El Rayo new Scarborough Location is set for tomorrow July 12! Known for there bright, west coast style South American fair and great cocktails I am looking forward to having this new outlet in the burbs.
Tag Archives: eat
Eventide Oyster Co: A tail of brown butter, lobster,oysters and char.
While not a native,I have been living in Maine approximately 20 years give or take. I am here to say that the lobster roll at Eventide Oyster Co. is hands down the most amazing, simple, rich, version of this Maine sandwich I have ever tried!No description can really do it justice, but for me it’s starts with the wonderful bun. More an oversized Japanese sticky bun than a traditional lobster roll. Slightly sweet and sticky, this tender this bun immediately tells you that this isn’t your grandma’s lobster roll. The lobster itself is just out of the sea fresh, sautéed in a beautiful brown butter. Putting these delightful ingredients together this way brings this dish to a never before dreamed of level!
The lobster roll would be enough to put this restaurant on the national map but this restaurant goes well beyond lobster to create a what I can best categorize as American sushi. A good example of this was the Arctic char with golden beets we sampled. Gorgeous and so full of beautiful ocean flavor as to be almost unrecognizable from traditional bland char.
Of course we had to have a selection of the fine locally harvested oysters while we were there. All were brilliantly fresh and bursting with flavor as expected. What was exceptionally nice was the experience of being able to taste the differences between the oysters.
Not bad for a weekday lunch!
Make Your Own Pop-Up
Feastly is a newish company dedicated to great food and expanding our sense of community. It allows almost anyone to easily set up a pop-up dinner party. Based on location the site already has a large selection of professional chefs, caterers, and home cooks looking to bring their skills to your home. The events can be open to the public or invitation only.
The dinner we attended was hosted by a couple of young tea makers, recently relocated and looking to meet fellow food enthusiasts. From their perspective the set up was fun and fairly simple. Yana G our chef for the night was also part of The Salo Project , an organization looking to bring Filipino cooking and culture to all 50 states. Living in Maine I can’t imagine having a better way to experience this excellent food.
The set up was unique, banana leaves covered two long tables. Sticky white rice then formed a runner down the center of the green leaves. As each of the many courses arrived, the food was spooned out and set along the edge of the rice. Using only our hands we then combined bites of rice with the various dishes. The lack of utensils was a nice conversation and the food was excellent. Despite being billed as “only” a five course dinner Yana was so happy with our local markets we ended up with a gut-busting 8.
The dinner started with okra in a spicy shrimp paste and garlic. It had a potent slow building heat that combined with the slightly sweet rice to for an almost irresistible blend. Despite my mouth being on fire it was difficult to pace myself. Luckily, a few of the guests with Filipino heritage let us know it was a sign of appreciation to eat your way all the way across the rice. The arrival of the second course crispy fried anchovies in a shrimp garlic paste more than gave me the incentive to breach the rice wall. The brought to mind sea salt and candy and had just a hint of underlying heat. It was at that point that our feast truly began with a sauté of diced pork belly and crispy pork ears. I was in heaven! The dishes keep flowing, whole cooked fish, braised goat, Maine lobster in the shell with a coconut sauce. Quenching our thirst were pairings of beer brought by another nice couple that had relocated to Maine, in their case to start a brewery Rising Tide . Our final adventure was the chance to try a fertilized egg. The braver dinners described this as having a fermented intense chicken flavor. Desert was an amazing dish of ripe mango Maine maple syrup and rice. Overall a happy fun night. Also nice way to meet new people and experience the surprise of new food. As an added benefit I can’t help but think of Feastly as a solid way for new chefs, caterers and start up food ventures to build and audience..
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
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.
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