Au Revoir

As many of might have noticed, I haven't been blogging much lately. With the arrival of the little guy, my priorities quickly changed. So while we still eat out frequently, when I have a free hour or two at home, I prefer to teach him how to walk or build a snowman than fire up the laptop.

So, for now, I am retiring from blogging. The posts will remain available on-line. In the next few months they will be reformatted for easier navigation.

I'd like to thank those of you who sent kind thoughts via the contact form. Thanks also to those of you who took the time to comment on posts along the way. It’s been an interesting ride; blogging has enhanced my appreciation for dining, forcing me to focus on the elements that comprises a notable culinary experience.

I have enjoyed watching the array of Portland restaurants mature from a few culinary seedlings in the 90s, to a nationally recognized foodie art colony. We (the patrons) have a special symbiotic relationship that seems to inspire these creative chefs who choose to remain in Portland.

For anyone lamenting my departure, remember that unlike when I started this blog in 2007, there are now many people writing about the Portland food scene. Resources are plentiful!

Happy 2010! Au Revoir...for now.

P.S. For those craving the final set of stats, here are the numbers since I started blogging in 2007:

• 336 Posts

• 112 Maine Restaurant Reviews

• 86 Portland Maine Restaurant Reviews

All time 10 most popular posts:

• Evangeline

• Best Restaurants in Portland Maine

• Emilitsa

• Farmers Table

• Grill Room

• El Rayo

• Bresca (2008)

• Miyake

• Grace

• Bresca (2007)

• Merry Table Creperie

Visitors:

• Almost a half a million views

• Visits from all 50 states and 143 countries/territories

Christmas Desserts

Christmas Desserts

• Red Velvet Cupcakes by Two Fat Cats


• Chocolate Corks by Standard Bakery


• Gingerbread Cake by Standard Bakery

Desserts guarded by Nutcrackers from Skillins Greenhouse in Falmouth.

Merry Christmas!

Brunch at Caiola's - Portland, Maine

On the rare occasion that our little guy sleeps through the night, he is wide awake and ready to start the day at 5 am. When this happens on a Sunday morning, I take the opportunity to head out for an early run to get back in time to go out to breakfast.

One of my favorite spots for a leisurely Sunday brunch is Caiola's. It is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant that inspires people from outside the neighborhood to become repeat visitors.

Caiola’s features a creative interpretation of a number of standard breakfast items. My husband is a huge Eggs Benedict fan. Caiola’s vegetarian version features poached eggs set upon thick slices of bread and covered with sun dried tomatoes, peppers, spinach, and button mushrooms sauteed to perfection. A lemony hollandaise sauce is drizzled over the dish to create a satisfying breakfast entree.

In the mood for Huevos Rancheros on a recent visit, I opted for the closest thing on the menu – the Tostada. A crunchy corn shell was topped with fried eggs, black beans, sour cream and salsa. The ingredients were fresh and delicious, and though I ordered it without the chorizo, I suspect it would have imparted a wonderful smokiness to the dish.
I enjoy the little touches that make brunch at Caiola’s special – like the way they steam the milk for my coffee and infuse their blueberry muffins with lavender or other fresh herbs. And I appreciate the fact that we don’t feel rushed. Caiola’s is the kind of spot you can linger over the Sunday paper and have an extra cup of coffee without any guilt.

Caiola’s is somewhere between Hot Suppa and Five Fifty Five Brunch in terms of price and creativity. Hot Suppa is known for their well done basic breakfast fare – closer to a diner experience – while Five Fifty Five is a special occasion brunch spot with more refined service and cuisine. Caiola’s fits nicely in the middle, providing excellent value, creative fare and well-trained staff.

Miyake - Portland, Maine

The number one criticism from my readers over the last two years has been my review of Miyake. No matter how many positive comments I receive, it’s always, "I love your blog, but I disagree with the Miyake review." I considered returning last year to give them another try, but with my pregnancy and the requirement to avoid raw fish, I thought it best to wait until my dietary restrictions had been lifted. So after a two year hiatus, I finally followed my readers’ advice and returned. Boy have things changed!

I noted on my prior visit that the interior was stark and utilitarian; it has been greatly improved. The green cement walls are now decorated and the plastic chairs have been replaced. The restaurant still does not have a liquor license, and while I love the economics of BYOB, I do miss the ability to try different sakes by being relegated to the one bottle I bring. Fortunately, Joe Ricchio is now working at Miyake and was able to suggest one of his favorite bottles that we picked up at Downeast Beverage on the way to dinner - Sato no Homare (Pride of the Village). This Junmai Ginjo sake is made at a brewery with a 850 year history. It has a wonderful floral taste that complimented our sushi feast perfectly.

Miyake is a tiny restaurant that I would not describe as "baby friendly." Even so, we called ahead of time and Joe figured out how they could accommodate our little guy – getting a little creative with a corner table and the baby jogger. It all worked and he slept comfortably through the duration of our meal.

Based on the recommendations from my readers, we avoided the more traditional sushi and nigiri selections. We opted instead for specials that showcased Chef Masa’s talents - including the Omakse II - a 5 course variety of special dishes and fusion nigiri tasting ($50pp).

We began our meal with a bowl of Mushroom Miso Soup. Locally foraged, meaty mushroom added an earthy flavor to the traditional miso broth. Tuna three ways ($13) consisted of sashimi, tartar, and tuna marinated with sweet sake soy sauce. The flavors of Japanese mayonnaise, pickles and tangy soy sauce complemented the fish, which simply melted in my mouth.

My favorite tuna dish of the evening was the Bluefin and Avocado Roll ($18) topped with diced Toro, truffle oil, spicy sesame oil and scallions. It was the best tuna I’ve had since my visit to San Diego’s famed Tuna Harbor.

Besides the Bluefin Tuna, the other standout dish of the evening was the raw lobster topped with garlic oil. I had never before tried the crustacean raw – I actually prefer it to cooked lobster. This dish was part of the Omakse tasting menu and also contained salmon, bluefin tuna and hand cut daikon radish – so many amazing flavors on one plate!

The spicy crab ($10) was broiled in a mayonnaise glaze and served with spicy Japanese red pepper, tobiko and radish sprouts – another of my favorite bites that evening. The Tai Snapper Ceviche ($16) had a "bright" flavor – diced and tossed with lemon/lime juice, cilantro, shiso and rolled in soy paper.

Other treats from the tasting menu included Bluefin Tuna Rib braised in soy sauce, Swordfish Toro served with shaved brussel sprouts, Eel with mushrooms, and a giant Scallop served with butter poached lobster and a miso glaze.

The Nigiri Fusion dish contained Yellowtail with jalapeno pepper, spicy bluefin tuna, pink snapper, Tai snapper and a tasty pine nut salad. The combination of flavors and textures danced on the tongue. And though we had plenty food, we couldn’t resist the green tea tiramisu for dessert, a light and refreshing ending to a memorable meal.

My one criticism of the evening (albeit minor), was the abundance of flavored oils. The quality of the fish certainly didn’t necessitate its usage. And while I don’t object to the occasional drop of oil to enhance a dish, it became tiresome after having it so frequently that evening.

What Miyake does best is creative sushi. Think O Ya Boston, not neighborhood sushi joint. I’ve updated my best restaurants in Portland list to include Miyake as the most creative sushi in Portland. I’m pleased with the improvements in ambiance and quality of food, and will definitely be a repeat visitor going forward.

Veranda Noodle Bar - Portland, Maine

After a day of clothes shopping for the little guy, we stopped in at the Veranda Noodle Bar (located at 14 Veranda Street in Portland) on the way home. Though they had just opened the previous night, half the dining room was filled with several large parties.

The interior space is divided into two dining rooms. The dining area farthest from the door features a small bar, while the other has a counter for takeout orders. I would be cautious about sitting in the dining room closest to the door because without a double door, cold air fills the room each time a patron enters.

The tables were adorned with better quality china plates, tea cups and flatware. In an interesting contrast, televisions behind the bar and behind the take out corner (yes, there were two televisions) were left on throughout our visit.

The menu features mostly Vietnamese appetizers, rice plates, soups, and, of course, noodle dishes. There are some carryover dishes from their sister restaurant next door, Veranda Thai. The wine-by-the-glass selection was limited; they have a dozen or so Asian and domestic beers and about the same number of cocktails.

We started with two appetizers, the Sugarcane ($6.95) and the Veranda Ravioli ($6.95). The sugarcane sounded like an amusing appetizer - shrimp rolled into a ball and served on a sugarcane stick. The shrimp had an odd, spongy consistency and was very pink. Before tasting it, I would never have guessed it was shrimp. I wouldn't recommend this appetizer – nor would I order the shrimp cake vermicelli that is on the menu (our waitress said the same spongy shrimp is used for the cake).

The Veranda Ravioli were more like wontons than ravioli. Though they were certainly better than the Sugarcane, the wrapper was too-thick and they were served only lukewarm. The accompanying ginger sauce was delicious though.

We decided to stay noodle-focused with our entrees, given the theme of the restaurant. We tried the Duck Noodle Soup ($10.95), the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Vermicelli ($9.95) and the Chow Foon ($12.95). Portions were all hearty. The soup featured fresh roasted Pekin duck thigh, perfectly cooked noodles and a basic chicken broth. Though it was tasty, my husband prefers the noodle soup at Pom's Thai Taste and Noodle House because the broth, noodles and other ingredients can be customized to his preferences.

The Grilled Shrimp over Steamed Noodles featured fresh vegetables, but lacked any wow factor. The standout dish of the evening was the Chow Foon. Wide noodles were stir fried with tofu and vegetables – just the right amount of oil was used, the noodles were perfectly cooked and the vegetables were crisp. We devoured every last bit of this dish and would definitely return to have it again.

Service suffered from some snafus in the kitchen which we were prepared for given that we dined on their second night being open. They also had several large parties ordering simultaneously, creating stress on the kitchen staff. The front-of-the house personnel were pleasant and attentive and seemed to have a good understanding of the menu. The price to value ratio was off - even with an extra entree, $75 for dinner and drinks seemed a bit high.

Bottom line: The talent exhibited at Veranda Noodle Bar's sister restaurant, Veranda Thai, has yet to work its way across the street. I'd give them time to work out the kinks in the kitchen and with the service before going back.

2009 Q3 Update

The top 10 most read posts July thru September:

1. Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine


2. Grace Restaurant


3. The Farmer's Table


4. Corner Room


5. Evangeline


6. El Rayo Taqueria


7. Bresca


8. Salt Exchange Portland Maine


9. Miyake


10. Emilitsa

Interesting Facts on the Stats:

• The blog had a 62% increase in the number of visitors compared to the same quarter last year


• The busiest day in this blog's history was July 8, related to two new restaurant openings - Corner Room and the Grace.

Baby Update

The little guy is almost six months old now and eating up a storm. I purchased the Beaba Babycook from Williams Somona and make much of his food. Parsnips, sweet potato and tofu/carrot puree are among his favorites, with avocado being the only food he doesn't like so far...

Although I've slowed down on the posts due to new family demands, we still dine out frequently, mostly at my favorite spots on the Best Portland Restaurant List. Luckily, I've found that I don't have to sacrifice great meals out now that I have my little dining companion in tow. I just make sure I dine at an early hour so we don't bother other patrons. Thankfully we haven't had any issues yet - in fact, our waitress at Caiola's during a recent meal made the comment that he is the "perfect restaurant baby." But of course!

Tower of Eatin'

We played tourist this weekend, spending Sunday afternoon meandering through the streets of Kennebunkport. When we needed a respite from the crowds and the chilly salt air, we stopped into Hurricane Restaurant. Perched overlooking the water in the heart of The Port (Dock Square), Hurricane has been on my list of places to try for quite some time.

I was impressed by Hurricane's extensive wine-by-the-glass list. Chilled from our afternoon outside, I warmed up with a glass of David Bruce Petite Sirah, while my husband enjoyed the Allagash White on draft. We perused the menu and settled on a bowl of the house specialty -Lobster Chowder - and the Giant Seafood Tower (how could we resist an appetizer with that name?).

The Chowder ($12) was fantastic. Served in a huge bowl (plenty for two to share), it was thick but not pasty and filled with plenty of lobster (though it could have benefited from a bit more sherry and butter). The Giant Seafood Tower ($45) was a tiered platter covered with raw littleneck clams, oysters, jumbo shrimp, Jonah crab claws and a whole lobster (served chilled). Talk about a feast from the sea! Paired with a buttery chardonnay, it satisfied my seafood craving.

Though I would definitely stop in again for a drink and appetizer, I would probably shy away from a special trip there from Portland only because the menu is a bit traditional for my taste. However, if you have out-of-town guests in search of fresh Maine seafood and a view that can't be beat, Hurricane fits the bill.

Extended Interview with Andrew Knowlton

WCSH6 has posted an extended interview with Andrew Knowlton, the Restaurant Editor of Bon Appétit magazine. The magazine recently named Portland Maine as the Foodiest Small Town for 2009. You can read more about Andrew's thoughts on his The BA Foodist blog.