By Dining Dierdree

New to the Portland area and looking for some cuisine that truly encompass the Mainer way? Want authentic seafood that leaves you full but begging for more? Need a new place that is welcoming and comfortable for the whole family?

Gilberts Chowder House located at 92 Commercial Street in Portland Maine is one of the most legitimate places to kick back, relax, and mow down some killer award winning chowder! Fresh seafood creates the base of most of the meals created at Gilberts, tenderly nicknamed Gillys by me, myself, and I. Our last visit, because yes we are regulars, was pleasant and comfortable, bringing a few friends from out of town to enjoy a nice hot bread bowl full of Seafood Chowder and a crispy hot basket of fries.

The meals are very reasonably priced, leaving room to catch desert later on if wanted. The menu is limited to mainly seafood items, meaning that my vegetarian friend had a hard time finding an entree made for her food restrictions. Although she was able to construct a meal based off of side dishes, it would have been nice if there was more than a couple of salads for people that have specific culinary needs.

In spite of their limited menu options, the items that they do have are quite a treat. In this recent cold, windy, winter weather they are a great place to catch lunch or dinner and the service is impeccable. The casual atmosphere takes away the pressure of anything other than getting a full stomach, having a leisurely meal, and enjoying your time. With many different options to pick from your hankering for seafood will be met, try one of their different types of chowder, or a great plate of crispy fried calamari.

Gilberts will always be a place that satisfies, our hungry stomachs and our need for comfort. Whether its during these cold winter months to help us get through them, or one of the best and most refreshing places to sit at during the hot summers we can have a relaxing and much needed break from reality.

I’ll hopefully see you all around, I will definitely be keeping my “regular” status fresh with more and more visits to this great casual dining experience.