May 08 2008
The flowers are in bloom. Amber and I slept with the bedroom window open last night for the first time this year. Our afternoon walk with the dog found me feeling a little too warm with a short-sleeved shirt and long pants. Of course, it’s raining again today…but we’ll take it. Welcome spring!
May 03 2008
Okay, so it wasn’t exactly “next on our list.” And yes, it took almost three months for us to actually stop in and try out Portland’s newest (is it even the newest at this point?) Greek restaurant. But last night Amber and I finally found ourselves looking for parking off Congress Street in hopes of getting a table at Emilitsa. Note to selves: do not attempt to park on Congress on First Friday. D’oh!
After finding somewhere to park only a block from Five Fifty-five, we marched toward the Hill a half-block and entered a modest, contemporary space with a small bar to the left and maybe 12 or 14 tables on the right. There is no sign (that I saw) outside Emilitsa, so know that its address is 547 Congress St. Also of interest, they take reservations—(207) 221-0245. We didn’t have one, and arrived about 7:20 PM on First Friday. We were told we could get a table by about 8:00 and took at seat at the bar. Somewhat surprisingly, we were seated at our table by 7:40. We were most of the way back toward the kitchen and noticed that there was one more large table around the corner, but this is a pretty small restaurant with a long, narrow galley sort of feel.
Continue Reading »
Apr 30 2008
Continuing our gastronomic exploration of Portland, Amber and I had dinner at The Front Room a couple weeks ago after my recent business trip to Kentucky. We’d heard some great things about Harding Lee Smith’s comfort food restaurant on Munjoy Hill and had to give it a try. The Front Room is just over the crest of the hill on Congress Street, a block or so past The Blue Spoon.
The sign out front is pretty unassuming, and the atmosphere inside matches. It’s a very relaxed decor, but there is a frenetic buzz. Those who like to converse softly in a dark corner booth might look elsewhere, but those looking for a hopping neighborhood hang out for foodies will enjoy. There is a small bar when you first walk in and approximately 15 tables. They don’t take reservations (like many of the restaurants in Portland), so you might be spending a little time at the bar. They have a decent selection of beers (including a couple nice Belgians) and a moderate wine list as well. At about 6:30 on a Friday night we got a table for two in 15 minutes. Not bad at all!
Amber and I each had a cup of the soup du jour, a carrot squash soup that was very good. We split the fried goat cheese (think fried mozzarella, only better) as well. It’s not on the menu on the website, but it wasn’t a special, either. Perhaps the website is a bit slow to update? Anyway, for dinner I selected the Casco Bay Scallops and Amber ordered a flank steak. My scallops were excellent. They were simple and not over-prepared like some restaurants tend to serve. I didn’t try Amber’s steak, but she seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. For dessert we split a homemade ice cream sandwich on spiced chocolate chip cookies. Very tasty, but a little too much after a big dinner. I’m glad we shared!
Continue Reading »
Apr 29 2008
As spring continues to arrive in fits and starts here in Portland, I’ve decided it’s about time to do some spring cleaning. New2Maine.com will turn one year old next week and its had essentially the same theme for that entire time. No more. I’ve replaced the greens and the Prout’s Neck header image with a more muted, cleaner theme and an image of The Portland Head.
I’d love to hear some feedback on this new look. Love it? Hate it? Don’t care because you only read through RSS? Whatever the case may be, let me know what you think…
Apr 22 2008
It was 72°F on Friday. The sun was shining. And there was still some snow on the ground in Evergreen Cemetery. Yay Maine!
