Category Archives: dining

Places I go to eat.

Harvest on the Stage

Kicking off the week of Harvest on the Harbor was an amazing evening of food and wine pairings by some of Maine’s top chefs. With 7 courses it was too much to go over each dish, but some of the standouts were: Cara Stadler of Bao Bao Dumpling House‘s beef tartar was filled with Asian inspired flavors, the foie torchon from Lee Harding Smith’s Oyster Room was my favorite savory dish of the night, David Turin of Opus Ten‘s margret duck and chicken boudin renewed my faith in humanity, and Shanon Bard of Zapoteca’s‘s chile dusted venison was oh so tasty. These dishes plus the others, combined with wonderful wine pairings by Erica Archer’s Wine Wise Events made me Happy, Happy! So many great flavors and textures! Topping it all of was the most deliciously unique desert by Ilma Lopez of Picolo. Her incorporation of root vegetables into desert lead to a beautiful mouth-watering finish! A special thank you to the folks at Coffee By Design for generously matching all funds raised to support The Good Shepard Food Bank.
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Bramhall- A Neighborhood Pub

The new Bramhall Pub is a wonderful subterranean lair of a pub. Filled with shadowy nooks and candlelight. Just perfect for drinking a lazy afternoon away with friends or perhaps an assignation. Located beneath one of Portland’s many artists colonies the crowd is bound to be interesting. On the drink side they have a solid beer collection and a huge alcohol selection. The cocktail list is still in development but their seasoned bar staff is more than capable of matching drinks to anyone’s taste. The menu is smallish, but very good. Thin potato crisps with or without toppings, a wonderful pork sandwich and the soon to be famous sous vide bacon burger.

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Little Bigs!!!!

If home is where the heart is, then little Bigs must be my home away from home. I just love them that much! Their donut creations are just so amazing! I can best describe their raised donuts as Crispy fried joy with a pillowy core. Absolutely life affirming bites of happiness!

But wait there’s more! First time visitors please note that their pasties are equally amazing! Golden hand-formed crusts of a dizzying variety, filled with such beautiful things as “real” Texas chili, Thai chicken bursting with flavor and my favorite cheeseburger with tomato jam!!

For those in the know, crossing the bridge in to South Portland means a mandatory stop at this hidden gem!Pictured Below: Pb&J, Glazed Cininmon swirl Stick, Bismarck, Dark chocolate Ganache Raised, Cheeseburger, Texas Chili.

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The Joy of Slab!

Happy carb overload Batman! This Portland eatery’s menu is filled with variations of all things bread and cheese! Take a look at their signature dish the hand Slab, a giant hunk of thick crust lightly covered with sauce and cheese. These monster “slices” weigh in at over a pound, yet can best be described as pillowy and so, so yummy!

Feeling like something different try the hummus. Served with still warm bread, I believe Slab’s version of this Middle Eastern dish is easily the best in town. They also have fantastic specials. On my latest visit, I had an amazing sandwich of pork, roasted peppers and onions, and gobs of wonderful cheese! Whatever you do make sure to save room for desert as you will see from the attached photo this place has mastered the dark art of sweet/creamy happiness known as dessert. It also happens to be the best value in town! Stop in and try it you won’t be disappointed.
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