Flatbread - Portland, Maine

Whenever anyone asks me where my favorite pizza place is in Portland, I always say Flatbread. Some don't count Flatbread's wood-fired, clay oven, all-natural pizza as "real pizza" because it's not dripping with grease - but that's exactly what I like about their pies.

Sure their pizza is unconventional. Pizza dough is spread thin and topped with an ever-changing assortment of organic veggies, nitrate-free meats, free-range chicken and seafood. Two of my favorite pies are the Coevolution (formerly the Punctuated Equilibrium) - topped with kalamata olives, rosemary, red onions, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and spices - and the Community Flatbread, featuring tomato sauce, caramelized onions, mushrooms, cheese and herbs. But my all-time favorite Flatbread pizza was had years ago, just before Thanksgiving. It was topped with a fabulous combination of blueberry chutney, roasted duck and goat cheese. What I would do to see that pizza featured again - it was to die for!

For years my husband and I dined at Flatbread once a week, but we eventually became tired of the lack of appetizer options. There is only one - an organic mesclun salad topped with toasted sesame seeds, shredded carrots, diced celery, seaweed, and a berry vinaigrette. And while the salad is delicious, I long for more options. I respect a restaurant that does a few things very well - as Flatbread does - but even a soup option to use up left-over pizza ingredients would add a little variety for frequent visitors of the restaurants. To their credit, in the last year or so, Flatbread has added the option of topping the mesclun salad with cheese, veggies and/or the special "carne" of the day. Diners can now turn the salad into a meal - or deviate a bit from the standard greens.

On our most recent visit, in addition to the Mesclun Salad, we enjoyed the "Carne Special" - topped with sweet Maine shrimp, pesto and roasted yellow peppers. We also ordered a small Community Flatbread to round out our feast. I almost never have room for dessert at Flatbread, as I am always so full. But on this visit, I decided to take advantage of my excuse of "eating for two" and ordered the gingerbread. Thick and moist, the huge slice of gingerbread had been warmed in the oven, then topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and cinnamon. It was out of this world!

We are always pleasantly surprised with the value received at Flatbread. Our salad, two small pizzas, dessert and drinks totaled $37.72 on our most recent visit - and we even had leftovers. I would think to dine there more often if they sent a daily e-mail or had an RRS feed announcing their specials ... something I've asked their management to launch for years.

Flatbread, located at 72 Commercial Street on Portland's working waterfront, is one of seven locations. The others are in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Hawaii. Unlike traditional chains, Flatbread seems well-connected to the communities they serve, as evidenced by their benefit nights, where a portion of every flatbread price is donated to a local nonprofit. And I still remember when - years ago - they allowed one of their waiters to serve his home-made root beer to restaurant patrons. That waiter, Matt Seiler, eventually turned his experimental brew into a successful business, Maine Root.

Flatbread is definitely a "kid friendly" restaurant - something I'm on the lookout for these days given my soon-to-be-born new dining buddy. Cement floors, wooden tables, wrought iron chairs, and a big clay oven give the Portland location a laid-back, hippy feel. I've celebrated many friends' birthdays at Flatbread - it's the kind of place you can let your hair down, talk and laugh at loud decibels and not feel as though you are bothering a soul. In the summer months, patrons can dine outside at picnic tables on the deck and watch the Casco Bay ferries maneuver in and out port.

Flatbread does not accept reservations and given the restaurant's popularity, more often than not there is a wait for a table - even at lunch. Do yourself a favor and call ahead to put your name on the list to shorten your wait once you arrive. Sure you'll receive evil looks from all the patrons waiting who didn't know they could call ahead - but who cares? Soon you'll be enjoying some of the best pizza Portland has to offer.
Bon Appetit!