Growing up in downeast Maine provided few opportunities to eat good Italian food. Most restaurants offered nothing more than what any of us could assemble using pasta and sauce from the supermarket with a few embellishments from the cupboard. While I certainly didn't know any better at the time, thanks first to countless hours watching "The Frugal Gourmet" as a teen and, later in life, to experiences in different Italian restaurants around the world, I know now a bit more about what great Italian food should taste like: bright, flavorful, succulent, and savory.
I recently visited a restaurant in Bangor, Main, that serves great Italian food; that restaurant is Massimo's Cucina Italiana. According to the restaurant website, Massimo, who was born in Rome, and his wife, Anne Marie, opened their restaurant in 2007 and have been wowing locals and visitors from afar since then.
The restaurant, in a multi-story building in downtown Bangor, is quite handsome, albeit a bit darker than I would have liked. When we arrived, we were taken promptly to our table, a high-top near the bar. After a few minutes of serious discussion (and some help from our waitress), we chose a bottle of Cantele Primitivo, a medium-bodied red with an expansive mouthfeel, strong (but not overwhelming!) tannins, and subtle sweetness that went well with everything we ate.
Our first starter was a special salad that evening, a plate of baby arugula, grape tomatoes, lemon dressing, and shaved parmigiana; it was exactly what we had expected, a balance of bitter, sweet, tart, and salty.
Our second starter was a plate of prosciutto, asiago, and provolone. The prosciutto was lovely, but in my estimation, it paled in comparison to the asiago and provolone, both of which were stand-outs in the world of Italian cheeses in terms of taste and texture.
The taste and texture of my main course were, however, not as good as I had hoped. In fact, it was very good; it just didn't melt in my mouth the way I know a lamb shank can. It came with cannellini beans, which were cooked just right, and roasted vegetables, which were overcooked and a bit mushy.
The Pollo Alla Massimo, ordered by my friend (Thank you!!!), was superb. This chicken breast stuffed with spinach, ricotta, and almonds, wrapped on one end with some porky goodness (pancetta perhaps?), and laden with mushroom cream sauce could not have been improved.
Another dish which could not have been any better was the gnocchi. I love dumplings of all kinds: gnocchi tossed in basil pesto, baked pierogi's, steamed shu-mai, pan-seared gyoza, dumplings dropped in chicken soup, and more. I can say with some authority that the gnocchi at Massimo's are certainly the best I've had in Maine, and equal to any I've had anywhere. They were consistently tender and served in a bolognese sauce the likes of which I had never eaten before. The sauce was flavorful, but not heavy as is sometimes the case with meat sauce. It was well balanced and bright with fresh tomato, garlic, and herbs. My only regret is that it is so good that I may never order anything else.
Though neither of us was hungry, we couldn't let the evening pass without trying some dessert, and thank goodness we did. "Tiramisu" literally means "pick me up," and this dessert lifted us both to the clouds. Though sometimes this dessert can be a bit heavy, with too many lady fingers and too much alcohol, the sweetened mascarpone of Massimo's tiramisu was light and airy, and the lady fingers were soft, but not wet. A hint of anise was a very nice touch. We also enjoyed a clementine sorbetto, which captured the essence of the fruit, and an espresso gelato so light and creamy that it tasted almost like frozen espresso mousse.
In brief: Massimo's Cucina Italiana offers fine Italian dining in an unpretentious, gracious environment. All of the staff are knowledgable, friendly, and accommodating, and the food is, for the most part, excellent. I regret that they take reservations only for parties of seven or more, which makes it difficult for smaller parties to make plans to meet there. I suggest that you stop by and put your name in, then go for a drink at any of the other fine local establishments while you wait.
Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★☆☆ Service: ★★★☆☆
Check, please: $$$$
Massimo's Cucina Italiana
96 Hammond Street,
Bangor, Maine
(207) 945-5600
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