It’s undoubtedly a glorious and brave new world of epicurean innovation we currently live in—particularly in Maine, where our largest city continues to be tagged as one of the country’s “foodiest.” But in a landscape filled with bucket-list gastronomic temples, it can also be refreshing to just dig into something that’s no-frills, all-comfort, and plenty familiar.
Enter Benny’s, the new sibling of Ramona’s—Portland’s Philadelphia-style hoagie shop. Housed in the space previously belonging to Broken Arrow, Benny’s is a mash-up of Italian American culture’s greatest retro hits: black and white photos on the wall (many are of owner and Philly native Josh Sobel’s grandparents and his favorite famed Philly athletes); sports trophies lined up above the entryway; martinis shaken behind the bar beneath jars of tomatoes and pickled peppers; and, naturally, the heady fragrance of garlic throughout.
For the latter, you can credit the doughy, deep-flavored soft-pretzel garlic knots. They’re as emblematic of the kitchen’s unpretentious and nostalgic approach to dining as anything else on the menu. They arrive hot and soul-warming, followed by other red-sauce-joint stalwarts like mozzarella sticks—Benny’s version has a perfectly crisp (read: neither greasy nor soggy) exterior, enveloping sweet and gooey mozzarella.
More staples are made to shine as main dishes: A plate of linguini with clams that’s almost more clams than pasta, jacked up and tied to its Philly roots with the addition of sliced long hot peppers. The chicken parmesan is so filling but addictive, don’t be surprised if that doggy bag you take home starts calling your name at 2 a.m.
Josh, who isn’t Italian but grew up eating at South Philly restaurants like this with his family, taught himself to cook through trial and error at home. “I’ve heard a lot of people say Benny’s feels like a big hug,” he says. “You just come in and get something good to eat that’s reasonably priced for what we’re selling.” And folks indeed seem to be buying, given how packed the place gets. Families file in on the early side followed by couples later in the evening, while plenty of people dine alone at the bar before grabbing, on their way out, a few Andes Candies—yet another cheeky and charming nod to nostalgia. ▪
