Eating and drinking my way through Maine
The Kennebunkport Festival celebrates the best food, art, and design that Maine has to offer. For those who have never been, the festival is composed of many events, large and small, several of which are hosted in the beautiful homes of Kennebunk’s residents. Continue reading
The Honey Paw, is a brand new sister restaurant to the renowned Eventide Oyster Co. and Hugo’s. The space is uniquely refreshing, with a large communal table at the heart of the room and counter seating ringing the outside of the restaurant. The set up makes the space feel very welcoming and more open than many of Portland’s other new restaurants. Even more delightfully unique is the menu. Billed as a non-denominational noodle house, the dishes range across Asia and incorporate such varied ingrediants as duck, veal, and goat to yield fantastic fare. The resulting dishes are bursting with one of a kind flavors and textures. I love it so much,that I have now been back three times. Twice for dinner and once for lunch.
The menu is divided into four numbered sections from small to large. While I love small plates, I really enjoy the option of having larger dishes. Particularly because they are all so good. One of my favorite dishes so far, is the charred Pork shoulder served with fermented turnips. This dish made me so happy! Reminiscent of the candied pork I used to get at Chinese restaurants as a child, but elevated to a grown-up decedent taste sensation. The fermented turnips add a nice tart counterpart to the sweet charred pork. The wok fried collards were one of the tastiest things I’ve had this year. Smokey pork hock, tender collard greens and topped with amazing onion rings, the ingredients combine in a way that I would have never imagined was possible. So yummy/savory/spicy/good! Other dishes that I have enjoyed, include the Wok Fried Wide Noodles with its uniquely prepared pasta and the Crab and Pork Wonton that just burst with unique flavor and textures. In the case of the Wok Fried Noodles the texture of the fried noodles made this seafood dish so much more interesting than noodle dishes found elswhere. While the crab broth was deliciously rich and infused the tender pork wontons with a marvelous taste. Of special note, your meal cannot be complete without trying their rich soft serve. Congratulations to Chef Pisha-Duffly, he is creating oh so satisfying meals here that you won’t find anywhere else.
Charred Pork Shoulder
Wok Fried Wide Rice Noodles
Wok Fried Collards
Crab and Pork Wanton
Goat chili with home made “Fritos”
Bao Bao, is award winning chef Cara Stadler’s entry into Portland’s restaurant scene. A lot has been written about Chef Stadler’s first restaurant Tao Yuan, and I am sure the accolades will continue to follow for this latest venture. The restaurant is nicely decorated and very well laid out, offering substantially more personal space than most of Portland’s newer dining options. While the prices are so reasonably, it’s hard not to stop in daily.
We have dined here several times and loved it. The purpose our latest visit was to try their highly anticipated brunch menu. We began with the excellent scorpion bowl, a very tasty drink. I can’t imagine a more festive/fun cocktail to enjoy with a meal. This happiness factor was compounded when we saw the wonderful brunch additions to the menu. Limiting our selection proved difficult and we ended up ordering quite a feast: shrimp soup dumplings, pork belly fun roll(insanely good), steamed pork bun,Asian slaw, and pan fried pork dumplings. As you will see from the photos that follow each dish was beautifully presented. I am happy to confirm that every plate tasted even better than it looked. The soup dumplings were so rich, with the wrapper having an unparalleled creamy texture. The burst of broth added a bright burst of flavor to the happy bites. The pork belly fun roll may be the most accurately named dish in Portland. It consisted of a rice/tapioca wrapping filled with the most tender flavorful slice of pork belly that I have had in recent memory. It was a welcome change to the ever present crispy fried offering that has become so commonplace. Similar for the steamed pork bun, it’s beautiful presentation made it so much more satisfying than other versions. The salad as I have mentioned was not only satisfying but served as a nice break between rounds of beautiful dumplings and buns.
Scorpion Bowl
Pork Belly Fun Roll
Asian Slaw
Shrimp Soup Dumplings
Fried Pork Dumplings
steamed Pork Bun
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.
2) Hugo’s is a delicious ballet filled with edible art accompanied by unparalleled service. A full sensory experience.
3) Miyake Fore St just from the sea perfection. There is a reason that Chef Masao Miyake receives James Beard nominations year after year.
4) David’s Opus 10 Chef Bo Byrne serves up intricate seven course meals in an intimate setting.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10) Bao Bao delightful dumplings,asian salads and cocktails. Delicious, satisfying and inexpensive. What more can you ask? Overseen by celebrity chef Cara Sadler.
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.
12) Hot Suppa this beloved neighborhood spot serves delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a touch of southern flair.
13) Sur Lie, new kid on the block, serving inspired small plates with influences from the chef’s Puerto Rican heritage.
14) Little Bigs savory hand pies and delicious donuts that are guaranteed to blow you away with flavor and creativity.
