Phantom Gourmet: Cure In Portsmouth, NH

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - If you have a hunger that just won't quit, then Chef Julie Cutting has the cure, because at Cure Restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, she puts her passion for hearty, heartwarming, soul satisfying comfort food into every plate.

"I want to infuse as much flavor as I can into every single component on every dish."

When she opened Cure about a year ago, Julie wanted to create a comfortable neighborhood place where the kitchen's food and the dining room's mood just made you feel good.

"When you walk in, you're first greeted with a cozy feeling. The atmosphere is warm. You always have a friendly smile. The brick lined walls makes it feel very romantic. You almost feel at home," she described.

Julie feels most at home back in the restaurant's open kitchen, where she's a boundless ball of energy: stirring, seasoning, and saucing, tossing, torching, and constantly tasting, always aiming for excellence. It's all part of the show for customers who snag a seat with a view of the kitchen.

Julie named the restaurant Cure for two reasons: first, because she wants it to be a warm place that cures what ails you; but also because 'curing' happens to be a cooking method she relies on heavily.

"It's the brining; it's the smoking, the marinating, slow roasting that we do with all our proteins and all of our fish," she said.

A perfect example of those techniques is found in Cure's incredible Corned Beef Reuben.

"I cure and slow roast my own corned beef, slice it nice and thick, pile it high," Julie explained. "It's gonna be a layer of zestiness, creaminess, stringiness from the Swiss cheese, butteriness from the crunchy of the marble rye. Squish it all together; it's a sandwich you have to eat with two hands."

Another messy masterpiece can be found on the appetizer menu, in the form of the Spicy Duck Leg Drummettes, Julie's upscale twist on the standard Buffalo Wing.

"People just go crazy for Buffalo sauce, so I wanted to incorporate a wing but put a nice spin on it. So we take the duck, we confit it, it's fall off the bone tender, douse it in hot sauce, and finish it with our own creamy, perfectly made blue cheese dressing."

For something a little more luxurious, nothing beats a big bowl of Cure's Lobster Bisque.

"The Lobster Bisque is fantastic," Julie boasted. "You get notes of sherry, notes of tomato, but most importantly, the lobster. Big chunks of hand-picked, fresh lobster. We fill it up, finish it with a little bit of white truffle oil and scallions."

Many of the entrees are based on hearty homestyle favorites, like the Red Wine and Tomato Braised Lamb Shank, Maple Glazed Salmon served on a cedar plank, and the Fig and Cornbread Stuffed Pork Loin.

"This is traditional New England food. You have your sweet potato puree, caramelized Brussel sprouts. I stuff it with my own house made corn bread, top it with figs, a little apple cider gastrique and smoked sea salt. It's everything that I grew up having on my kitchen table."

Another childhood classic gone gourmet is Cure's Meatloaf Mac and Cheese.

"When you see our meatloaf, you're gonna be wowed," Julie said with confidence. "It's golden seared on the outside, juicy on the inside, finished with a little bit of ketchup, served with creamy mac and cheese and Ritz cracker crumbs. It's my favorite. I honestly try to be healthy. I try to eat good, but I'm always finding when I'm hungry for lunch, I'm going for the Meatloaf Mac and Cheese."

With an intimate bar, farm photos on the walls, and friendly service, Cure is all about making customers feel comfortable. That holds true for the prices too, with appetizers averaging ten bucks, and entrees about twenty.

While the portions certainly are hearty, you'd be wise to save room for dessert, because the Skillet Baked White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Cookie with Homemade Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce is a warm, melty mindblower.

"It's light, it's fluffy, it's ooey, it's gooey, and it's gonna finish your meal with that complete comfort that you're looking for," Julie described.

For a chef who has long dreamed of owning her own restaurant, Cure is everything that Julie is looking for.

"I'd have to say my favorite thing about Cure Restaurant is being able to, on a daily basis, show the public what is really in my heart, and what I am capable of producing for them. Just the sense of how rewarding it is for a guest or a friend or a family member to eat your food, to enjoy it. It's like love."

You can find Cure at 189 State Street in Portsmouth, and online at curerestaurantportsmouth.com.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.