfort food will certainly be in-demand this fall and winter.
Leeward | 85 Free Street, Portland, Maine | 207-808-8623