555 - Portland, Maine

The very first week that I learned the baby could taste (albeit in a diluted fashion through amniotic fluid), I decided to give him a real treat - dinner at Five Fifty-Five.

Located at 555 Congress Street, it's no secret to those who read this blog that the restaurant is one of my favorite Portland eateries. In 2007 Chef-owner Steve Correy was named one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine. His cuisine offers a creative and artful approach to more traditional dishes - such as "truffled lobster mac & cheese" and "shellfish & chips" - Maine shrimp dumplings with crispy shallot chips.

Five Fifty-Five is so popular now, that reservations are almost always necessary. We were lucky enough to call on a Saturday afternoon and secure a table for 8pm that same evening. We were seated in one of my favorite spots - upstairs by the railing overlooking the dining room and kitchen below. I love to watch the magic happen as the dishes are prepared with such careful precision.

After placing our order, we tempered our appetite with the amuse bouche - a lamb confit with cranberry and crispy potatoes. A basket of cubed foccacia bread was also delivered to our table, and served with a delicious creamy herbed butter

Chef Correy does not rest on his accolades. He changes his menu frequently, keeping a few signature dishes, and adding new ones to keep the menu fresh. I always order the soup - whatever it is - at Five Fifty Five. It is always amazing and the caramelized sunchoke soup ($7.95) on the menu the night we dined was no exception. Topped with sage infused oil and sunchoke chips, the soup had a mild, nutty taste. The velvety-smooth texture contrasted nicely against the lightly fried chips.

My husband enjoyed the often-imitated, but never replicated Grilled Caesar Salad ($10.95). Charred lettuce was covered with garlicky dressing and topped with peppered croutons and shaved Parmesan. This is my absolute favorite dish at Five Fifty Five.

I thought it best to avoid the partially cooked eggs used in the preparation of the Caesar dressing and instead selected the Orchard Apple Salad ($9.95). Mesculin greens, Cortland apples and pear slices were served with crunchy toasted walnuts, crisp cheddar "cheez-its", tart apple cider puree, and brown butter cider vinaigrette. The combination of flavors and textures was fabulous.

Little did we know that the Long Island Duck for Two was debuting for the first time that evening on the menu. Duck prepared four ways - pan roasted duck breast, crispy duck leg, pulled duck ragout and liver enriched pan sauce - was set upon a bed of toasted pearl barley. The presentation was spectacular, served on a long, narrow platter for two to share. I have never enjoyed pearl barley so much; the grains soaked up the pan sauce, creating a perfect base for each bite of succulent duck. An accompanying chutney of apricots, peaches and pears was a welcome contrast to the sweet richness of the sauce. I highly recommend this dish if it is still on the menu when you dine.

I was having intense chocolate cravings at this point in my pregnancy, so my husband agreed to share the "hot chocolate with marshmallows" for dessert. A moist, and dense chocolate cake was drenched in chocolate sauce and served with home made marshmallows. It was intensely rich, but oh-so-delicious. My husband took only a few small bites, leaving the rest for me to devour.

Five Fifty-Five is casually elegant; the cuisine is creative, yet not over-the-top; portions are generous without being overwhelming. It's the one of the restaurants I always take foodies visiting from out-of-town, the respite I seek after a long week at work, and is on the short list of spots I go when celebrating a special occasion.