Maine Line: Fore Star

I'm not big on destination restaurants. After all, my single must-have on our trip to Maine was a lobster roll. But since we had an evening free, I decided to reserve a spot at what is considered to be Portland's best restaurant, Sam Hayward's Fore Street.

Like Greg Higgins here, Hayward is renowned for his dedication to the land and the cuisine of Maine, for his seasonal menus and sourcing ingredients from local farmers and purveyors. ''I think of the menu as almost a narrative of what Maine's foodways are about and where they're going,'' he said in a New York Times interview. ''We have one foot in tradition and one in modernity.''

The tradition part would include the wood-fired oven that is front and center in the open kitchen, an unusual feature in 1996, when Fore Street opened. Rather than being seated in one of the cushy wood-paneled booths against the wall, we were put next to that oven's fiery mouth, with the grill and rotisserie alongside it, the prep area for the salads and breads right in front of us, and with a bird's-eye view into the wood-paneled cold storage locker. I was in heaven.

We ordered a half dozen oysters, comprised of Basket Island, Mill Cove and Damariscotta (right), served on ice in a handled pan with a verjus mignonette. The Basket Islands were the smallest, with a sharp briny flavor, surprisingly meaty for oysters their size. The Mill Coves were equally briny with a touch of sweetness and a much creamier texture. The huge Damariscottas were too much to eat all in one go and I had to cut mine in half, a big no-no in eating fresh oysters, but what could I do? These were the mildest, but must have been doing workouts with the Basket Islands, since they had the same muscle-y texture.

We also shared a grilled sourdough and kale salad, with leaf lettuce, shaved fennel, roasted sweet peppers and olives. I was hoping for a version of a kale salad I'd been working on at home, but this one was made with baby kale and combined with young leaf lettuces, which obscured the other ingredients and, while perfectly good, was uninspiring.

One selection on the menu that shouted my name was the "Chilled Meats and Offal" which gives a choice of three items for $14. We went with the moulard duck pate, rabbit sausage and foie gras and pistachio terrine (left), which arrived with sides of fennel jam, pickled shallots and whole grain mustard. The pate was mild and creamy, the sausage an herby delight and the foie…well…can I just say that, along with Carol Boutard's blackcap jam, this was luscious enough to make a marvelous marital aid.

Our mains were just as amazing. Dave's dry-rubbed pork loin on a bed of braised sauerkraut (right) was astonishing not just for its size but for its succulence. On the menu almost since the place opened, this is an example of the best and highest use of the often-mistreated loin cut.

The hanger steak with great Northern beans and braised oxtail that Mr. B chose was grilled over the wood fire between the oven and the turnspit that had roasted the loin. It was a huge piece of perfectly rare-ish meat, the beans beautifully cooked in the wood oven, and was almost more than even his prodigious appetite could manage.

The wood-oven roasted, whole gilt-edged sea bream (left) that I ordered was stuffed with smoked shrimp and garlic and scattered with grilled spring onions and pakchoi. Served in the pan it was roasted in, it was a gorgeous thing, though nowhere near too pretty to eat, which I did, up to and including tearing apart the head to get to the forehead meat and cheeks.

We all felt it was one of the best meals we've had, and the prices seemed right in line with, or even less than, what we'd expect to pay for a special occasion meal back home.

As a matter of fact, with its wood oven and commitment to local food, it would be a dinner-house version of our own Ned Ludd, with nothing aside from size and an ever-so-slightly more upscale menu in its favor. But on the chance you do get to Maine, make a point of stopping by and getting a taste of the state…without a single lobster in sight.

Details: Fore Street, 288 Fore St., Portland, ME. Phone 207-775-2717.

Check out the other installments in the series: The (Other) Portland, Dinner and a Show, Breakfast and Lunch, Loosening Up, Puttering Around the Old Port and Shackin' It.  

Maine Line: Shackin' It

My one requirement for the whole trip to Maine was fairly simple: I wanted to have a lobster roll. It didn't have to be fancy, in fact, it would be better if it wasn't. It didn't even have to be on the coast, though that would add a few bonus points to the experience.

The nautically themed interior.

Then I heard about The Lobster Shack, and I knew it would fit the bill perfectly. First, it was just a few miles south of Portland in the village of Cape Elizabeth. Second, it was situated overlooking the ocean and offered the simplicity of ordering at the counter, then choosing either outdoor or indoor seating, a big plus on a spring day in Maine. And third, it had been rated as one of the best spots in the area to get a roll.

The shack overlooking the Atlantic.

So we jumped into the rental car and drove down in the late afternoon, winding through Cape Elizabeth and out past Two Lights State Park to a spit of land with, you guessed it, two lighthouses. The little house was teetering atop a slate outcropping overlooking Casco Bay and the Atlantic, looking like it could tumble into the waves at any moment, though I consoled myself with the knowledge that it had stood there in sturm und drang since the 1920s.

Clam strips and cocktail sauce.

We ordered a lobster roll each, and Dave got an additional basket of clam strips. After waiting a few minutes for a table, our number was called and my roll landed in front of me in all its simple beauty. A fair amount of lobster meat (maybe a half lobster?) was tucked neatly into a split roll of white bread, a small dollop of mayonnaise at one end and a slice of bread and butter pickle at the other, the whole thing sprinkled with paprika, one assumes to give it some color.

One of the Two Lights.

Remove the pickle for consumption later, spread the mayo around and…voilá…lobster roll in all its moist, meaty simplicity. I was one happy camper, let me tell you. Less mayonnaise-laden than the one I'd had in Vermont (though it was good, too), I preferred this simpler version.

The clam strips were equally simple and delicious, breaded and quickly deep fried to tender perfection. A dunk in the very good tartar sauce (or cocktail sauce, depending on your preference) and satisfaction reigned.

Details: The Lobster Shack at Two Lights, 225 Two Lights Rd., Cape Elizabeth, ME. Phone 207-799-1677.

Check out the other installments in the series: The (Other) Portland, Dinner and a Show, Breakfast and Lunch, Loosening Up, Puttering Around the Old Port and Fore Star. 

Maine Line: Puttering Around the Old Port

Call me a stick-in-the-mud or an old poop or just plain boring, but my idea of a great trip is to hang out in one place and get to know it really well. So if you're a 25 cities in 15 days kind of person, we'd best not plan any vacations together. Fortunately Dave has a similar temperament, and as long as there a few pubs to visit, he's happy.

So on our recent trip to Portland, Maine, we spent most of our time checking out the Old Port district, formerly full of brick warehouses, seamen's bars and the rougher aspects of a working port. Starting in the 70s, like our own Pearl district, the area was revitalized and became a tourist destination and cultural hub, and now it's home to microroasters, microbreweries and local bakeries along with shops carrying crafts and knickknacks.

Sebago Brewing.

As you might expect, we indulged in several local brews, including those from Shipyard, Sebago and Gritty McDuff's, founded in 1988 and calling itself Maine's original brewpub. The beers we tried were all well-made and similar in style to the brews found here, though not as hop-centric, and a Northwesterner would be hard-pressed not to feel right at home with any of them.

Coffee by Design.

Coffee in this often cold and definitely maritime climate is a necessity of life and, like here, that need for a buzz as well as an interest in supporting local talent has spawned a surge in local roasteries. One fortuitously near our hotel, called Coffee by Design, was a regular morning stop before whatever jaunt we had planned for the day. With their ethics right out front in phrases like "passionate, local, humane, responsible and sustainable," they also tout their "Maine values." And that was just fine with us.

The…best…sign…ever.

Next door was another regular stop, Two Fat Cats Bakery. Not only well-regarded by the locals, this tiny bakery has earned kudos from Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. Me, I just liked their raspberry almond bread with my coffee, though we had to leave before I could try a Whoopie Pie.

One of my favorite finds, though, was Micucci Grocery (right) located in a charming brick building with a great sign but with a tiny door and almost no windows, not exactly a friendly face on the street. It was closed for the weekend, but was open on Monday when we walked by, so I insisted on going in even though it looked like a wholesale, not-to-the-public kind of place. Filled with imported, predominantly Italian foods like pastas, olives and wine, it reminded me of Corti Brothers in Sacramento.

After a quick walk-through I was almost ready to leave when I noticed several customers ignoring the shelves and walking up some stairs into a back room. Following them, we came into an odd windowless room with a pass-through window filled with trays of Italian pastries freshly made in the bakery on the other side of the opening. Gorgeous and flaky, these were old-world Italian pastries at their best, and included Girelle, Sfogliatelle, Luna and rosemary focaccia.

And not only that, people apparently knew, despite the lack of signage, that there were plate-sized squares of homemade pizza to be had, because several teenage boys came in and picked up the huge squares for lunch. At $4.50 each, the puffy slices looked (and smelled) like the real deal.

The bar at RíRá.

And not to cram too much into one post, but the other discovery was an Irish pub (a chain, actually) called RíRá smack-dab on the waterfront that had the usual Irish beer selections (Guinness, Murphy's, etc.) and a decent selection of local microbrews.

Now this is fish (with…um…chips?).

Plus the food was terrific, with a moist and meltingly tender Reuben and one of the biggest servings of fish I've ever seen on a plate of fish'n'chips. Seriously, it was easily enough for two people and would have competed with the best we have here. The fish was haddock, a ubiquitous item on almost every menu we saw in town, and one I hadn't had before. It's soft and mild but with big flakes like halibut.

So if you're headed to the area, I'd heartily recommend staying, or at least devoting some time, to the area. Then walk up Munjoy Hill to Congress Street and take in the view (and some more incredible ethnic hole-in-the-wall groceries). If only we'd had more time!


Details: Shipyard Brewing, 86 Newbury St., Portland, ME; 207-761-0807.
Sebago Brewing, 164 Middle St.; 207-775-2337.
Gritty McDuff's, 396 Fore St., 207-772-2739.
Coffee By Design, 67 India St.,207-780-6767.
Two Fat Cats Bakery, 47 India St., 207-347-5144.
Micucci Grocery, 45 India St., 207-775-1854.
RíRá Irish Pub, 72 Commercial St., 207-761-4446.

Check out the other installments in the series: The (Other) Portland, Dinner and a Show, Breakfast and Lunch, Loosening Up, Shackin' It and Fore Star.

Maine Line: Loosening Up

First off, they're not called "freeways" in Maine because…well…they're not free. But if you're driving on the interstate in Maine and feel the need to "stretch your legs," the Maine Department of Transportation has suggestions on how to do that and more. Signs like those above are posted at intervals around the parking lot in every rest area for travelers who may need to loosen up a little.

Check out the other installments in the series: The (Other) Portland, Dinner and a Show, Breakfast and Lunch, Puttering Around the Old Port, Shackin' It and Fore Star.

Maine Line: Breakfast and Lunch

While Dave and I share many things in common, we also have some significant differences. I'm a planner. Dave is not. I like to know where I'm going to sleep and where (and what) I'm going to eat. Dave, as you can imagine, isn't so concerned. So once in awhile I try to take a deep breath and, as difficult as it is, "go with the flow."

The Farmers' Table on Commercial.

Which worked out one morning as we wandered around the Old Port district looking for breakfast. Not only are there plenty of places to have coffee and pastries, but there are several cafés serving breakfast in the vicinity. Perusing some menus hung in windows, there were some promising candidates, but when we got to The Farmer's Table we knew we'd struck paydirt.

Sweet potato and corned beef hash.

Not only did the offerings look tempting, but it faced out over the bay and had two decks in full sunlight which, on a 60-degree, relatively windless morning made it darn near perfect. And the menu suggested a leaning toward local products made in-house, always a plus. Though there weren't many greens available, it was April in Maine, after all, there was a great selection of house-cured and braised meats and some lovely baby arugula for my garden benedict.

Lunch that day was also a surprise, since Dave and I were wandering through the Munjoy Hill neighborhood just up the hill from the Old Port, looking for some of his old haunts. Full of Victorians in various states of repair (in some cases falling on the "dis-" side of the line), it reminded me of our own Northwest Portland about twenty or so years ago, only with the very old, sprawling Eastern Cemetery on one side with graves dating from the early 1800s.

As we were coming down the hill, Dave remarked that he hadn't seen any Italian sandwich joints. Which is when I pointed to the shop we were walking by and said, "Like this one?"

Amato's Original Italian Sandwich.

Now, you have to understand that Italian sandwiches have been a thing Dave has talked about since our dating days, a simple sandwich that he had growing up comprised of sliced meats, like salami, peppers, olives and oil-and-vinegar dressing on a hot dog bun. I thought it was like a sub, but he insisted there were definite, though inexplicable to me, differences between them.

 So we marched into Amato's and up to the counter where two friendly gentlemen were happy to take our order. What we got, and subsequently took back to our hotel room, were hefty white bread buns drizzled with vinaigrette and stacked with provolone, ham, onion, pickle, tomato, green pepper and olive.

Now, I'm not saying that it was a gourmet feast but, darn it, I finally got a taste of what I'd been hearing about all these years, a decent reward after a vigorous day reviewing history, both public and personal.

Details: The Farmer's Table, 205 Commercial St., Portland, ME. Phone 207-347-7479. Amato's, 71 India St., Portland, ME. Phone 207-773-1682.

Check out the other installments in the series: The (Other) Portland, Dinner and a Show, Loosening Up, Puttering Around the Old Port, Shackin' It and Fore Star.

Maine Line: The (other) Portland

There might as well be a wormhole connecting the two Portlands they have so much in common. The name, of course, means that each is a working port city, the Eastern one on the edge of a large bay, its Western namesake on a river.

Dimillo's Floating Restaurant.

Though the older city, founded in 1786, has just one-tenth the population of our much younger one, 62,875 to 582,130, each seems to attract people interested in quality of life over quantity of consumption. Mostly socially liberal with a whiff of a provincial air in their attitudes about outsiders, both are hotbeds for microroasted coffee and microbrewed beer, with a thriving local food culture.

Dave is a proud (former) Mainer, though Portland is considered a little too influenced by southern ways for people from The County, his ancestral homeland. We stayed in a brand new (and very comfortable) Marriott Residence Inn on the edge of the historic Old Port district, home to the aforementioned brewpubs and roasteries, as well as many terrific restaurants and locally owned shops.

Our first night was dedicated to the consumption of martinis and as much lobster as we could get our hands on, and I'd heard great things about the view from the dining room of DiMillo's. Situated in a converted car ferry and floating at the end of a pier below the Old Port (above left), it's a bit of a tourist attraction but one that was perfect for our needs that evening.

One lobster down, one to go.

We arrived to find that not only did they make a mighty fine martini in their main level wood-and-brass bar, they were offering a dinner special of two whole lobsters (steamed, stuffed or baked) for $19, including sides which, surprise surprise, was snapped up by almost everyone at the table. Their wine list tended, as you might expect, toward cabernet and merlot, but they also had bottles of Perrin Reserve, a perfectly decent Cotes du Rhone, that I snapped up for a very reasonable price.

Truth be told, the other offerings on the menu are decent to really good, but well worth going to for the view and the lobster, especially if you've got a pretty accommodating crew (the best kind, imho). The crab cakes were a tad flabby, the aioli less than fiery, but the steamers were perfect as were the lobsters. My best advice would be "stick to the classics, no frou-frou," good counsel in any situation.

Details: DiMillo's Floating Restaurant, 25 Long Wharf, Portland, ME. Phone 207-772-2216.

Read the other installments in the series: Dinner and a Show, Breakfast and Lunch, Loosening Up, Puttering Around the Old Port, Shackin' It and Fore Star.