Description
Many places have tried to channel the charm and menu of the informal seafood restaurants of New England: the lobster pounds of Maine, the clam shacks of Connecticut, and the oyster bars dotted here and there along the coast. Named after a town in far southern Maine, Kittery is a synopsis of all three. The place looks like a white clapboard refectory from the outside; inside is spacious, with a bar and several seating areas. Anything with clams is fab, including a doctrinaire cream-based clam chowder; a fried clam platter with pickles, slaw, and great fries; and, especially, an app of clams stuffed with Italian fennel sausage, called "stuffies." Naturally, there's a lobster roll with plenty of mayo and homemade potato chips, but skip the lobster stew, which is vegetable-driven and tastes curried. There are other landlubber specials, including a chicken with sage stuffing, but skip anything that doesn't live underwater. Crustaceans are rarely done as well as at Kittery. --Robert Sietsema
