Mishiguene Fayer- Road Trip

Mishiguene Fayer,  Crazy Fire two sister restaurants making crazy-good Jewish food with Argentinian flair.  Fayer, the more casual of the two spots, truly makes fine use of its namesake fire when cooking and even more happily; it is open for lunch!  What most drew me to this restaurant was the New York Times article and the story it told of the creative individuals behind this restaurant and how they came to be serving out of this world Jewish food in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am so happy that my wife and I were able to make it in for lunch. We weren’t sure if we were up for a big meal before spending the next 24 hours traveling home to Maine, but  I am  so glad we did!  Truly excellent food, served in an elegant environment, without any pretense. So very good!

We started with the beet hummus.  Our Spanish being limited, our waitress kindly made sure we did not miss it.  So fluffy, yet rich, full of sweetness and beautiful color from the beets!  And the Arabian flatbreads served warm and soft, were so pillowy that they would be perfect for napping if they weren’t just so good to eat!  Especially with the beet hummus!  Oh, and the pickles, did I mention the pickles to start?!  How could I forget?!  They were delightful!  I love pickles, and house-made ones are a great way to begin any meal.  Then there was the pastrami: full-sized, brined, and spiced on the bone BRISKET!!!  The process of preparing it takes 12 days, and it really shows. If G-d were to ask his Bubbie to make him a brisket, I’m pretty sure it would come out a bit like this. It can’t get any better! Full of spice and smoke yet still so tender and moist!!  How could it possibly be moist?!  Sliced from the bone, thick or thin, with the grain or against, it was one tender morsel after another! So good!!!

Despite being in Argentina, we did in fact have some sides to go with our beautiful meat. The waitress again helped us immensely by suggesting we order a combination of small plates: baba ganoush, cole slaw with raisins, tabouli with tzatziki, a delightful bean salad, and another featuring dill, and more beautifully pickled vegetables. They were all so good; they had to be in order to compete with the pastrami, and compete they did!  Just so many good flavors, textures, color!  What a meal!!

Arabian Bread and Pickles

So Pillowy

Beet Hummus!

Stone for keeping bread warm

Tabouli with tzazki and picked veggies

Baba Ganoush

Dill salad

Bean salad, and cole slaw

The Pastrami

Demolition in progress, so juicy and tender!

Holiday Extravaganza!

Please help stamp out childhood hunger while enjoying desserts from some of Maine’s best chefs and mixologists. Tickets are only $50 and can be purchased at Full Plates

I hope to see you there!

Farm To Table Dinner at Frith Farm

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Izakaya Minato: Chef-driven Japanese food

  • Like most of Portland’s new restaurants, Izakaya Minato  is smallish, but exquisitely-designed, evoking the essence of a neighborhood Japanese-style pub with an open kitchen and lots of communal seating, creating a friendly atmosphere. There is also a separate dining room for those who prefer a quieter experience.  On both our visits, we sat at the bar, and had a very nice time chatting with both locals and tourists.

The bar has some very nice mixed drinks; my favorite is the plum vesper.  As you might assume, this drink comes with a pickled plum as a functional adornment.  What makes it unique is that taking small nibbles from the plum completely changes the taste of the cocktail from slightly sweet, to something that is a bit tart and more complex.  Happy, happy!  Even better, both bartenders we encountered (Isaac and Lucy), made outstanding sake recommendations. I always want to try sake, but know so little about the wine that I usually go with a beer instead.  We not only tried several that we liked, but  also consumed the wine in traditional styled cups that chef/owner Thomas Takeshita Cooke made himself! It doesn’t get more hands-on by the chef or locally -sourced than that!

There are a wide range of menu choices mixed about evenly between vegetable/rice, seafood, and meat-focused dishes.  While those not familiar with Japanese dining might have menu-anxiety, these are mostly Japanese comfort foods with a universal appeal: soups, pancakes, fresh seafood, grilled meats, and fried chicken.

Also available for those that like a little surprise or help making choices is the omakase (chef’s choice) for $30–a great way to experience 4-5 courses that the chef feels are the best of the day. We took this route on our first visit and really enjoyed the experience: super garlicky edamame,  a delicious soup of mushroom and eggplant (Nash Nemeko Oroshi), the sublime JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken), and a very nice fried rice with garlic scapes (rice is a traditional ending for this type of meal).   We enjoyed ourselves so much that went back about week later.  Standouts from our two visits were the beautifully/simply prepared sashimi and carpaccio dishes, including a stunning mackerel, salt-cured to remove its stronger flavors and leaving it with a perfect texture.  Also fantastic was the  richness of the JFC, which uses brilliantly-rich thigh meat and is served with a kewpie mayo, as well as the savory beef shorts ribs served with kimchi, and the delightful okonomiyaki (pancake) made with mushrooms and cabbage. All so beautifully-prepared, deliciousl-flavored, and comforting!

Having had at least 12 items from the menu, I hesitate to go through them all.  Really the best way to explore the menu is to try it yourself. This I highly recommend; here are some photos for  further encouragement: