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Anneke Jans
(207) 439-0001
60 Wallingford Square
www.annekejans.net
Hospitality – Showing grace under pressure, and very attentive
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 p.m.
Handicapped accessible, reservations recommended
Inventive dishes exemplify what great things can be done when taste is the priority
Executive chef Charlie Cicero is in charge of the menu, and Anthony Aiken is in charge of the dining room. Inside the gleaming kitchen, sous chef Henry Ares and garde manger (a term for the cool, refrigerated area devoted to salads and patés) Jen Pye – she preps the salads and plates the desserts – might be seen through the lighted open serving area. In the dining room, white tablecloths and brown wood chairs, modern decor and a fine wine list, including many unusual offerings by the glass, keep the atmosphere upbeat and expectant.
Expect tender grilled calamari with grilled fennel and jalapeno peppers ($10) or those Bangs Island mussels with bacon, shallots, white wine, cream, and Great Hill Blue cheese ($9). Roasted quail is also on one of the changing menus, with sausage and cranberry stuffing. The iceberg wedge gears up its blue cheese and vinaigrette with bacon, egg, and red onion.
Creamed spinach deserves its spot by the angus sirloin strip ($28), and seared sea scallops are extraordinarily plump and well-paired with pancetta and king oyster mushrooms. Calves liver and bacon stays on the list for dinner, a classic that finds loyal customers from every generation, just like the pineapple upside down cake for dessert.
The sommelier is Kevin Powell, and he manages the wine list for the wine-focussed bar, offering around 13 reds and 13 whites by the glass. Bottles range from common good stuff to the extraordinary. "If you dig deeper you'll find stuff you won't find on anyone else's wine list," Aiken said, including Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon from Sullenger Vineyard, in Oakville, Cal. By the glass you might encounter a meritage by Chappellet, Mountain Cuvee, a 2004 vintage from California ($13.50). The bar is a lovely place to enjoy dinner.
March 2008