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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Monday, March 17, 2014
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
The Red House (Cambridge, MA), Machu Picchu (Somerville, MA) and Farmer Brown's Farm Stand (Middleton, MA)
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| Oysters and 18yr Glenfiddich |
The Red House is located a short walk from my other Cambridge favorites, Charlie's Kitchen and Crema Cafe (where I also stopped afterwards for a coffee to help wash down the beer and Scotch I had just consumed), down narrow Winthrop St. During the six hours after noon, your first dozen oysters per person cost just 50 cents a piece, and while that limit is not advertised, I suspect most people do not have more than a dozen by themselves. No worries for those of you like me who only stop eating oysters after you run out of money or stomach space; they are only one dollar apiece after that first dozen.
The oysters are currently Island Creek's, out of Duxbury, MA, and while they are no Kumamotos or Damariscottas, they are pretty damn good. Their failing in comparison to those two varietals, which are my favorites, is their lesser quality (and quantity) liquor, which is only a little briny in the Island Creeks. That said, you could never get Damariscottas or Kumamotos for this cheap even in a good fish shop like Harbor Fish, much less in a restaurant. I paid $12 for the dozen and a half oysters I ate, a tremendous deal beaten only by J's Oyster's freebies, but for those you have to wait until the waiter comes to you with more on their timetable, instead of just ordering them up as you want. They are served with some mild horseradish and a very ketchup-y cocktail sauce, along with a large slice of lemon and some mixed greens; not sure what the deal with the greens is, since they do not give you a fork. Maybe they are supposed to be eating with the oysters, but I have never heard of such a thing.
I sat at the small bar, which has maybe eight or nine seats; there are also a small handful of tables for about another dozen people in the bar area, while the dining room seats another 65 according to their website. The oyster deal is only available in the bar or on the patio (weather permitting, of course, which in New England means about four months out of the year), so do not go expecting to sit in the dining room and receive these prices. You can start out at the bar and then migrate to the dining room though, or eat from the dining room menu at the bar if you want. They have a solid list of draft beers available, including the ever more popular Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier from Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, one of the highest rated beers on BeerAdvocate. I went with a Founders Brewing Company Breakfast Stout, which has a perfect rating. One of the best beers out there, it is strong, dark and heavy, without being overwhelming. It has a definite sweetness and the malt flavors are huge, with some oatmeal flavors that are just plain delightful. I do not taste quite as much coffee as some other people in it, but that could just be my palate. They serve it a little too cold, so I let it warm up for a couple of minutes before drinking it; as it warmed the flavors opened up a great deal, and it became better and better as I took my time drinking it.
After finishing my beer, I moved on to Scotch, since they have ridiculously good prices; the 18 Year Glenfiddich I had was just $11, much, much cheaper than I have ever seen it. Now, this is not the same as the 18 Year Ancient Reserve I reviewed at the beginning of January, but it is a very good, very smooth Scotch. It lacked the character of the Ancient Reserve, and seemed not to have taken on a great deal of flavor from whatever wood it was aged in. All in all, a good single malt, and worth trying, especially at such a reasonable price, but there are far better options out there, especially for those of us who like peaty, smoky whiskys, which this was certainly not.
*******
It is always a good sign when you show up at an ethnic restaurant to find a family who appears to be representative of the culture having a meal or event there; upon entering Machu Picchu in Somerville, MA, that was exactly what I saw, a giant table filled with what I deduced was several generations of a Peruvian descended family. My expectations were immediately raised, and eventually well met.
I went with my best friend from high school, and we decided to split the Yaquitas a la Huancaina (fried yucca with a creamy, slightly spicy sauce) and the Palta Primavera (halved avocados filled/topped with a chicken and nixtamal, or hominy, salad). Both were delicious, as the yucca was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, not unlike very good steak fries, and the avocado was firm but creamy, with a simple chicken salad topping it. My only complaint was the abundant use of mayonnaise in the salad, which was unnecessary. The hominy was a great touch, and definitely needs to be used more.
For my entree, I had the Bisteck a lo Pobre (poor man's steak, essentially; a large steak served with white rice topped by a sunny side up egg, french fries, and a few pieces of sweet plantains), and it was just flat out awesome. The steak was slightly more done than I like (which is basically not at all), but was a fine medium rare, incredibly tender, perfectly seasoned, with beautiful cross-hatched grill marks. The rice was fine, nothing special, but once the egg yolk was broken into it it definitely got more interesting. French fries are among my favorite things, but these were the only real miss for me, being rather limp and unseasoned; the platanos more than made up for that though, and they proved yet again why they are among my favorite things ever.
They have a few beers on the menu, including a couple from Peru, one of which I had, though I cannot remember its name; it was pretty good, but nothing super interesting, reminding me of a Czech pilsener. They also had a pan flute band playing, which, once I got over my initial reaction of amusement (thanks to South Park's Pandemic episodes) was actually kind of nice. All in all, this is a pretty great restaurant, and I look forward to going back in the future.
*******
I spent three days in Middleton, MA this past week as part of a training, and since it was close and cheap, I went to Farmer Brown's Farm Stand each day to pick up some lunch. They offer a large salad bar that appears to be filled with fresh vegetables and lettuce, as well as nearly a dozen soups, which is what I decided to partake in. Over the course of three days I had the Hungarian Mushroom, Cream of Broccoli with Aged Cheddar, and finally the Italian Wedding Soup. That last is served every day, one of four such, while they rotate through a dozen or so others; all are homemade, and you can really tell. The Italian Wedding Soup was my favorite, with delicious little meatballs in it, but all were great. Prices were spectacular, as a bowl of soup and a roll (all the soups were also good for dipping bread) ran about six bucks.
They also have some specialty items, including olive oils, balsamic vinegar, and dried pasta from Italy; I picked up a bag of cavatelli that looks great. Their deli is stocked with Boar's Head, which is about the peak of normal deli meats, and there was plenty of meat and fish portioned or marinated and ready for the grill or oven. If I lived close to this place, I would probably be a lot poorer and a lot fatter (the soups were pretty fattening) but it made my training days a lot better.
******
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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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Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Two Years Later
I began this blog with a post about my favorite beers, whiskys, and food. The end of this month will mark two years of posting, and I have enjoyed it immensely, as I have used it as an excuse to try new foods, beers, and other things that I may not have experienced over that time. So, below you will find my favorite things from the last two years, as well as ones that I want to try in the coming year. Some of these are new, some are places I have enjoyed for years but reviewed over the life of this blog, and some have not quite made it here yet, but will in the near future. I hope you enjoy, and as always, I welcome suggestions on the next thing(s) I should try!
Restaurant: Bouchon Bistro
My family went to Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro for my mother's birthday in 2012, and it was a sublime experience, with food to die for, impeccable service, and an atmosphere as comfortable and enjoyable as any I have ever been in, which is surprising for a Las Vegas restaurant.
Honorable Mention: Tacos Lupita and Julian Serrano
Local Restaurant: Curtis' BBQ, Hope and Olive and of course, Manna House
Before the end of this year, I hope to try more than a few new restaurants, but Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End, and Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, are the two that I most want to try.
Beer: Maine Beer Company's Lunch IPA
A perfect IPA, this is my favorite iteration of my favorite style. I love the citrus notes and complexity of this beer's hops, and it is an easy drinking brew despite a 7% ABV.
Honorable Mention: Sam Adams' Tetravis and Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA
I am hoping to get my hands on one of the Sam Adams Utopias for a reasonable price (or split one with someone), and of course try anything new from MBC, Ballast Point, or Great Divide.
Whisk(e)y: Glenfiddich 18 Year Ancient Reserve
This is a ridiculously smooth, powerful and complex Scotch, and while I only had a small "nip" of it, it was tremendous and I cannot wait until I have an opportunity to try it again.
Honorable Mention: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon and Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Family Reserve Bourbon
There are not really any specific whiskeys that I want to try over the next year, but I think I would like to get more into ryes and some of the whiskeys from countries outside the normal list we think about, like India and Japan.
Bars, Coffee Shops, and Other "Not Quite Restaurants": The Dirty Truth
With great food, an incredible beer list and a knowledgeable staff, this is sort of like a mecca for people like me. Try the french fries with white truffle oil, the Pulled BBQ Duck Nachos, and of course the Mac and Peas.
Honorable Mention: La Fiorentina
Anywhere with good coffee will be on my list to try over the next year; any suggestions would be appreciated!
"Other": Sweetfern Farm
My friends' farm, it truly exposed me to the wonders of fresh eggs, and it is just so relaxing there (at least for me; I don't have to wake up absurdly early to feed the sheep and all that) that even spending a few hours there makes me feel like a whole new person. Plus, cute furry animals.
So, I hope you have had as much fun over the last two years as I have, and I hope that everyone gets to experience just as much as I have!
******
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Restaurant: Bouchon Bistro
 |
| Short ribs at Bouchon Bistro |
Honorable Mention: Tacos Lupita and Julian Serrano
Local Restaurant: Curtis' BBQ, Hope and Olive and of course, Manna House
Before the end of this year, I hope to try more than a few new restaurants, but Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End, and Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, are the two that I most want to try.
Beer: Maine Beer Company's Lunch IPA
 |
| A flight of beers at Maine Beer Company; Lunch is back left |
Honorable Mention: Sam Adams' Tetravis and Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA
I am hoping to get my hands on one of the Sam Adams Utopias for a reasonable price (or split one with someone), and of course try anything new from MBC, Ballast Point, or Great Divide.
Whisk(e)y: Glenfiddich 18 Year Ancient Reserve
 |
| The far too tiny bottle of Glenfiddich |
Honorable Mention: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon and Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Family Reserve Bourbon
There are not really any specific whiskeys that I want to try over the next year, but I think I would like to get more into ryes and some of the whiskeys from countries outside the normal list we think about, like India and Japan.
Bars, Coffee Shops, and Other "Not Quite Restaurants": The Dirty Truth
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| A burger and fries at Dirty Truth |
Honorable Mention: La Fiorentina
Anywhere with good coffee will be on my list to try over the next year; any suggestions would be appreciated!
"Other": Sweetfern Farm
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| A very inquisitive looking sheep |
So, I hope you have had as much fun over the last two years as I have, and I hope that everyone gets to experience just as much as I have!
******
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Sunday, January 5, 2014
Glenfiddich 18 Year Ancient Reserve
I sadly only had a "nip" of this masterpiece; every year there are a few nips of good booze in my stocking at Christmas, and two years ago (I'm seriously not sure how this lasted this long) I got this. The bottle is just a standard Glenfiddich bottle in miniature, maintaining its distinctive shape, color and label, and is even packaged in a tube just like the rest of the distillery's higher end offerings.
Drinking this is a legitimate pleasure, with just a hint of Scotch's characteristic harshness, and robust peaty flavors make this a model Speyside option. Slightly sweet, supremely smooth, very lightly smoked, and with nearly two decades of aging, the oak casks have imparted their distinctive flavors and aromas as well. There is an apple-like quality to the sweetness that was very enjoyable, and I thought a little bit of citrus came through as well, though I could be wrong about that. Overall, this is among my favorite I have ever had, and if I can find some more for a reasonable price, I'll be happy to work a little overtime in order to get a full bottle of it.
Please note that this is not the same as the standard Glenfiddich 18 Year Single Malt. I do not know what exactly the differences are, but they are not the same thing, and the bottles and packaging should be enough to tell you which you are buying.
******
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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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