Tucked away in a hotel garage on the edge of Dubais sprawling coastline, is an unmarked restaurant devoid of any pretension or gimmickry. The MAINE is a seaside brasserie that pays homage to the immortal charm of the state whose slogan is justly The Way Life Should Be As an expression of their Canadian roots, Montreal gastropreneur, Joey Ghazal and head chef, Liam Breen, are serving up a slice of culinary nostalgia for those jonesing for an honest dining experience in a city with so few. Serving crowd-pleasing brasserie fare the family style menu runs the gamut from steaks and chops, to fresh fish and seafood, to pot roasts and steamers - bolstered by a slim unpretentious wine list. Of course no brasserie experience is complete without a glistening raw bar that anchors the room - seafood towers, fashionable crudo and oysters galore. The long-bar at The MAINE attracts a delicious crowd of young urbanites downing good old-fashioned cocktails by the bucket. Blending a post-industrial design aesthetic with a laid-back New England extravagance, the retro-vintage feel is abetted by circular black wood banquettes, tan leather chairs, geometric terrazzo, crackled white tiles and steal beamed ceiling.
