Foodie Fare "Celebrating at Cafe Sebago" by Brian Rounds

I recently took some time to celebrate a dear colleague’s retirement. The staff of my school gathered to dine with our fellow teacher, Louise, at Café Sebago in Raymond. I was excited for the chance to try another new-to-me place. When I arrived, the restaurant was already busy so I quickly found my way to our group. They have a dining room toward the back of the building, a bar at the front and a semi-private room off of the bar – this is where we sat.

I perused the menu eyeing everything from their appetizers to their burgers (which I had been told were great). I decided on the fried, full-belly clams. I love clams – when I was a kid, I looked forward to the summer when we would travel places and get fried seafood – I would always order the clams. Back to my dinner; we ordered – the server was friendly and undaunted by the size of our group (19 people). She was organized, methodical and knowledgeable.

When my salad came, I was pleased by the size of the salad. Too many restaurants will either skimp on the salad or use the shredded stuff. The greens were well balanced with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives – since I’m not a fan of olives, I took those out. The salad greens were crisp and fresh, the tomato wedges were firm, and the crunch and spice provided by the onions was pleasant. Their kitchen knows how to keep the produce fresh.

I didn’t have to wait long before my clams had arrived. They were hot, let me tell you. On the side were coated fries (floured). The fries were delicious, but the true star was the clams. They were full of flavor – the brininess was not over powering. The batter was thin and crispy and complimented the clam rather than overtaking it. I enjoyed mine with tartar sauce, of course.

I highly recommend Café Sebago. Their waitstaff is friendly and knowledgeable; the food is delicious and the location is prime. I hear they have really fantastic specials. The special that evening was a shrimp Creole which, from what I was told, was amazing.

Things to try:
Fried Clams
Fried Scallops
Wednesday Night Haddock Dinner
Fresh Salads
Specials