Five Stars for Five Fifty-Five (Portland, Maine)

Note: A more recent 555 Review is available.

And now for the continuation of "Five Fifty-Five Therapy"...

I bet the suspense was killing you.

So, I was stressed and needed a night out at Five Fifty-Five, my favorite Maine restaurant.

We didn't have reservations, which are now very necessary since Steve Corey just received the Food & Wine Award for one of the ten Best New Chefs in America. But we took a chance. Michelle (Steve's wife, co-owner and an amazing front-of-the-house operator) has never let us down before; she always seems to find a us a table. This visit was no exception. And as I sipped my L'Ecole Semillon and started to review the menu, all the stress from the day just melted away.

I started with the "knuckle sandwich". A new-found lobster lover, I can't get enough of the stuff...the "knuckle sandwich" consisted of casco bay lobster atop a sandwich of avocado aioli with fresh peas between two fried green tomatoes. Exquisite!

My husband started with the chilled potato leek soup with American caviar, crispy waffle chips and chive oil. The soup - whatever it may be - is always one of the best items on the menu. This soup did not disappoint. Nor did the grilled Caesar, one of the chef's signature dishes and one that seems simple enough to replicate at home, but it just never tastes the same. Hearts of romaine, flash grilled and topped with shaved Parmesan, garlic dressing and croutons. I can't go to this restaurant without indulging in this dish. Neither can my husband - normally. But he was drawn to the 555 Grilled Flatbread, cooked especially for him to conform to his vegetarian tendency. Replacing the normal sausage with arugula, the flatbread was also topped with sherry-caramelized onions and feta cheese. For the main course, I selected the smoky trout risotto with organic corn and creamy mascarpone which tasted like an amazing version of corn chowder. If I could make risotto like that at home, my husband might actually eat it...as he did this dish when we promptly switched entrees after he tasted the risotto.

I ended up with his herbed mushroom and ricotta tart with caramelized onions, wilted rainbow chard, toasted pine nuts and aged balsamic drizzle. I have never been disappointed with the vegetarian offerings at Five Fifty-Five. They are always creative and exploding with flavor.

On other visits we have tried the - peppercorn -crusted, pan seared day boat scallops (actually my husband has these on almost every visit), the "fish and chips" - which is unlike any fish & chips you've ever had, I guarantee! Local line-caught halibut, served with lemon-grilled asparagus, crispyparsnips and parsley infusion. The grilled Scottish salmon with pesto-scented native fingerling potatoes, garlic-brushed asparagus and preserved lemon hollandaise is also excellent. For the "green plate," I would stick to the grilled caesar - nothing else even comes close. And for the "small plate" I would go for the soup.

We rarely have room for dessert, preferring to indulge in the "savory" and "green" plates instead. But on a couple of occasions we have sampled from the dessert menu. The chocolate cream pie with buttery-dark chocolate pastry, milk chocolate-thyme pudding, Tahitian vanilla bean "cool whip" and essence of snell farm strawberries is very good. The "peas and carrots”with organic baby carrot bavarian, ginger sorbet and sweet pea coulis was not really my thing, but you have to give them points for creativity on this dish!

Everything about Five Fifty-Five is just right. Fine dining, without the stuffiness. Waitstaff are well trained and empowered to make decisions to ensure they exceed the expectations of their patrons. Case in point, just before my husband's flatbread was to arrive, the waitress arrived to discuss the wine pairing to accompany the course. She mentioned a particular wine that would pair well with the sausage on the flatbread. We do not eat meat and did not realize there was sausage on the flatbread. Clearly an oversight on our part, but when we mentioned it, she said it would take a few minutes longer but that she would have the chef create a vegetarian version of the appetizer. She didn't have to check with the chef. And she didn't simply apologize and serve the dish as is. She made a split second decision, poured us some wine to tide us over and arrived back shortly with freshly prepared dishes. Flawless execution.

Inside Five Fifty-Five you will find two levels of air conditioned dining (though I think with the recent addition of the Point Five lounge they may need to upgrade the air conditioning units to ensure the rooms are cooled adequately). I love to be seated either in the front window (to watch the passers-by), or upstairs by the railing so I can look down at the chefs' careful and exacting preparation of each dish, delivered within minutes from kitchen to table under Michelle's watchful eye.

Wine pairings are not offered on the menu, but we have always found the waitstaff and bartenders well-versed on pairings. And they have an abundance of choices by the glass and half glass. In fact, I have discovered some of my favorite wines at Five Fifty-Five.

If you're visiting Maine, this is one of Portland's top restaurants - my favorite by far. For locals, I encourage your return visit. The menu is ever changing and sure to please.