Category Archives: dining

Places I go to eat.

Outstanding in the Field: Central Provisions Edition!

Outstanding in the Field is a California based organization that brings together outstanding chefs and stellar farms to create open air feasts. Since 1999 they have held over six hundred dinners as a means of broadening the discussion of food, community, and place. This year the guest chef for the dinner being held in Maine, will be the James Beard nominated best new chef chef Chris Gould of Central Provisions. This August 23rd dinner will be held at North Star Sheep Farm and is sure to sell out. Tickets are on sale now for the dinner being held in Maine and dozens of other events being held across the country (Plus Ireland).

14 Portland Area Happy Places

These are some of the restaurants that make the food I love. They span the range from inexpensive to quite pricey, but every one of them is worth trying.

1) Central Provisions, arguably one of the best restaurant in the country. Chef Chris Gould specializes in making visually stunning and immensely satisfying small plates.
Smoked carrots

2) Hugo’s is a delicious ballet filled with edible art accompanied by unparalleled service. A full sensory experience.
Rabbit Terrine

3) Miyake Fore St just from the sea perfection. There is a reason that Chef Masao Miyake receives James Beard nominations year after year.
omakase sashimi

4) David’s Opus 10 Chef Bo Byrne serves up intricate seven course meals in an intimate setting.
Butter Poached Lobster, Caramelized Onion and Vanilla Bean Risotto Cake, Citrus Truffle Micro Greens

5) Eventide Oyster Co. sibling to Hugo’s next door,this restaurant serves some of the most beautiful seafood you may ever see. Amazing oyster selection and a lobster roll made that sill make any visit worth remembering.
Char

6) Boda Thai street food served in a casual environment with some of the friendliest wait staff in town. My can’t miss, their quail eggs and many tasty skewers.
mai tai

8) Slab Siciian Street Food carb heaven. Each slab is a giant pillow of happiness. At six bucks for a one pound hand slab, it is one of the best deals anywhere. As you can see from the photo below, they makes some pretty good sandwiches too.
Pork Sandwich

9) Nosh Kitchen Bar sister restaurant to Slab, if you are looking for the most over the pork fat related experience go here. Amazing fries (my favorite are bacon dusted), filthy good sandwiches and the option of adding pork belly and foie gras to any dish.
Nosh

10) Bao Bao delightful dumplings,asian salads and cocktails. Delicious, satisfying and inexpensive. What more can you ask? Overseen by celebrity chef Cara Sadler.
pork bun

11) Palace Diner simple food prepared with the finest local ingredients. Don’t let the menu fool you these simple dishes will blow you away. Bon Appetit called their tuna sandwich one of the best things they ate in 2014.
Palace Royal

12) Hot Suppa this beloved neighborhood spot serves delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a touch of southern flair.
Grits w chili and poached eggs

13) Sur Lie, new kid on the block, serving inspired small plates with influences from the chef’s Puerto Rican heritage.
Maine Oatmeal Pudding

14) Little Bigs savory hand pies and delicious donuts that are guaranteed to blow you away with flavor and creativity.
Donuts and Hand Pies

Sur Lie – Tip Top Tapas

Sur Lie is a very good new restaurant specializing in tapas. Addressing the elephant in the room, despite serving small plates, this restaurant is not trying to compete with the award winning Central Provisions. The owners recognize that Chef Chris Gould is making some of the best food in the country and that is rarified territory. What they have built is a welcoming spot to enjoy delicious food and drink with friends.

Sticking to the theme of a fun night out,the Missus and I sampled liberally from the drink menu cocktails:Midnight Manhattan, Nector of the Bogs, Made Man, and Blood Eagle. We thoroughly enjoyed them all, but the Midnight Manhattan was my stand out favorite. The Punt e Mes vermouth they use makes it delightfully bitter. It made me Happy, happy.

Standout dishes were the scallops with white sweet potato,a wonderful concoction involving plantains and chorizo, and delightful cream of white beans with pork belly. In the first dish I loved the addition of pickled vegetables. They added a delicious crunch to the savory plate. While the chorizo with plantain was a heavenly blend of salty/sweet/tangy goodness. The bean soup was comforting and flavorful, the pork belly managed the rare feat of being both crispy and tender.

Despite my sworn enmity to anything brulee, I could not resist trying the Maine Grain oatmeal pudding with brulee sugar and cranberries for dessert. This dish is based on a recipe the chef’s grandmother made him as a child and is reminiscent of warm rice pudding with a delicate candy top. Service was very,very good almost telepathic and everyone was very warm and welcoming.

Maine Oatmeal Pudding

Maine Oatmeal Pudding


Scallops with white sweet potato

Scallops with white sweet potato


Pork Belly and White beans

Pork Belly and White beans

Hot Suppa! Hot Damn!

Hot Suppa is a Congress Street gem, serving breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Locals know to get here early or expect to wait on weekends, but try this place mid-week and you can often be seated right away. Look at the menus and you will see updated traditional diner food with a touch of southern flair. Good stuff!
On this particular visit I had grits with black bean chili, cheddar, poached eggs, and warm perfect puffy tortilla chips. So creamy/crunchy/rich/good! I also love that they not only make good coffee, but also have giant pitchers of cream for the table. This makes me happy, happy!
Grits w chili and poached eggs
IMG_1861 - Copy
Cream