Local 188 - Portland, ME

Maybe it was because our expectations were set really low (based on a number of poor reviews). Or maybe it was because we were with friends we hadn't seen in awhile. Or perhaps the staff has finally recovered from their move across the street, and resolved the service issues. Whatever it was, we had a fantastic Saturday evening at Local 188.

I knew it would be a great night the moment I set foot in the door at Local 188's new location on Congress Street and saw Joe (formerly of Evangaline) tending bar. He's only there on Saturday nights, so plan accordingly if you're a fan of his drinks - or his humor - or both.

The interior of Local 188 is huge, but the owner has done a nice job creating various "spaces." Depending on your mood, and how full the restaurant is, you can choose to dine at the bar, at couches or little cafe-style tables in the lounge area, at the bar overlooking the kitchen, at tables in the dining room portion of the restaurant, or in a booth.

We had made reservations earlier that same day and were seated at a table in the dining room area. We were greeted by our waitress (Mariah), who offered to take our drink orders. We had chosen Local 188 because the men in the group were in the mood for beer, and Local 188 has quite a diverse selection. Unfortunately, they don't serve these beers in branded glass. Rather tiny chilled juice glasses are served with the bottle (pint glasses were also offered, but were not chilled so we declined). In Belgium almost every type of beer is served in its own type of branded glass and although a brand name on a glass will not impart any difference to the taste of the beer, the shape sometimes does have an influence. Vignola, Fuel and even the Frog & Turtle all have branded glasses; it would be a nice enhancement at Local 188.

Our waitress waited patiently as the men debated over their selection, finally deciding on the La Goudale from France. The self-described beer snob in the group described this beer as a perfect balance of hops and sweetness, full bodied and well structured. A mojito for me and a glass of Prosecco for my friend, and our drink order was complete. Then came the hard part. What to order for dinner.

Known for their tapas, we were surprised that only dinner menus were offered, though when my husband inquired about tapas, our waitress brought over that menu, as well. Just when we thought we had decided what to order, our waitress rattled off at least a dozen additional specials. They should really have a chalkboard or supplemental menu for the specials; there were so many that by the time she had finished describing them all, we had to ask her to repeat the ones she had talked about first.

While we waited for our first course, we were presented with cubes of soft foccacia bread served with delicious roasted garlic cloves swimming in olive oil. The treat from the kitchen that evening was a colorful plate of ratatouille with fresh, crisp yellow and green beans.

My appetizer, a creamy corn, sweet potato and chipolte soup was fantastic. The chipolte gave it a bit of a smokey kick while Moroccan spices added wonderful flavor. The grilled whole wheat flatbread was addictive - topped with olive oil and roasted fennel and carrots.

My husband started with the Moroccan spiced fried egg that was served over-easy with basil, tomato and slices of flatbread intended for scooping up the other ingredients.

The olives, ordered from the tapas menu, increased in heat as we worked our way down the bowl; the bottom layer was spiced with coriander and chili. "Heaven on top, and hell on the bottom," was how my friend (who doesn't appreciate spicy food) described the olives.

The men ordered their second beer, the Gulden Draak, to accompany the entrees. They described it as a "fine beer," less hoppy than the La Goudate, and a bit more sweet.

My husband took me by surprise and ordered a bunch of appetizers and tapas, rather than an entree. His salt cod cakes were very salty and too mushy for any of our tastes, though we enjoyed the accompanying smoked paprika remoulade. The locally foraged mushrooms were fabulous - juicy, meaty and sauteed with garlic and sherry. The shrimp and garlic, also from the tapas menu, were rather ordinary. I prefer shrimp char-grilled as opposed to sauteed.

The fish special of the evening was bluefish - a strong flavored and somewhat oily fish from South Africa Rhode Island. The bluefish was moist and prepared to my friend's liking, served with a dill and creme fraiche sauce, sauteed greens, roasted potatoes and grilled baby carrots.

The chef accommodated my request to add shrimp to the linguine entree, which was tossed with marinated artichoke hearts, warm greens, tomatoes, capers and feta cheese. This dish was plenty for two to share.

We were all too full for dessert, but not wanting the evening to end, we decided to indulge, if only so the men could try a dessert beer, the Chimay Cinq Cents Tripel Ale. Triple fermented with a strong bite, it had incredible body.

I was disappointed to learn that they were out of the lemon pudding cake that evening, but the substitute dessert was amazing. A toasted coconut cheesecake with a touch of amaretto was deliciously creamy and not too sweet. My friend's chocolate torte looked amazing and was incredibly dense, but dry and lacking the intense chocolate flavor I look for in a tort.

Our portion - five appetizers, one tapas, one entree, one dessert, two mojitos and half of the beer tab - was $98 - a fair price for the amount of food and alcohol consumed. Of course, we left a good-sized tip because Mariah provided such exquisite service - intuitive, yet not intrusive.

The atmosphere at Local 188 is fun and party like; the cuisine is creative and well prepared. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be having a good time and there were many large groups the night we dined. With Johnny Cash playing in the background and laughter filling the air, it is not a place I would choose to dine for a date night. Rather it is a spot I would gather with friends or co-workers knowing I could let my hair down, talk at loud decibels and laugh out loud, without feeling as though I were disturbing other diners.

I will definitely return to Local 188.