Martingale Wharf to Open Friday

When the management team behind the new Martingale Wharf restaurant on Bow Street thought about what type of dining experience they wanted to offer, they wanted to create a welcoming experience for everyone.

On Friday at 11:30 a.m., the new Bow Street restaurant will open following a soft rehearsal opening held by the restaurant's 70-plus staff earlier this week and General Manager Jonathan Letvinchuk believes it will be a "game changer."

The restaurant features an expansive deck that overlooks nearly every inch of Portsmouth Harbor, a large dining area, lounge area and a seating capacity for 330 patrons. It is located in the lower level of the Bow Street block that already houses the Surf restaurant.

Executive Chef Matt Provencher describes the entrees and dishes as modern French sans too much flour or butter. He said many of the entrees will have a delightful Asian flavor and offer patrons great variety.

"It's a good toss up," he said.

Some of the entrees include promegranate glazed swordfish for $28, Grilled Black Angus 16 ounce rib eye steak for $32 and smaller dishes such as mac and cheese carbonara and roast corn and goat cheese Risotto. The deck menu includes such items as a $40 classic lobster bake, chicken wings, roast pork tacos and the All American Joe burger.

All of the desserts on the menu are $9 and include such items as classic creme brulee, lemon pound cake French toast and chocolate overload, which consists of molten chocolate cake, salted chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookie, berry compote and vanilla sauce. The dessert menu also features Dancing Lion Chocolates.

Letvinchuk said the restaurant's 9,000 square feet of space provides more than ample room for patrons who want a more formal dining experience as well as patrons who just want to hang out at the lounge or on the deck and go more casual.

He said the Martingale Wharf owners have already received approval from the city's Historic District Commission to expand the deck and add a floating, 140-foot dock for boaters. The new restaurant will also host private functions from weddings and rehearsal dinners to business meetings, he said.

Thanks to project manager John McDaniel and his crew of 15- to 25 people, they were able to take what was once a vacant space and transform it into a modern waterfront restaurant in just 7 1/2 weeks.

Provencher believes Martingale Wharf may be Portsmouth first restaurant that will bridge the gap between the lower tier eateries and high-end restaurants.