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*****
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2015!
Sorry it has been such a long while since my last post; it has been a busy season, between research papers, traveling to see family, and the holidays, and sadly, this has been the thing pushed to the back of my to-do-list.
But, I did have a couple of really great meals over the last few days of 2014, and Piccolo, a relatively new Portland restaurant, provided the best of them. I went with a couple of my step-siblings and their father (not my step) and his wife, who very generously included me. This was actually option B for us, and I am so glad we ended up there, as this was truly a spectacular experience all around.
Piccolo really lives up to its name, squeezed into a tiny space with only about twenty seats (if even that), but it does not feel cramped as you sit at the table, and the decor is simple but attractive. The servers are all friendly, and we ended up having one of the owners, who is also the pastry chef, for our waitress, which was really great as she knew the menu so well.
We began with the "salumi" plate, which consisted of a couple of cured or salted meats (bresaola included, which was so rich and delicious I could have eaten it all night), some olives, and a few really fantastic pickled vegetables, my favorite of which were the beets. Additionally, we ordered the "carotta" appetizer, which consisted of roasted carrots and a couple accompaniments, and which was a very good, albeit unspectacular, starter.
The entrees were where things really began to shine. The six of us ended up ordering three different entrees, with each having two people picking it: two "pasta fatta in casa;" two "calamarata," and two "del mar." Everything was homemade, locally sourced if possible, and made with a care and technique that is rare to find.
The pasta (and the name literally means house-made pasta) was cavatelli, served with a lamb neck ragu, eggplant, orange, and pecorino, and other than my own dish, this was what I ate the most of, as one of the two who ordered it could not finish the rather large portion she was served. The lamb neck was succulent and rich, the cavatelli themselves perfectly formed and cooked, and on the whole the dish was a delightful melange of flavors.
My dish, the calamarata, consisted of squid ink pasta (referred to as maltagliati on the menu, and seeming to be the ends of strips of papardelle) that was literally the best pasta I have ever had, the best cooked squid I have ever had (are we sensing a pattern?), charred tomato, peppers, and olives. I'll admit, I missed the olives, but everything else was there in delicious abundance. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the squid not even the littlest bit chewy (and anyone who has ever cooked that particular cephalopod knows how insanely difficult that is to achieve), and the tomatoes in particular was incredibly flavorful. Everything just worked, so ridiculously well, that it has launched itself into the pantheon of best dishes I have ever had, a list that includes the short ribs I had at Bouchon Bistro in Las Vegas a couple years ago. I cannot recommend this particularly dish highly enough, even more so than the restaurant as a whole, which I recommend very, very highly.
The last dish was fish, the particular variety of which I cannot recall other than that it was a locally sourced whitefish (I do not think it was hake, but I may be wrong), which was perfectly cooked. I only had a single bite, so I cannot speak to it more than to say my sister, who has impeccable taste, loved it.
For dessert, we had a funnel cake-like Italian fried dough that was really tasty, with a crunchy exterior and just a little bit of dough inside the thin strands to provide a little chewiness. We also had a poached pear with chocolate mousse dish that was fine, but a little too rich for me; it was clearly well done in every way, just not my thing.
The wines we had were great (picked by my sister in the case of the white wine we had), and the owner was good enough to suggest a red wine that was significantly cheaper than what had been the previous choice. That was just the beginning of the great service, and once again, I really cannot speak highly enough of this entire experience. If you find yourself in Portland, this is a very reasonably priced, very well executed restaurant with spectacular food; just make a reservation, since there are so few seats. The owners are both veterans of a Daniel Boulud restaurant in NYC, so they have the pedigree to explain their excellence.
I do not think vegetarians would be successful here, though they may be willing to make something special; if they do, I have no doubt it will be delicious.
Showing posts with label Portland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Portland. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, March 17, 2014
The Blue Spoon (Portland, ME)
Located right at the intersection of Congress and Munjoy Sts. in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, The Blue Spoon
is a cute little restaurant that offers a Saturday (but not Sunday)
brunch. This is where we wanted to go the previous time I was in Maine,
but it was so packed we ended up at East Ender.
With only about twenty to twenty five seats, it is easy for this place
to fill up quickly, and though my meal had some disappointing aspects, I
can see why The Blue Spoon is popular.
My sister and I grabbed a late (around 1:00pm) brunch here after my old favorite, Bintliff's American Cafe, ended up being packed with a significant wait anticipated. Neither of us wanted to deal with that, so we took a shot at The Blue Spoon again, which was basically empty this time when we arrived, though a few people shuffled in after us.
The coffee we were served was both quite good (not La Fiorentina level, but I would say it was equal to Amherst Coffee). It was hot but not boiling, and replenished often; a good start for any restaurant serving breakfast or brunch.
I went with the restaurant's take on my personal favorite Eggs Benedict, which was completely not traditional but really interesting. My sister had the classic two eggs, bacon, home fries and toast, which she was quite pleased with. The "Benedict" consisted of a soft on the inside, crispy on the outside sweet potato pancake; not quite a latke, it was softer than that and was really more like mashed potatoes in pan seared patty form, though that was definitely not how it was constructed. This was, without a doubt, the best part of the meal, as it was seasoned perfectly, had just the right balance of textures, and sopped up the yolk from the eggs. On top of this were a couple thick slices of bacon, which somehow managed to be both crisp to the point of nearly crumbling and also chewy; I am not quite sure how this was achieved, but it was great. The obligatory poached eggs perched atop the bacon, and were nicely cooked.
There ended the positives, however. Sauce Hollandaise is a delicate, difficult to make (at least properly) item when you are in a restaurant, as you clearly cannot make it to order, and thus have to make sure it lasts properly. That said, if your sauce breaks, do not serve it. I would rather wait for you to make more and/or fix the sauce than get a runny, melted butter looking (and tasting) sauce that does not even resemble what it is intended to be. The meal was good, but that was in spite of the Hollandaise, and quite frankly, I cannot believe that a restaurant of this quality would let something that clearly wrong go out to the table. It cannot be that no one noticed; it was the first thing I saw when the plate was put down in front of me, and was completely obvious.
Service was good; attentive but not annoying, and the waitress was there to refill our coffees and waters before either cup ever went dry. I do not know if they could keep that up if the place was full, but considering how small it is, it would not surprise me.
So, all in all, how did I feel about this meal? The best answer I can give is, I don't know. I liked all but one element of the entire experience, but it was a key to the dish. In fact, while Eggs Benedict is recreated with all sorts of strange ingredients, two things remain constant; the poached eggs and the Sauce Hollandaise. Failing on one of those two items is difficult to look past, but the remainder of the meal was so good that I really want to. I think I would have to try the place again, and probably the same dish again, to really form a solid opinion, but I could neither recommend nor discourage going to The Blue Spoon to anyone based off that meal.
******
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My sister and I grabbed a late (around 1:00pm) brunch here after my old favorite, Bintliff's American Cafe, ended up being packed with a significant wait anticipated. Neither of us wanted to deal with that, so we took a shot at The Blue Spoon again, which was basically empty this time when we arrived, though a few people shuffled in after us.
The coffee we were served was both quite good (not La Fiorentina level, but I would say it was equal to Amherst Coffee). It was hot but not boiling, and replenished often; a good start for any restaurant serving breakfast or brunch.
I went with the restaurant's take on my personal favorite Eggs Benedict, which was completely not traditional but really interesting. My sister had the classic two eggs, bacon, home fries and toast, which she was quite pleased with. The "Benedict" consisted of a soft on the inside, crispy on the outside sweet potato pancake; not quite a latke, it was softer than that and was really more like mashed potatoes in pan seared patty form, though that was definitely not how it was constructed. This was, without a doubt, the best part of the meal, as it was seasoned perfectly, had just the right balance of textures, and sopped up the yolk from the eggs. On top of this were a couple thick slices of bacon, which somehow managed to be both crisp to the point of nearly crumbling and also chewy; I am not quite sure how this was achieved, but it was great. The obligatory poached eggs perched atop the bacon, and were nicely cooked.
There ended the positives, however. Sauce Hollandaise is a delicate, difficult to make (at least properly) item when you are in a restaurant, as you clearly cannot make it to order, and thus have to make sure it lasts properly. That said, if your sauce breaks, do not serve it. I would rather wait for you to make more and/or fix the sauce than get a runny, melted butter looking (and tasting) sauce that does not even resemble what it is intended to be. The meal was good, but that was in spite of the Hollandaise, and quite frankly, I cannot believe that a restaurant of this quality would let something that clearly wrong go out to the table. It cannot be that no one noticed; it was the first thing I saw when the plate was put down in front of me, and was completely obvious.
Service was good; attentive but not annoying, and the waitress was there to refill our coffees and waters before either cup ever went dry. I do not know if they could keep that up if the place was full, but considering how small it is, it would not surprise me.
So, all in all, how did I feel about this meal? The best answer I can give is, I don't know. I liked all but one element of the entire experience, but it was a key to the dish. In fact, while Eggs Benedict is recreated with all sorts of strange ingredients, two things remain constant; the poached eggs and the Sauce Hollandaise. Failing on one of those two items is difficult to look past, but the remainder of the meal was so good that I really want to. I think I would have to try the place again, and probably the same dish again, to really form a solid opinion, but I could neither recommend nor discourage going to The Blue Spoon to anyone based off that meal.
******
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Thursday, March 13, 2014
East Ender Bar & Kitchen (Portland, ME)
On my trip to Maine a couple weeks ago, I finished my trip with brunch at East Ender Bar & Kitchen with my sister and her boyfriend. Located on Middle St. right next to Duckfat, it is a short walk from Commercial St. and is one of many good restaurants to open in the Old Port in the last few years. We arrived fairly late for brunch, close to 1:00pm, as our first attempt at a restaurant was met with failure, so it was not too busy and we were seated immediately. The brunch menu features a good mix of the classics (Eggs Benedict, a standard two eggs, meat, toast, etc option, and a burger for those more inclined to the lunch side of brunch) and some nice surprises (chicken and waffles, pulled pork with johnnycakes), though there are not many vegetarian options on the menu.
I went with the chicken and waffles, because...well, do I really have to explain this to anyone? I mean, it's fried chicken on top of waffles. And this was really good fried chicken, despite being boneless breasts; it was crisp, juicy, flavorful, with breading that stuck to the meat and never became soggy despite the delectable maple hot sauce crème fraîche sauce that doused it. That sauce was amazing, creamy and slightly sweet, with just enough hot sauce to put a little fire into it, but never overwhelming anything at all. The waffle part was great too, with a crispy exterior on the waffle and a soft, moist interior, that was perfectly cooked. It was not super sweet, but had just enough to balance the hot sauce and the savory chicken. All in all, this was one of the best dishes I've had for breakfast or brunch ever. If not for all the other amazing options to try for brunch in Portland, I would probably go to this place every time I'm in town for a weekend; as it is, I will still certainly come back at some point.
******
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I went with the chicken and waffles, because...well, do I really have to explain this to anyone? I mean, it's fried chicken on top of waffles. And this was really good fried chicken, despite being boneless breasts; it was crisp, juicy, flavorful, with breading that stuck to the meat and never became soggy despite the delectable maple hot sauce crème fraîche sauce that doused it. That sauce was amazing, creamy and slightly sweet, with just enough hot sauce to put a little fire into it, but never overwhelming anything at all. The waffle part was great too, with a crispy exterior on the waffle and a soft, moist interior, that was perfectly cooked. It was not super sweet, but had just enough to balance the hot sauce and the savory chicken. All in all, this was one of the best dishes I've had for breakfast or brunch ever. If not for all the other amazing options to try for brunch in Portland, I would probably go to this place every time I'm in town for a weekend; as it is, I will still certainly come back at some point.
******
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Sunday, March 2, 2014
Maine Trip #2
Needing a few days away from western MA and work, and with the promise of raw seafood, I hopped in my car for the not quite four hour drive to Edgecomb last Thursday. I grabbed a beer, some cold sake, and an order of the addictive Brussel's sprouts at continual favorite Pai Men Miyake with my sister's boyfriend on the way, before arriving in Lincoln County just in time to take a very brief nap before my step-mom finished making a creamy broccoli soup and a platter of croque monsieur sandwiches. I highly suggest this combination, as it bears a lot of similarities to my personal specialty.
I spent a lazy day in Edgecomb before heading south to meet up with my step-mom to select oysters and clams for the night. Harbor Fish has been featured on just about every television show that filmed an episode on food or fish in southern Maine, and for good reason; it is where the locals who know fish go, because they have the best, freshest, and most reasonably priced fish you can imagine. We grabbed 18 oysters deriving from Maine to Massachusetts, along with six clams. If you like cooked clams, you should try them raw; not everyone enjoys the texture, but the flavor is incredibly powerful and delightful. If you do not like them cooked...well, then you definitely won't raw.
Thankfully it was cold enough to just leave the oysters with some ice in the car for a couple hours, so we adjourned to J's Oyster, a bar on the Portland Pier that, during the month of February, offers free oysters to its customers beginning at 4:00pm until they reach a certain amount. They are initially given away three on a plate per person, then it drops to two per plate as more people pack the bar, and are served with a wedge of lemon, some oyster crackers, and a dollop of cocktail sauce. The oysters are by no means top of the line, and they don't do much more than open them (in fact, the oyster meat itself is still attached to the shell), but hey, they're free, and they're fresh, and they taste good. We left before they ran out of the freebies, so I can't tell you how many you can end up getting, but I would definitely suggest going with someone who either does not like raw oysters, or at least likes them in limited quantities. My step-mom likes them, but not more than a couple a night, so I had the majority of hers, ending up having 18 myself. This was, of course, just the prelude to the couple dozen other raw mollusks we had when we got back home.
After polishing off the oysters we got at Harbor, we went to dinner at The Cockeyed Gull, but the experience was nowhere near as impressive as on the Fourth of July. I liked my meal (sesame crusted salmon with a Wasabi aioli, seaweed "garni" aka seaweed salad, mixed vegetables, and white rice), but I was really the only person who was not completely disappointed. We started with a scallop appetizer that was actually pretty successful, and reasonably well cooked, but things went downhill from there. My salmon was tasty but overcooked, the white rice was beyond boring, and while the seaweed salad was good it was nothing better or worse than what you could get in any sushi joint in America. In fact, the best part of the meal for me were the carrots in the mixed vegetables, which consisted of them and some broccoli florets. Their beer options were very limited, with a Baxter Brewing Company Stowaway IPA being the only really local and craft option. It was good, but nothing special; I have had better from Baxter before. The beer was canned, not on tap, and while this is one of the many breweries doing the canned thing right, it is just not the same as a good draft beer. Apparently during the winter the Gull loses some of its staff, and the owner does the cooking; she is a nice lady, and has some interesting ideas, but is not as creative as some of her summer chefs and not as talented either. I would say this is still a great summer destination, but I will be avoiding it during the off-season.
******
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I spent a lazy day in Edgecomb before heading south to meet up with my step-mom to select oysters and clams for the night. Harbor Fish has been featured on just about every television show that filmed an episode on food or fish in southern Maine, and for good reason; it is where the locals who know fish go, because they have the best, freshest, and most reasonably priced fish you can imagine. We grabbed 18 oysters deriving from Maine to Massachusetts, along with six clams. If you like cooked clams, you should try them raw; not everyone enjoys the texture, but the flavor is incredibly powerful and delightful. If you do not like them cooked...well, then you definitely won't raw.
Thankfully it was cold enough to just leave the oysters with some ice in the car for a couple hours, so we adjourned to J's Oyster, a bar on the Portland Pier that, during the month of February, offers free oysters to its customers beginning at 4:00pm until they reach a certain amount. They are initially given away three on a plate per person, then it drops to two per plate as more people pack the bar, and are served with a wedge of lemon, some oyster crackers, and a dollop of cocktail sauce. The oysters are by no means top of the line, and they don't do much more than open them (in fact, the oyster meat itself is still attached to the shell), but hey, they're free, and they're fresh, and they taste good. We left before they ran out of the freebies, so I can't tell you how many you can end up getting, but I would definitely suggest going with someone who either does not like raw oysters, or at least likes them in limited quantities. My step-mom likes them, but not more than a couple a night, so I had the majority of hers, ending up having 18 myself. This was, of course, just the prelude to the couple dozen other raw mollusks we had when we got back home.
After polishing off the oysters we got at Harbor, we went to dinner at The Cockeyed Gull, but the experience was nowhere near as impressive as on the Fourth of July. I liked my meal (sesame crusted salmon with a Wasabi aioli, seaweed "garni" aka seaweed salad, mixed vegetables, and white rice), but I was really the only person who was not completely disappointed. We started with a scallop appetizer that was actually pretty successful, and reasonably well cooked, but things went downhill from there. My salmon was tasty but overcooked, the white rice was beyond boring, and while the seaweed salad was good it was nothing better or worse than what you could get in any sushi joint in America. In fact, the best part of the meal for me were the carrots in the mixed vegetables, which consisted of them and some broccoli florets. Their beer options were very limited, with a Baxter Brewing Company Stowaway IPA being the only really local and craft option. It was good, but nothing special; I have had better from Baxter before. The beer was canned, not on tap, and while this is one of the many breweries doing the canned thing right, it is just not the same as a good draft beer. Apparently during the winter the Gull loses some of its staff, and the owner does the cooking; she is a nice lady, and has some interesting ideas, but is not as creative as some of her summer chefs and not as talented either. I would say this is still a great summer destination, but I will be avoiding it during the off-season.
******
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Monday, December 30, 2013
Maine Trip #1
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! This is my favorite time of year, despite my recently acquired aversion to cold, because I absolutely love Christmas. I am, without a doubt, the worst Jew ever, but since I grew up celebrating Christmas in Portland, ME with my step-family, I came to love it not as a religious holiday, but instead as a time to get together with family and friends, exchange gifts, tell stories, and of course, eat lots and lots of great food. This year, in addition to the great food we had at family dinners, I went out and tried a few new places in Portland and the surrounding area. I also hit up an old favorite, Pai Men Miyake, which has become a requirement for my Portland trips over the last year.
*****
First up was Local 188, a fairly high end restaurant that specializes in fresh, local ingredients. Now, before I go any further, in the interest of full disclosure my sister and her boyfriend are both managers there, front and back of the house respectively, and this meal was essentially comped. That said, I did greatly enjoy it, as I had a classic favorite of mine (steak tartare), a classic Maine dish (mussels), and an innovative take on a true Italian classic (gnocchi with lobster).
I started off with a cocktail, the "Bergeron Sidecar," made with house infused vanilla and fig bourbon, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Ordinarily I am not a big cocktail person, preferring either to drink beer or straight spirits, but at my sister's suggestion I went with this, and it was really tasty. The bourbon did not overpower me, nor did it entirely mask the other ingredients, though it was definitely the dominant flavor. I do not know what kind of bourbon they used, but it was at least decent, though I doubt it was tremendously high end. The lemon juice added a nice citrus note to it, but since I have no clue what Cointreau tastes like on its own, I could not tell you whether it added anything. It would probably have been a better option as a pre-dinner drink, but it was fine during the meal as well.
Since I had never been to Local 188 before, despite my sister having worked there for quite some time now, I decided to sample a few different dishes, and they were all successful, though one clearly stood out above the rest. The mussels in red sauce were incredible, perfectly cooked (and cleaned, which even in a restaurant is no small measure of success) and delicious. They are plump, juicy, slightly briny delights that on their own would have been delicious, but when served in the incredible red sauce were legitimately delectable, one of the best dishes I have ever had in a restaurant. I have no clue what they put in the sauce other than that it is tomato based, and according to my sister Moroccan inspired, but my lord, it is delicious. I ended up using the endless supply of bread my sister kept grabbing for us (also really good) to sop up all the sauce, because there was no way I was letting any of it go to waste. Everything else could have been terrible, and this dish would have made going there worth it.
Next up were the gnocchi, which threw me for a bit of a loop. I am used to, and partial to, light, pillow-y, but deceptively dense gnocchi, which soak up sauces and provide just a little bit of a bite, that perfect al dente. These were definitely not that; they were absurdly light on the inside, but because they are pan seared, they have a little bit of crispness to the outside. They were extremely flavorful, and the lobster cream sauce they are served in is great, with a pretty significant amount of lobster piled on top of the gnocchi. All in all, I liked this, but it definitely was unlike any gnocchi dish I've ever had, and I think I would have liked it even more if they were not seared. That said, it is nice to see a restaurant do something a little different, and the sear was perfect on each of them.
The final dish, the steak tartare, was both awesome and disappointing. The steak itself was perfect, uniformly diced and formed beautifully into a classic disc, with capers and truffle oil mixed in that gave it the perfect saltiness and umami flavor to go with the clearly high quality steak. My issue, however, was the quail egg on top; rather than serve it traditionally, with a raw egg yolk on top, they fried the whole egg sunny side up; this created a textural and process issue for me, as I neither enjoyed the texture of the fried white or having to cut through it while trying to get a bit of the egg with the steak. Soft egg on top of malleable steak does not cut easily or cleanly. Additionally, who is eating steak tartare, but has an issue with raw egg? I would rather have just had the steak itself and no egg on top, because the steak itself was amazing, but that egg was incredibly disappointing.
Overall, I had a great experience, I really enjoyed my food, and I look forward to going back in the future to try some more things. The paella gets raves from the variety of people I know who have tried it.
Local 188 is relatively vegetarian and gluten-intolerant friendly, with several items on the menu that are one or both already, and the ability to retrofit some others to meet dietary restrictions.
*****
Saturday, after a delicious lunch at Pai Men, my sister and I took a quick trip up to Freeport, a town best known for the Maine staple L.L. Bean, but also now the home to Maine Beer Company. While they do not offer a brewery tour, they do have a small tap room that overlooks the heart of the brewery. They offer eight beers on tap at a time, and sometimes (including when I was there) have beers that are "Pilot" brews, not offered for sale anywhere else. Offering 5oz and 10oz glasses, or four and eight beer samplers of 5oz pours, you can try an old favorite or some new specialties. I went for the four beer sampler, trying three new-to-me beers, and of course, my all time favorite, the Lunch.
The new beers I tried were Weez (7.2%, American Black Ale), Lil One (9.1%, American Strong Ale), and Pilot 5 (5%, American Lager). The Weez was dark, heavy and very hoppy, but like all of MBC's beers, that hoppiness did not manifest in much bitterness. The Lil One was anything but, an absurdly strong, vibrant ale that even in a 5oz glass nearly knocked me on my ass. I would not want to have more than one of these at a time, but it is very, very good. The Pilot 5 was a nice, light, hoppy lager, and I hope they end up producing it, because I think it would be a great session beer, in a craft world sometimes too crowded by higher ABV offerings. Lastly (and I did save it for last, so I could savor it), the Lunch, that perfect, delightful, hoppily bright and effervescent IPA; as much as I love Ballast Point's Sculpin, Dogfish Head's 90 Minute, or any of the other truly great IPAs I have had in my life, none of them quite match up to Lunch. I keep saying it deserves its own review, and it does, but its so hard to find, and when I do, I end up just drinking it without taking the time to sit down and write a review because it is just so freaking good.
FYI, just down the street a short ways is Maine Distilleries Inc, the producer of Cold River Vodka.
*****
I always try to grab lunch or dinner with one or more of my dad's old friends when I make it up to Maine, people who have been very, very good to me in my life and were dear to him in his, and this trip I was able to make it to brunch with his old friend Doug and his wife Ann, who are some of my favorite people in the world. We tried initially to go to Flatbread, a small chain restaurant that Doug swears by, but they had actually had a small fire that morning and were not opening up until after I needed to leave town, so we ended up at Ri Ra Irish Pub, another small chain that has ten locations throughout the east, plus a new Las Vegas restaurant. Somehow I had never been there, despite their proximity to the Casco Bay Lines terminal, but since they are right next to Flatbread as well, we decided to pop in.
They are definitely a bar heavy restaurant, and with a pretty decent drink selection at that. We were there right around noon, so we ended up, at the suggestion of our waiter, ordering brunch. I had the Irish Benedict, an interesting play on the traditional dish wherein the English muffin is replaced by potato cakes (essentially home fries mashed together and then pan seared) and the Canadian bacon with a large rasher of regular bacon, with house-made Hollandaise on top. It was served with very unremarkable home fries and a thick slice of grilled tomato (a concept from the British Isles that really needs to catch on more here). The food took a long time to come out, but our waiter did come over and apologize for that and offered us some soup, on the house, to make up for it; as it turned out, the food arrived almost immediately after the soup came out, but it was nice of the restaurant (or just him?) to do that, and the soup, a tomato bisque, was pretty decent, though I make it better. The Benedict was quite tasty, albeit kind of difficult to get all the components into one cohesive bite, but that was not a big deal. The potato cakes were tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like good home fries would be, and the bacon was cooked just right, as were the poached eggs. I would definitely have it again, or the Lobster Benedict that Doug ordered.
I firmly believe that the average restaurant customer goes in thinking they care primarily about the food, but in reality, people return for the service. With that in mind, and having had some great waiters, waitresses and bartenders in my life, I have to say that the waiter at Ri Ra was one of the best. I initially ordered the Irish Benedict, then immediately changed my mind to the Crab Cakes Benedict, a special for the day, and instead of just letting me get the (slightly) more expensive meal, he informed me that the crab cakes were not something that the restaurant does well, and encouraged me to stick with the Irish version. Not many waiters would do that, and he saved me (and Doug, who was also going to have them) from a poor experience. Combined with his general friendliness and professionalism, I was very, very impressed by him; even if the food had been only mediocre, rather than actually pretty tasty, I probably would still have written a positive review just because of his service.
******
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*****
First up was Local 188, a fairly high end restaurant that specializes in fresh, local ingredients. Now, before I go any further, in the interest of full disclosure my sister and her boyfriend are both managers there, front and back of the house respectively, and this meal was essentially comped. That said, I did greatly enjoy it, as I had a classic favorite of mine (steak tartare), a classic Maine dish (mussels), and an innovative take on a true Italian classic (gnocchi with lobster).
I started off with a cocktail, the "Bergeron Sidecar," made with house infused vanilla and fig bourbon, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Ordinarily I am not a big cocktail person, preferring either to drink beer or straight spirits, but at my sister's suggestion I went with this, and it was really tasty. The bourbon did not overpower me, nor did it entirely mask the other ingredients, though it was definitely the dominant flavor. I do not know what kind of bourbon they used, but it was at least decent, though I doubt it was tremendously high end. The lemon juice added a nice citrus note to it, but since I have no clue what Cointreau tastes like on its own, I could not tell you whether it added anything. It would probably have been a better option as a pre-dinner drink, but it was fine during the meal as well.
Since I had never been to Local 188 before, despite my sister having worked there for quite some time now, I decided to sample a few different dishes, and they were all successful, though one clearly stood out above the rest. The mussels in red sauce were incredible, perfectly cooked (and cleaned, which even in a restaurant is no small measure of success) and delicious. They are plump, juicy, slightly briny delights that on their own would have been delicious, but when served in the incredible red sauce were legitimately delectable, one of the best dishes I have ever had in a restaurant. I have no clue what they put in the sauce other than that it is tomato based, and according to my sister Moroccan inspired, but my lord, it is delicious. I ended up using the endless supply of bread my sister kept grabbing for us (also really good) to sop up all the sauce, because there was no way I was letting any of it go to waste. Everything else could have been terrible, and this dish would have made going there worth it.
Next up were the gnocchi, which threw me for a bit of a loop. I am used to, and partial to, light, pillow-y, but deceptively dense gnocchi, which soak up sauces and provide just a little bit of a bite, that perfect al dente. These were definitely not that; they were absurdly light on the inside, but because they are pan seared, they have a little bit of crispness to the outside. They were extremely flavorful, and the lobster cream sauce they are served in is great, with a pretty significant amount of lobster piled on top of the gnocchi. All in all, I liked this, but it definitely was unlike any gnocchi dish I've ever had, and I think I would have liked it even more if they were not seared. That said, it is nice to see a restaurant do something a little different, and the sear was perfect on each of them.
The final dish, the steak tartare, was both awesome and disappointing. The steak itself was perfect, uniformly diced and formed beautifully into a classic disc, with capers and truffle oil mixed in that gave it the perfect saltiness and umami flavor to go with the clearly high quality steak. My issue, however, was the quail egg on top; rather than serve it traditionally, with a raw egg yolk on top, they fried the whole egg sunny side up; this created a textural and process issue for me, as I neither enjoyed the texture of the fried white or having to cut through it while trying to get a bit of the egg with the steak. Soft egg on top of malleable steak does not cut easily or cleanly. Additionally, who is eating steak tartare, but has an issue with raw egg? I would rather have just had the steak itself and no egg on top, because the steak itself was amazing, but that egg was incredibly disappointing.
Overall, I had a great experience, I really enjoyed my food, and I look forward to going back in the future to try some more things. The paella gets raves from the variety of people I know who have tried it.
Local 188 is relatively vegetarian and gluten-intolerant friendly, with several items on the menu that are one or both already, and the ability to retrofit some others to meet dietary restrictions.
*****
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| The heart of the brewery; those tanks are filled with delicious, delicious beer |
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| Clockwise from front righ: Pilot 5, Lil One, Lunch, Weez |
FYI, just down the street a short ways is Maine Distilleries Inc, the producer of Cold River Vodka.
*****
I always try to grab lunch or dinner with one or more of my dad's old friends when I make it up to Maine, people who have been very, very good to me in my life and were dear to him in his, and this trip I was able to make it to brunch with his old friend Doug and his wife Ann, who are some of my favorite people in the world. We tried initially to go to Flatbread, a small chain restaurant that Doug swears by, but they had actually had a small fire that morning and were not opening up until after I needed to leave town, so we ended up at Ri Ra Irish Pub, another small chain that has ten locations throughout the east, plus a new Las Vegas restaurant. Somehow I had never been there, despite their proximity to the Casco Bay Lines terminal, but since they are right next to Flatbread as well, we decided to pop in.
They are definitely a bar heavy restaurant, and with a pretty decent drink selection at that. We were there right around noon, so we ended up, at the suggestion of our waiter, ordering brunch. I had the Irish Benedict, an interesting play on the traditional dish wherein the English muffin is replaced by potato cakes (essentially home fries mashed together and then pan seared) and the Canadian bacon with a large rasher of regular bacon, with house-made Hollandaise on top. It was served with very unremarkable home fries and a thick slice of grilled tomato (a concept from the British Isles that really needs to catch on more here). The food took a long time to come out, but our waiter did come over and apologize for that and offered us some soup, on the house, to make up for it; as it turned out, the food arrived almost immediately after the soup came out, but it was nice of the restaurant (or just him?) to do that, and the soup, a tomato bisque, was pretty decent, though I make it better. The Benedict was quite tasty, albeit kind of difficult to get all the components into one cohesive bite, but that was not a big deal. The potato cakes were tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like good home fries would be, and the bacon was cooked just right, as were the poached eggs. I would definitely have it again, or the Lobster Benedict that Doug ordered.
I firmly believe that the average restaurant customer goes in thinking they care primarily about the food, but in reality, people return for the service. With that in mind, and having had some great waiters, waitresses and bartenders in my life, I have to say that the waiter at Ri Ra was one of the best. I initially ordered the Irish Benedict, then immediately changed my mind to the Crab Cakes Benedict, a special for the day, and instead of just letting me get the (slightly) more expensive meal, he informed me that the crab cakes were not something that the restaurant does well, and encouraged me to stick with the Irish version. Not many waiters would do that, and he saved me (and Doug, who was also going to have them) from a poor experience. Combined with his general friendliness and professionalism, I was very, very impressed by him; even if the food had been only mediocre, rather than actually pretty tasty, I probably would still have written a positive review just because of his service.
******
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Monday, September 9, 2013
The Front Room (Portland, ME)
I have previously discussed my affinity for The Corner Room, and in that review I mentioned having had brunch once at its sister restaurant The Front Room, which was very good. This morning, I had brunch there again, this time with a couple of my siblings and their significant others, The Front Room being one of a rare group of restaurants that offer a brunch menu every day. Once again I enjoyed myself, though it fell short of my memory of just how good the shrimp and grits with poached eggs I ate all those years ago (back in 2008) was; this could well be because of the natural tendency to inflate memorable experiences over time, whether good for bad, but I suspect it was just a better meal that time.
Today I went with poached eggs again, but this time they topped homemade corned beef hash, with an English muffin on the side. I love corned beef hash almost as much as I do grits, and I honestly love it in all forms, including the stuff from a can (I know, I am pathetic, but if you griddle that up so it's crispy and a little burnt, it is just flat out delicious, especially with some maple syrup mixed in after cooking), so when I see it on a menu, it is very difficult for me to avoid making it my order. This was legitimately homemade, no cans here, and it was really enjoyable, but it could easily have ended up better if there had just been a few alterations. The beef was flavorful, but a little stringy, with a pulled pork like look and feel. The potatoes, which are the key part of any hash in my opinion, were far too soft, which led to a very homogeneous mouth feel when combined with the essentially pulled beef. Add in the poached eggs and all you have is soft, soft, soft; my teeth barely felt needed until I got to the English muffin (which was...well, an English muffin; may have been a Thomas', may have been homemade, but it did not have anything distinguishing about it). The best part of the meal was absolutely the poached eggs, which were just right, with the shape, consistency (firm but pliant exterior, super runny interior), and flavor you want out of poached eggs that are clearly fresh.
As I said, I ate here with a couple of my siblings, including my sister who works at another one of Portland's upscale restaurants, and her boyfriend, who is a cook at the same establishment. Among the things that came up multiple times this past weekend as I visited was the owner of the "Room" restaurants, Harding Lee Smith, who has recently been the subject of two scathing articles in The Bollard, a local independent publication in Portland. See below for the links. These articles allege verbal, physical, and emotional abuse of employees in both public and private, while acknowledging the continued patronage of Smith's now four restaurants (including the newly opened Boone's Fish House and Oyster Bar) by people who can find nothing positive to say about Smith as a human being. Personally, I feel that every story has two sides, and I have a very hard time giving much credence to the articles in The Bollard because of the clear intent of the author; while every story may well be true, it is hard not to be skeptical of much of the issues because of the clear axe-grinding nature of the stories. I've put the link to another article, this one in the Maine Sunday Telegram (aka the Portland Press Herald) from a few months ago, that is much more complimentary, though it does not give much mention to the negative allegations The Bollard focuses on. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but my one interaction with the man, when he was working the antipasti bar at The Corner Room my first time there, was incredibly positive and I really enjoyed the brief time my sister and I spent talking to him, not to mention the unanticipated free cheese he added to our order without any reason to do so other than that he seemed to think we'd like it, and of course the accompanying good will that comes from such actions.
July 1 Article from The Bollard
September 2 Article from The Bollard
June 2 Article from the Maine Sunday Telegram/Portland Press Herald
******
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Today I went with poached eggs again, but this time they topped homemade corned beef hash, with an English muffin on the side. I love corned beef hash almost as much as I do grits, and I honestly love it in all forms, including the stuff from a can (I know, I am pathetic, but if you griddle that up so it's crispy and a little burnt, it is just flat out delicious, especially with some maple syrup mixed in after cooking), so when I see it on a menu, it is very difficult for me to avoid making it my order. This was legitimately homemade, no cans here, and it was really enjoyable, but it could easily have ended up better if there had just been a few alterations. The beef was flavorful, but a little stringy, with a pulled pork like look and feel. The potatoes, which are the key part of any hash in my opinion, were far too soft, which led to a very homogeneous mouth feel when combined with the essentially pulled beef. Add in the poached eggs and all you have is soft, soft, soft; my teeth barely felt needed until I got to the English muffin (which was...well, an English muffin; may have been a Thomas', may have been homemade, but it did not have anything distinguishing about it). The best part of the meal was absolutely the poached eggs, which were just right, with the shape, consistency (firm but pliant exterior, super runny interior), and flavor you want out of poached eggs that are clearly fresh.
As I said, I ate here with a couple of my siblings, including my sister who works at another one of Portland's upscale restaurants, and her boyfriend, who is a cook at the same establishment. Among the things that came up multiple times this past weekend as I visited was the owner of the "Room" restaurants, Harding Lee Smith, who has recently been the subject of two scathing articles in The Bollard, a local independent publication in Portland. See below for the links. These articles allege verbal, physical, and emotional abuse of employees in both public and private, while acknowledging the continued patronage of Smith's now four restaurants (including the newly opened Boone's Fish House and Oyster Bar) by people who can find nothing positive to say about Smith as a human being. Personally, I feel that every story has two sides, and I have a very hard time giving much credence to the articles in The Bollard because of the clear intent of the author; while every story may well be true, it is hard not to be skeptical of much of the issues because of the clear axe-grinding nature of the stories. I've put the link to another article, this one in the Maine Sunday Telegram (aka the Portland Press Herald) from a few months ago, that is much more complimentary, though it does not give much mention to the negative allegations The Bollard focuses on. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but my one interaction with the man, when he was working the antipasti bar at The Corner Room my first time there, was incredibly positive and I really enjoyed the brief time my sister and I spent talking to him, not to mention the unanticipated free cheese he added to our order without any reason to do so other than that he seemed to think we'd like it, and of course the accompanying good will that comes from such actions.
July 1 Article from The Bollard
September 2 Article from The Bollard
June 2 Article from the Maine Sunday Telegram/Portland Press Herald
******
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Monday, July 8, 2013
Cockeyed Gull (Peaks Island, ME)
Located a short walk from the Casco Bay Lines ferry landing on Peaks Island, the Cockeyed Gull restaurant offers decent to good food, acceptable alcohol, and some truly stunning views from their back deck. A beautiful place to sit and enjoy a meal, my step-family and I had a very nice Independence Day dinner there, and as long as you order the correct things, it is my best recommendation if you are visiting Portland and make a trip out to the island, or are vacationing there already.
**Full disclosure: my step-sister worked as a waitress at the Gull for a couple summers, but then, she's worked everywhere else on Peaks Island as well, so I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the restaurants, of which there are only a few, and can offer an unbiased opinion.
We started by sharing a few appetizers amongst the table, including a couple orders of oysters on the half shell, a beet salad, and a scallop special. The oysters were, I believe, from the Damariscotta River, my personal favorite locale for oysters, where they do not grow to be very big, but are exceptionally flavorful, with a vibrant sweetness and brininess. They were served with a "deconstructed" mignonette sauce, some traditional cocktail sauce, and my favorite, fiery and pungent horseradish. The beet salad was delicious as well, but it was the scallops that were truly remarkable. Perfectly cooked, something that rarely occurs, they were not seared but rather, I presume, poached, and had such a delicate texture that it is difficult to describe it. It was served with tomatoes and other vegetables that were wonderful as well.
My step-sister encouraged me to stay away from the more Italian inspired dishes on the menu, so I went with the Potato Crusted Haddock. I love haddock, which along with cod and hake is one of a few thoroughly fantastic, completely under-appreciated fish, and potato crusting is both a neat concept and really tasty. The Gull did a nice job with this, as the fish was nicely cooked, possibly just a hair over, but barely enough to even notice it; the potato crust was crispy and succulent, and while it pulled a little away from the fish, it was much better than how I have had it in other restaurants, where the crust barely stays attached past the first bite. Served with roasted acorn squash, which was exactly what it should be, sweet and savory all at once, it was a good side dish. The dish was huge, with a giant slab of fish and about half of a squash. My step-sister got the same, and enjoyed hers as well.
The other two entrees at the table were a special scallop dish and a lobster pasta dish, the first of which was successful while the latter was a failure. The special thinly sliced scallop crudo served with basil and crostini, which was delicious, but the basil overwhelmed everything. It was a very small amount of food for an entree, but considering how much food we had ordered, that was not a problem. The lobster pasta dish had far, far too much sauce (a simple red cream sauce) and not nearly enough lobster, so that everything seemed drowned and overshadowed.
For dessert, I went with carrot cake, which I was promised would be the best I had ever had; it was not. It was, however, quite good, but could not live up to David Burke Prime's version, which had far less sweetness and far more actual carrot to it. This did not have anything that felt like carrot texturally, and the frosting, of which there was an abundance, was sweeter than I would have preferred. It was still probably the second best I have ever had, but that is not necessarily saying much.
This was a very nice meal, but for four people, it was not cheap, even with a couple bottles of wine, a beer for me, a couple cocktails and some port to end the night, so I would not recommend this for those who do not have high end prices in mind. That said, if you order the right thing, and go at the right time, it is well worth it, as you can see from the pictures below. There was a nice view of the fireworks at the end as well; unfortunately, Portland really dropped the ball on the show this year, but the view was still beautiful.
******
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**Full disclosure: my step-sister worked as a waitress at the Gull for a couple summers, but then, she's worked everywhere else on Peaks Island as well, so I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the restaurants, of which there are only a few, and can offer an unbiased opinion.
We started by sharing a few appetizers amongst the table, including a couple orders of oysters on the half shell, a beet salad, and a scallop special. The oysters were, I believe, from the Damariscotta River, my personal favorite locale for oysters, where they do not grow to be very big, but are exceptionally flavorful, with a vibrant sweetness and brininess. They were served with a "deconstructed" mignonette sauce, some traditional cocktail sauce, and my favorite, fiery and pungent horseradish. The beet salad was delicious as well, but it was the scallops that were truly remarkable. Perfectly cooked, something that rarely occurs, they were not seared but rather, I presume, poached, and had such a delicate texture that it is difficult to describe it. It was served with tomatoes and other vegetables that were wonderful as well.
My step-sister encouraged me to stay away from the more Italian inspired dishes on the menu, so I went with the Potato Crusted Haddock. I love haddock, which along with cod and hake is one of a few thoroughly fantastic, completely under-appreciated fish, and potato crusting is both a neat concept and really tasty. The Gull did a nice job with this, as the fish was nicely cooked, possibly just a hair over, but barely enough to even notice it; the potato crust was crispy and succulent, and while it pulled a little away from the fish, it was much better than how I have had it in other restaurants, where the crust barely stays attached past the first bite. Served with roasted acorn squash, which was exactly what it should be, sweet and savory all at once, it was a good side dish. The dish was huge, with a giant slab of fish and about half of a squash. My step-sister got the same, and enjoyed hers as well.
The other two entrees at the table were a special scallop dish and a lobster pasta dish, the first of which was successful while the latter was a failure. The special thinly sliced scallop crudo served with basil and crostini, which was delicious, but the basil overwhelmed everything. It was a very small amount of food for an entree, but considering how much food we had ordered, that was not a problem. The lobster pasta dish had far, far too much sauce (a simple red cream sauce) and not nearly enough lobster, so that everything seemed drowned and overshadowed.
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| Carrot Cake |
This was a very nice meal, but for four people, it was not cheap, even with a couple bottles of wine, a beer for me, a couple cocktails and some port to end the night, so I would not recommend this for those who do not have high end prices in mind. That said, if you order the right thing, and go at the right time, it is well worth it, as you can see from the pictures below. There was a nice view of the fireworks at the end as well; unfortunately, Portland really dropped the ball on the show this year, but the view was still beautiful.
******
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Pai Men Miyake (Portland, ME)
After starting my holiday trip to Portland with a long awaited stop at Duckfat, on the 24th I had lunch at Pai Men Miyake, the casual accompaniment to Masa Miyake's celebrated Miyake restaurant. Situated at the top of the "Old Port" section of Portland, Pai Men Miyake focuses on ramen (Pai Men meaning "100 Noodles" according to the website) blending traditional Japanese flavors with the use of local, fresh ingredients to create a truly remarkable meal. Yakitori is available after 5:30pm, but since I was there during lunch and obviously could not have that, I went with the "Tei-Shoku" lunch special, choosing one option each from two of four "groups" of dishes, including dumplings, vegetables, ramen, and sushi; prices depend on what you pick.
I started with the pork gyoza, simple potstickers that did not outwardly look any different from any others, but are made with fresh, local pork and cabbage, with a nice, subtle flavor of each, a perfectly thin wrapper, and served with a light sesame oil and soy dipping sauce. They were seared in such a way as to have a little bit of browning, and thus the accompanying flavor of a light pan fry, but without being really crispy; this is actually a good thing, as pot sticker type dumplings tend to fall apart if they get too hard a sear. These were some of the better dumplings I have had, but the second I tried my sister's brussel's sprouts, I regretted my choice; more on that later.
For my primary dish I had the paitan ramen, with the traditional Japanese ramen noodles surrounded by a strong pork and chicken broth, topped with a little pork belly, half a soy marinated soft boiled egg, scallion, and a piece of nori (seaweed typically used to make maki rolls). This is very, very different from the Korean style ramen of Manna House, but I wouldn't say it's better or worse; simply different. I had them add the spicy garlic paste, but even with that there wasn't much spice, and the broth was lighter in color, though flavor-wise it was still intense. The pork belly was good, though there was little of it, and the nori did not really add much, but the egg was remarkable; I'm not a big fan of soft boiled eggs, but this was so perfectly cooked, with such a delicate soy flavor enhancing the natural flavor of a really fresh egg, that I found myself wishing there were several of them.
My little sister ordered the tokyo abura-soba ramen, which is simply the noodles, chili oil, egg yolk, nori and sambal (a spicy chili paste with a flavor similar to that of sriracha, though it is significantly thicker), without any broth. Spicy and simple, this was really tasty, and not something I would have really given much thought to ordering, as it has neither broth nor meat, but this was just one of a couple dishes outside my normal realm of interest that surprised me that day.
My older sister started with the brussel's sprouts, as I said, and they were...my god, they were good. I can't even describe it. A huge serving of halved sprouts, drenched in tamari (a soy sauce variety) and fish sauce, they are tangy and slightly sweet, roasted just to where the outside leaves are a little crispy, just inside are softer leaves, and then the core is just slightly crunchy, with a great bite to them that I have not been able to achieve when I've made roasted sprouts, and that I haven't really had elsewhere either. These were by far the best sprouts I have ever had, and I'm really hoping to learn to make them the way that Pai Men does.
Her second dish was a pair of steamed buns, sandwiched around thin pieces of fried tofu. I normally don't really like steamed buns that much, simply because they're rarely well made, and I almost never like tofu, for textural and flavor reasons. Both were incredible. The buns were light, porous, and slightly chewy, and the tofu had a slight crunch to the exterior that kept it from feeling like the spongy mess that I associate with tofu normally. I have no clue what the tofu was marinated in, and I can't even describe its flavor, but it was really, really delicious, and went perfectly with the aioli-like mayonnaise that was lightly applied to the inside of the bun. Since I liked it, I suspect anyone else trying it will too, even those who typically object to tofu; it really surprised me, and changed my mind a little bit regarding pressed bean curd.
With the exception of the gyoza, all the portions were pretty good; the brussel's sprouts came piled in a large bowl, and it took all three of us picking at them to finish without having my sister be full prior to the buns' arrival, while the bowls of ramen were plenty of food. The gyoza had just four dumplings, which were not filling, but after mooching some of the sprouts and eating my ramen, I left quite satisfied. For drinks, a number of local craft beers were available, both on tap and in bottles, with Smuttynose Brewing Company being the best represented. I went with their Scotch Ale, a strong, heavy, and well made beer that may have been a little too much for this particular meal, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. My older sister had the same, and my little sister went with the Oxbow Saison Noel, a very dark representation of this traditional farmhouse beer, though it maintained the lightness and flavor of a normal saison. All in all this is a fantastic restaurant, and I look forward to not only going back but also exploring its sister restaurant. It's also very vegetarian friendly if that's your thing.
On a side note, both restaurants and the Miyake Catering business are served by Miyake Farm, where they raise fowl, pigs, and produce; this is true farm to table, in the purest sense of the term.
I started with the pork gyoza, simple potstickers that did not outwardly look any different from any others, but are made with fresh, local pork and cabbage, with a nice, subtle flavor of each, a perfectly thin wrapper, and served with a light sesame oil and soy dipping sauce. They were seared in such a way as to have a little bit of browning, and thus the accompanying flavor of a light pan fry, but without being really crispy; this is actually a good thing, as pot sticker type dumplings tend to fall apart if they get too hard a sear. These were some of the better dumplings I have had, but the second I tried my sister's brussel's sprouts, I regretted my choice; more on that later.
For my primary dish I had the paitan ramen, with the traditional Japanese ramen noodles surrounded by a strong pork and chicken broth, topped with a little pork belly, half a soy marinated soft boiled egg, scallion, and a piece of nori (seaweed typically used to make maki rolls). This is very, very different from the Korean style ramen of Manna House, but I wouldn't say it's better or worse; simply different. I had them add the spicy garlic paste, but even with that there wasn't much spice, and the broth was lighter in color, though flavor-wise it was still intense. The pork belly was good, though there was little of it, and the nori did not really add much, but the egg was remarkable; I'm not a big fan of soft boiled eggs, but this was so perfectly cooked, with such a delicate soy flavor enhancing the natural flavor of a really fresh egg, that I found myself wishing there were several of them.
My little sister ordered the tokyo abura-soba ramen, which is simply the noodles, chili oil, egg yolk, nori and sambal (a spicy chili paste with a flavor similar to that of sriracha, though it is significantly thicker), without any broth. Spicy and simple, this was really tasty, and not something I would have really given much thought to ordering, as it has neither broth nor meat, but this was just one of a couple dishes outside my normal realm of interest that surprised me that day.
My older sister started with the brussel's sprouts, as I said, and they were...my god, they were good. I can't even describe it. A huge serving of halved sprouts, drenched in tamari (a soy sauce variety) and fish sauce, they are tangy and slightly sweet, roasted just to where the outside leaves are a little crispy, just inside are softer leaves, and then the core is just slightly crunchy, with a great bite to them that I have not been able to achieve when I've made roasted sprouts, and that I haven't really had elsewhere either. These were by far the best sprouts I have ever had, and I'm really hoping to learn to make them the way that Pai Men does.
Her second dish was a pair of steamed buns, sandwiched around thin pieces of fried tofu. I normally don't really like steamed buns that much, simply because they're rarely well made, and I almost never like tofu, for textural and flavor reasons. Both were incredible. The buns were light, porous, and slightly chewy, and the tofu had a slight crunch to the exterior that kept it from feeling like the spongy mess that I associate with tofu normally. I have no clue what the tofu was marinated in, and I can't even describe its flavor, but it was really, really delicious, and went perfectly with the aioli-like mayonnaise that was lightly applied to the inside of the bun. Since I liked it, I suspect anyone else trying it will too, even those who typically object to tofu; it really surprised me, and changed my mind a little bit regarding pressed bean curd.
With the exception of the gyoza, all the portions were pretty good; the brussel's sprouts came piled in a large bowl, and it took all three of us picking at them to finish without having my sister be full prior to the buns' arrival, while the bowls of ramen were plenty of food. The gyoza had just four dumplings, which were not filling, but after mooching some of the sprouts and eating my ramen, I left quite satisfied. For drinks, a number of local craft beers were available, both on tap and in bottles, with Smuttynose Brewing Company being the best represented. I went with their Scotch Ale, a strong, heavy, and well made beer that may have been a little too much for this particular meal, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. My older sister had the same, and my little sister went with the Oxbow Saison Noel, a very dark representation of this traditional farmhouse beer, though it maintained the lightness and flavor of a normal saison. All in all this is a fantastic restaurant, and I look forward to not only going back but also exploring its sister restaurant. It's also very vegetarian friendly if that's your thing.
On a side note, both restaurants and the Miyake Catering business are served by Miyake Farm, where they raise fowl, pigs, and produce; this is true farm to table, in the purest sense of the term.
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| ©Miyake Farm
******
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Duckfat (Portland, ME)
First off, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, etc etc etc...regardless, I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season. As always, I am spending my Christmas in Portland with family, and while here I had the opportunity to finally go to Duckfat, a restaurant that opened a few years ago and is designed around the idea of using duck fat as a cooking medium; hence, the name. I have heard great things, and it has been featured on the Food Network, among other media; the french fries typically get the majority of the press, and I can certainly see why.
Duckfat is a very small place, with room for maybe 30, and at 1:30pm on the Sunday before Christmas it was packed, requiring a wait of about 15 minutes for myself as a solo diner before getting seated, and rather longer for many people who arrived with larger parties before me. Seated at the bar, I felt a little crowded in, but that's okay; it's got a real pub feel, with a lot of exuberant anticipation among the diners, and I felt completely welcomed by the atmosphere and the staff alike. I ordered the poutine, that classic French Canadian gravy fries with cheese curd dish that is never bad, but is rarely great; this, however, was great. With extremely crispy fries, packed with flavor from the duck fat, and a really ridiculously good duck gravy, not to mention legitimate cheese curds, this was exactly what you would imagine when picturing the best of this dish. I have had a few different iterations, and it's always been very tasty, but my god, was this good. Even after being soaked in the gravy, the fries were still quite crispy, which is a common failing in this dish. I can normally find a flaw with what I eat, even if it's nitpicky, but I honestly can't find anything with this; it is, quite simply, perfect.
Along with the poutine, I also had the salted duckfat caramel milkshake, which I had been considering before talking to my sister, but absolutely had to have after she insisted that I would love it. Salt and caramel combine to make probably the best taste ever, and this did not disappoint in the least. Sweet, savory, and just all in all delicious, I was completely full by the time I finished it but strongly considered having another despite the promise of impending stomach ache from it. It was thick, gooey, and really high quality ice cream (they call it gelato in their menu description, though I'm not sure that the texture held up to that), and once again, I can't really find anything to criticize about it.
The menu includes a number of craft beers that appear to rotate regularly, along with the numerous milkshakes and sodas that are always on the menu. All in all, this is a great place, and I highly recommend it.
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| Poutine with duckfat fried french fries, duck gravy, and local cheese curd |
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| Salted Duckfat Caramel Milkshake |
The menu includes a number of craft beers that appear to rotate regularly, along with the numerous milkshakes and sodas that are always on the menu. All in all, this is a great place, and I highly recommend it.
******
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Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Corner Room (Portland, ME)
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The Corner Room©
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The menu at The Corner Room changed a little between the first and second time I went, but the basic concept of the restaurant is an Italian inspired (though with a very American twinge) menu with "rustic" flavors. Rustic appears to be the buzzword of the decade (century?) so far, but The Corner Room does it well; the flavors are strong, ingredients are fresh, and while there's clearly some impressive technique going into the preparation, it's never obviously about the technique rather than the food. As I've said before, I'm all for fancy food, but the food is the key there, so technique should never come in ahead of taste. In addition to the pizza, pasta and sandwiches, which you would expect at an Italian inspired restaurant, there are the "secondi," or main dishes, which at the moment I'm writing this include Osso Bucco alla Milanese, Risotto Frutti di Mare, and two Italian chicken dishes. That's pretty representative of how the menu has been when I've been there.
The first time we went, we started with a platter of a variety of charcuterie, including a duck pâté, a terrine, prosciutto, and a couple others, served with two different mustards and a fruit preserve along with sliced baguette. Did I mention that when we went in my sister had been living a vegan lifestyle? Not anymore! I followed this up with braised pork on a bed of pumpkin polenta and roasted brussels sprouts, and I was truly blown away. I had never in all my life eaten a brussels sprout and not wanted to huck something at the chef, but they were delicious! The polenta's texture may not have pleased everyone, I'll admit, though I think the flavor would have; I loved it all, but I like my polenta just the slightest bit "gritty" (I can't think up a better word), which this was. The pork was falling apart, my knife barely being needed, and while it had a tremendous flavor on its own, it really shined when eaten in combination with the polenta, where the textures and flavors mixed. My sister also loved her dinner, which was an Italian sandwich (mortadella, prosciutto, salami, smoked mozzarella and a few vegetables), and from the bite I tried, I can heartily endorse it; it was better than any Italian sandwich I've ever had before, and in the upper realms of all the sandwiches, of any variety, I've ever had. We both paired our meals with beers, and they do have a decent list, including local favorites Geary's and Shipyard, as well as a pretty good looking wine list, though I am nowhere near qualified to truly comment on that part of it.
As good as the appetizer and main courses were, the truly memorable part of that meal was the cheese course we had as a substitute for dessert. It was at this time that we truly benefited from being at the cheese and charcuterie prep station. As it turned out, that night the station was being manned by the chef himself, which we didn't realize until later (okay, I never realized it; my sister gets all the credit here), and we'd been chatting with him off and on throughout the meal, so when we were deciding on which of the cheeses we wanted for our platter, we asked him for suggestions, and not only did he gives us the best suggestion ever, La Tur, he also gave us an extra cheese for free, which was incredibly generous. The other three cheeses were good, but I can't for the life of me remember what they are anymore, two years later. The La Tur though...my god. Creamy, sweet, savory, embodying the best of each goat's, cow's and sheep's milk (it's a combination of the three), this cheese is decadence defined. The last line of the description of it on the Murray's Cheese website, "We recommend you get back-up: La Tur is always the first to go at a party" is entirely accurate. After buying a couple pounds of it for my sister for Christmas in 2010 (seriously, it's that good that I had it shipped to Maine from New York City), we all burned through that stuff in no time. It is not only my favorite cheese, but there's really no competition; eating it for the first time is akin to the joy of a first kiss (thankfully without the awkwardness!) with someone you really like. You really had no idea what to expect, but you're anticipating that it will be good...and then it's more than good; it's transcendent. And isn't that what you want from all food (and first kisses)?
As a side note, The Corner Room now offers Sunday brunch; I haven't been yet, but I had brunch at The Front Room last year and it was pretty spectacular, so I have no reason to think it would be anything less than wonderful at The Corner Room as well.
******
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Thursday, March 1, 2012
Vientiane Market (Portland, ME)
Vientiane Market is a small Asian market located at the corner of Noyes Ave and St. John St in Portland, ME; if you don't know what you're looking for, you will drive right past it and never think twice. Hidden in this small, nondescript building is a tiny kitchen that puts out some truly incredible Thai food (Thai, in this case, being the Thai people, rather than Thailand; as the name implies, the owners of this market are from Laos) in a friendly, comforting environment at exceptionally reasonable prices.
The main event at this restaurant, like many Thai joints, is the Pad Thai. This is not your standard Pad Thai, however; I would dare say that many people who are used to more Americanized versions would not care for Vientiane's offering. They make their Pad Thai with rather less sweetness than you will find in many places, and with more of a gravy like sauce than I have seen elsewhere. However, I have been assured this is the authentic way to serve a dish that is among the "national dishes" of the Thai people. When you order, be sure to specify the amount of heat you'd like by the number of "stars." No stars, no heat; five stars, you'll be crying like a baby if you weren't born with a habanero in your mouth. Typically I go with one star, which is spicy but not overwhelming in any way, but on occasion I'll ramp it up to three or three and a half stars if I really want some burn (or if I've got a cold and lack a good nasal decongestant).
I also must recommend the fresh spring rolls, which really are just that; if you sit in the right place, you can see your spring roll being made. This is a fine vegetarian option, consisting of nothing more or less than any other spring roll you'll find elsewhere, but for some reason, it just tastes better. Served with a deliciously sweet sauce that I believe must be hoisin based, you won't regret this light, refreshing snack.
Also worth eating are the Tom Ka Gai, the slightly sweet coconut milk based chicken soup, which was a welcome addition to many of the colder, wet evenings I spent working in Maine in the summer of 2008 (a year that had exactly one day without rain from June through August). Like the spring rolls, I can't pinpoint anything in particular that makes this better than any other I've had, but it just is; I suspect freshness of ingredients has something to do with it.
Lastly, the curries are fantastic here, though with the exception of the Massaman curry, I've had just as good elsewhere. The Massaman has just the right hint of spice, sweetness from the small chunks of pineapple, and overall balance of flavors that I have not experienced at any other Thai restaurant.
To me, this is an essential stop for any visitor to Portland, and a recurring trip for residents is encouraged; I probably ate here 3 times a week during the summer of 2008, partially due to a lack of time to make my own food due to a bizarre work/sleep schedule, and partially because I was fed delicious food by some of the friendliest people I've ever met, who always had a kind word for me and their other regular customers.
******
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The main event at this restaurant, like many Thai joints, is the Pad Thai. This is not your standard Pad Thai, however; I would dare say that many people who are used to more Americanized versions would not care for Vientiane's offering. They make their Pad Thai with rather less sweetness than you will find in many places, and with more of a gravy like sauce than I have seen elsewhere. However, I have been assured this is the authentic way to serve a dish that is among the "national dishes" of the Thai people. When you order, be sure to specify the amount of heat you'd like by the number of "stars." No stars, no heat; five stars, you'll be crying like a baby if you weren't born with a habanero in your mouth. Typically I go with one star, which is spicy but not overwhelming in any way, but on occasion I'll ramp it up to three or three and a half stars if I really want some burn (or if I've got a cold and lack a good nasal decongestant).
I also must recommend the fresh spring rolls, which really are just that; if you sit in the right place, you can see your spring roll being made. This is a fine vegetarian option, consisting of nothing more or less than any other spring roll you'll find elsewhere, but for some reason, it just tastes better. Served with a deliciously sweet sauce that I believe must be hoisin based, you won't regret this light, refreshing snack.
Also worth eating are the Tom Ka Gai, the slightly sweet coconut milk based chicken soup, which was a welcome addition to many of the colder, wet evenings I spent working in Maine in the summer of 2008 (a year that had exactly one day without rain from June through August). Like the spring rolls, I can't pinpoint anything in particular that makes this better than any other I've had, but it just is; I suspect freshness of ingredients has something to do with it.
Lastly, the curries are fantastic here, though with the exception of the Massaman curry, I've had just as good elsewhere. The Massaman has just the right hint of spice, sweetness from the small chunks of pineapple, and overall balance of flavors that I have not experienced at any other Thai restaurant.
To me, this is an essential stop for any visitor to Portland, and a recurring trip for residents is encouraged; I probably ate here 3 times a week during the summer of 2008, partially due to a lack of time to make my own food due to a bizarre work/sleep schedule, and partially because I was fed delicious food by some of the friendliest people I've ever met, who always had a kind word for me and their other regular customers.
******
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