Dressed for Dinner
I suppose we should be grateful that Portland restaurants turn a blind eye to the notion of dress codes. In New York, for example, it was reported recently that Nick Nolte walked into the inimitable Nobu wearing sweat pants and slippers; and that George Clooney was reprimanded for not wearing a tie when he stopped into the 21 Club for lunch and forced to put one on.
If we cow tow to fashion at all here it’s often weather and lifestyle related, with stints at the Mall or slogging through snow banks.
If I have one fashion complaint ( not confined to Portland) it concerns people—men and women—who enter a fine restaurant wearing a baseball cap as though it were a skull replacement. Unless worn to hide a medical condition, it doesn’t belong in public rooms where ambiance might suggest otherwise. Then again maybe I’m just a curmudgeon.
Or maybe I eat out too often and get touchy about what I see sometimes.
Tonight I’m planning to stay in. We had friends in for dinner last night. It took the entire day to prepare the meal, and I’m tired. The thought of messing up the kitchen again is not appealing, so tonight’s meal will be simple. The leftover leg of lamb that I served is going to be made into a hash: quick, hearty and delicious.
Yet in the back of my mind I’m thinking: Maybe we should just go out for a nice casual meal somewhere--nothing fancy, time consuming or expensive.
I’d go to Norm’s on Congress, but it’s nearly impossible to find either a parking spot or a table. I think all the people seated have arrived by foot or by bus at 4 pm and hunker down for the rest of the evening. Popular restaurants should consider a time limit for obstinate diners
Dog Fish Café would be another choice, but it’s hard to get a table there, too, given its tiny quarters. I haven’t been all that wowed by the food recently, and I think I might enjoy my hash at home more.
Walter’s is another casual spot where a good meal can be had. I go there for lunch frequently but have never been there for dinner. Yet Walter’s is my lunch spot, and I’d hate to spoil the illusion.
Some red sauce Italian fare would hit the spot, but I’m afraid Greater Portland doesn’t have much to offer in that regard. I won’t go back to Casa Novello anytime soon, not since my recent travails there. Esposito’s is definitely not in the running either, and I’m not sure I could face the vast spaces or culinary guffaws of the Village Café.
Street & Co is another consideration. I like the food there, but now that their chef is gone to open her own place, I ‘m not sure about trying potluck.
Where have I eaten that I’ve enjoyed a lot?
There were four recent standouts.
We went to Back Bay Grill on Friday night and dinner was as good as ever. What I hadn’t realized was that founder and former owner Joel Freund had died earlier in the week. It was particularly poignant for me because Back Bay was the first restaurant that I went to in Portland before we lived here. And I was very impressed that Joel remembered us each time, often months apart. Each visit to Portland was unthinkable without going to Back Bay.
Then, as now, I often order the chicken, which chef Larry Matthews does beautifully. What was notable about it the other night was the vegetable accompaniment of spaghetti squash formed into a small cake and topped with a fragrant coating of cous cous. It’s a new dish and I urge you to try it.
The next night, Saturday, we found ourselves at Katahadin, that citadel of 1970s funk. Every time I’m there I expect to hear the Beetles or Janis Joplin playing on the sound system. Instead, what we found was a mixed crew of ever-colorful diners-- some in pre-Halloween drag and others as faithful tweedy West End patrons.
There’s certainly no other restaurant like it in Portland. It defies the frivolous notion of elegance and affects a mannered, blasé aura instead. We go about once a month and revel in this cuddly time warp. It makes me feel young, an appealing concept to us Baby Boomers.
I had a great dinner there and started off with one of Winnifred’s masterful cocktails.
For a first course I had a delicious acorn-squash tart set in cheddar custard that was sublime. It was presented on a bed of wild lettuces, spicy, crisp and utterly fresh, dressed with an assertive vinaigrette.
One of my favorite dishes there is the hangar steak. It’s steeped in an aromatic marinade, wonderfully tangy and grilled perfectly. It’s served with the best garlic mashed potatoes in town. I tried one of their new desserts a cranberry upside down cake, which I liked a lot.
The week before we were in the Blue Hill-Deer Isle area, which offered some intriguing dining options off-season. We stayed at the charming Pilgrim’s Inn in Deer Isle and had dinner that Thursday at the inn’s new restaurant, the Whale’s Tooth Pub. I think I preferred the elegant barn dinners that they used to serve, but the Whale’s Tooth, the replacement, is a critical success
They offer great pub fare. Portions are enormous, the food is zesty and the place is an absolute hit with visitors and locals alike.
One standout dish was spears of sweet potatoes in a bread coating and fried-- fabulous, unerringly fattening and filling. The next night, as we were on our way out, we noticed that the bar and restaurant was loaded to the rafters. I think they’ve hit it right, and it’s about the only place there is for dinner in the area.
Where we were going was to Arborvine in Blue Hill. It’s been around for over 5 years and has a loyal local and summer following.
The restaurant is divided into several rooms, all done up in elegant country-inn décor It draws an interesting crowd, civilized and decidedly upscale—not a baseball cap in sight. The food was delicious and it’s probably one of the best restaurants Down East.
I had a wonderful loin of venison for a main course, and others in our group enjoyed expertly prepared halibut and salmon. My first course consisted of house-smoked fish with various sauces such as a tarragon mayonnaise and a mustard sauce. I enjoyed it immensely.
When we left town the next day we stopped at the Co-op for breakfast, the local natural food emporium and café.
In their freezer is a great stash of organic farm-raised meats and poultry. The lamb we had last night was purchased there. It came from a local farm and it was very good: rich flavor, very tender and fresh tasting, even after being frozen for several weeks.
As it turns out we’ve decided to go out do dinner tonight. Hang the hash. It will be used up somehow tomorrow.
I’m not certain where we’ll go though. We’ll try to get into Norm’s, Street & Co. or Oolong. But I think the first restaurant where we can find a convenient parking spot will be tonight’s choice.
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