Author Archives: Bill M

A happy chubby fellow that lives in Southern Maine and enjoys good food and drink way too much.

Two Tales of Delicious Excess

I had an extra intense craving for rich full flavored food this week and decided to indulge myself through two lunches at what I think of as Maine’s top spots to indulge in over-the-top yummy goodness. My first stop was Hoss and Mary’s Tasty Grub. Open year round, this Old Orchard Beach side shack has some of the heartiest treats around. This past Thursday, I indulged in a deep-fried lobster roll with onion rings. Some of the lobster’s flavor is lost to the frying, it is more than made up for in the perfect texture of the golden batter and the succulent nature of the fresh meat. A supremely satisfying experience. Don’t feel like a lobster roll, how about trying a crab Rangoon topped burger.

Hosts and Mary's

Hosts and Mary’s

For our second stop on our tour of hearty comfort, my wife and I went to Nosh. We hadn’t been for a while,and I was pleasantly surprised to see some lighter beautifully crafted items on the menu. I loved everything but particularly enjoyed the seared tuna nachos. It consisted of expertly prepared tuna served on shrimp chips with a Asian mayo and sriracha. Tangy rich, happiness in my tummy. I moved on to a reconstructed fried chicken and waffle. The chicken was smoked and pulled, then served over a blue cheese jam topped waffle, then covered with buffalo sauce and shredded lettuce. Amazing! My wife had a Pho French Dip sandwich. It consisted of thinly sliced rare roast beast and crunchy veggies and herbs. It was served with a side of pho broth for dipping. A delicious twist on a classic. Of course, no visit to Nosh would complete without some their wonderful fries.

Nosh

Nosh

 

Nosh

Nosh

Nosh

Nosh

Nosh

Nosh

All in Saturday- Day of Brunch

I woke up yesterday in a bit of a funk. It had been a long week with a lot of negativity, and the dark forces of the world had worn me down. At that point I felt like I had two options: sit at home and wallow in my misery, or plan a day of excess and joy. I went for the later option. I promptly fixed myself a boozy coffee and let my wife Jennifer know that today was her turn to be DD. As a back-plan we always keep Home Runners on speed dial.
Our first stop was Central Provisionsto try their brunch. We arrived at 11:00, and practically had the place to ourselves. I’d say we got lucky, by the time our first drinks arrived, the place was filled with both Frankie’s crooning and a bustling crowd. Unless you get up at the crack of dawn, I would recommend a reservation. Setting the tone I decided to skip the mimosa and decided to try all of their whiskey drinks. I began with something called a corpse reviver and then worked my way through the The List. All were satisfying, potent, and flavorful.
We then began by ordering the cinnamon roll, beautiful fritters filled with ham and cheese, and a concoction of seared sheep’s milk cheese and onions.

Central Provisions

Central Provisions

Central Provisions

Central Provisions

Central Provisions

Central Provisions

Our next round of our eating frenzy was to try the breakfast sandwich, a decadent mix of Munster egg, and foie gras. Followed by a heavenly mix of salt cod lemon and a poached egg, served on top of thick toasted bread. Time for an intermission. We said our goodbyes, settled our tab and headed up the street to our favorite neighborhood barLFK. I of course indulged in more drinks.

LFK

LFK

Jennifer enjoyed some coffee. We both enjoyed the company of the crowd and the conversation of the best bar tender/host in the city Hutch.
After some proper digestion we continued our day of excess next door with lunch at Pai Men Miyake. Where we shared a delicious whiskey pot (mostly me) and enjoyed some delicious ramen.

Pai Men Miyake

Pai Men Miyake

Pain Men Miyake

Pain Men Miyake

My ramen had tender rich braised short rib as the protein, and I took the option of adding pork belly. Full to bursting, and a weeble wobbly joy. Having vanquished the Forces of Darkness we then called it a day and made our way home.

Miyake Fore St

ImageIf you enjoy sushi and Japanese cuisine than Miyake’s flagship restaurant really should be on your must try list. The photos are from a recent lunch date with my wife.  We started by sharing the Yaki Buta,tender braised pork belly with a sharp mustard sauce, and scallions added to balance the fatty goodness of the pork. Just amazing! I followed that with the chef’s choice Nigri. I love the option of letting a master chef put forth their best. I was not disappointed. Marinated fatty salmon belly, rich sea urchin, several species of snapper. It was all wonderful and of course was accompanied by perfect service. All together a relaxing lunch date splurge.

 

Gracie’s Garden, standish Me

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What a nice find at Lois’ in Scarborough,ME.

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