Pretty much no one and nothing can be everything to everybody in this world. Certainly not politicians, no matter how hard they might try. And not TV (witness our dizzying swirl of channels and streaming platforms). Heck, even The Cheesecake Factory has its detractors—ironically because it spreads itself thin rather than focusing on doing any particular thing very well.
But Dry Dock, the newly opened seafood joint housed in Portland’s iconic 1920s Randall & McAllister building, is managing to bring together multiple worlds.
Let’s start with the first of those marriages: a physical one—a location smack between the harbor and Old Port’s Maine Wharf. The meticulously renovated and expanded, two-story space seats 145 diners, with 155 more out on the pier, the upper half of which sports killer water views.
“I joined the team right at a time when I was able to provide a say in everything, including the buildout,” says general manager Matt Ginn, previously of Prentice Hospitality Group, with restaurants like Evo, The Good Table, and Twelve. To open Dry Dock he came on board with the co-owners of Luke’s Lobster—Luke Holden, Ben Conniff, and Bryan Holden—and brought on executive chef Mike Carney, with whom he’d worked at Evo.
It was no small undertaking for general contractors Optimum Construction to bring the 5,800-square-foot historic building back to life; it’s now resplendent in wood paneling, restored millwork, and handcrafted furniture—all of it designed and built by Luke’s Lobster’s in-house team of carpenters and craftsmen from the company’s shop in Saco. It includes two hulking bars and a raw bar on the lower deck. “I realized this was a place,” says Matt, “that can be a lot of things to a lot of people.”
Which leads us to two other worlds that the restaurant fuses—Portland’s locals and its tourists. “It’s been humbling to see so many people I grew up with around here embracing the revamp of this beloved old establishment,” says Matt. “They’re here all the time, right next to visitors to the city.”
That’s reflected on the menu, which Matt and Mike have designed with balance and diversity in mind. On one hand, there are simple and wallet-friendly staples like soul-warming fish chowder and fish ’n chips that allow tourists and regulars to leave having paid a check under $25. On the other hand, there are feather-light fried tender and sweet cod cheeks, and a deep-flavored smoked bluefish dip, and plates of gleaming bluefin tuna that’s jewel-like and by turns smooth yet sharp-flavored thanks to hits of ginger and avocado.
“We’re aiming to please with an approachable menu, but you can easily head out to the deck, order a seafood tower and champagne, and turn the meal into fine dining,” says Matt. And every night sees a special that comes directly from the abutting waters, courtesy of Harbor Fish. “Tonight, we have an incredibly fresh Gulf of Maine squid that we cut on the planche,” he says. “So, we can always cook like that in the moment. We have the ability to be that nimble.”
And then there’s how the place brings together the past and future. The back walls of the brick building have been replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass, offering yet more new views of the waterfront. It’s also the first restaurant operated by the Luke’s Lobster team outside of its traditional model. And that means there’s personal history, too. “I’ve known Luke since our school years together, playing lacrosse against each other,” recalls Matt. The two Maine natives have been talking about working together for years. “Now we finally get to.” Which may mean that, in the end, what it really takes to effectively bring worlds together is just a couple guys from Maine. ▪
