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My mother came up this past weekend, and we decided we should try to find something within walking distance for dinner since it was such a lovely evening on Friday. After weighing our somewhat slim options (we’re on Forest Ave. near Walton) we realized we’d still not checked out the Café at Pat’s, the now 7-day-a-week eatery perched atop the splendid Pat’s Meat Market on Stevens Ave. A quick call to 874-0706 garnered us a 6:30 reservation for three. After arriving I was not sure the reservations were entirely necessary. It was only about half full.

The atmosphere upstairs is great. There is a small bar in the back corner and something of a colonial feel to the dining area. Roughly 15 tables dot the room, and I believe there was some outdoor dining as well. We were seated promptly and looked over the lengthy wine list and somewhat disappointing beer list. The ladies decided on a riesling and I went for the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. A round of salads, a dish of lobster ravioli to share, two beef tenderloin specials, and the chicken saltimbocca were ordered when the waiter got back with our drinks. Unfortunately (and somewhat shockingly for 6:45 on a Friday), there was only one beef tenderloin left, so I opted for the flank steak instead.

The lobster ravioli arrived first and was passed around. The lobster was slightly too salty, and the ravoili were drowning in a vodka sauce. It was good but the chef could stand a lighter touch with the sauce ladle. The salads arrived some 10-15 minutes after the ravioli plate was cleared. All three were good, though my mother was critical of the amount of sea salt sprinkled over the caprese. Thus far Pat’s was about a B or B+. The food was good but had some room for improvement. The coursing was also a little too relaxed. It’s never a good sign when one of the couple dining next to you gets up to ask where dinner is.

We found the same problem. The salads were cleared and we waited. And then waited a little longer. When the entrees finally did arrive, they were quite good. My flank steak was much better than I’d hoped (though it tended more toward medium than medium rare). The tenderloin with red wine reduction was shared around the table and received nothing but good reviews. The saltimbocca was very tasty and not as heavy or greasy as some I’ve tried. Amber enjoyed it a great deal.

It was nearly 8:45 by the time our entrees were finished and cleared, and we opted to pass on dessert. At just under $150 (tax and tip included) for the three of us, including separate salads, a shared app, three entrees and four drinks total, Pat’s was moderately pricey, but not nearly as expensive as some other meals we’ve had in town. Our chief complaint was the pace of the meal. The food was worth coming back for; I hope that the service was just having an off night. Amber and I will certainly be taking a walk down that way again for dinner at some point, but we’re not in any hurry.

Amber and I were out and about in Portland last night and stopped in for a quick dinner at Dogfish Café on the corner of Congress and Saint John. We’ve heard some good things about it, but never actually stopped in before. We were greeted by a cozy, funky atmosphere. There were approximately 12 tables and a small bar inside, and a handful of al fresco tables when the weather is nice. Butcher paper stood in for table cloths and the art hanging on the walls this month was made from doll parts. It was kind of strange, but in a good way.

Specials for the evening included a meatball and sausage lasagna, which sounded good, if a bit heavy. The regular menu includes familiar favorites ranging from chili, crab cakes, and wings on the Starters list to various salads and wraps, to a fried haddock sandwich or a cheeseburger. The wine and beer list is above average and, given the number of corks lining the front windows, well used. Amber selected the curry chicken wrap, and I opted for a nice bacon cheeseburger (so much for eating healthy). 

The wrap was ordered with sweet potato fries as the side, and Amber thought both were excellent. My burger was very good too—not too big, but enough to fill me up. Homemade (I think) potato chips accompanied the burger and were excellent. A root beer for her and a Shipyard Export for me completed a tasty, inexpensive dinner for two (<$35, including tip). Fine dining (à la, some other Congress St. establishments) this is not, but the food is good, the staff is attentive, the atmosphere is fun and relaxed, and we’ll definitely be going again. This is a nice little neighborhood find and within easy biking distance for us to boot.

After watching some episodes of Deadliest Catch and Ax Men this summer, I thought it would be cool if there was a similar program devoted to lobstering (since Mainers don’t fish king crab and our trees are felled for paper). Lo and behold, a little Googling yields this fun little series of Discovery called Lobster Wars. It doesn’t look like it’ll be seen on TV any time soon, but I’m contemplating ordering the DVD.

Oh, and as a bonus, they use the awesome “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys as the theme song. Check it out:

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I just found a link to a very interesting survey site called MaineBAC.org. Yes, this is a drinking-related site, but no, BAC doesn’t stand for blood-alcohol content in this case. It’s “Brief Alcohol Checkup” and it provides a simple, quick, and anonymous way to see whether you should be concerned about how much you drink. As a social drinker who likes his beer but only occasionally has more than two beers at a time, my risk factor for dependence is in the low range, according to the site.

At an average of only 5-6 drinks a week (I like a beer with dinner), I was surprised to find that I am in the upper third of alcohol consumption among men in my age range across the state (well, at least those who have taken the survey). If you’re not sure whether you should be concerned about your alcohol intake, or if you’re curious about how your drinking effects your BAC, take ten minutes and click through this survey. It might save your life.

As we’ve now been Mainers for just over a year, this month Amber and I have to renew our vehicle registrations (and pay the annual excise tax on our cars). Last year that meant a wait at City Hall in Portland to pay the tax, and then another wait at the BMV on Presumpscot Street to pay for the registration and get plates. This year, thankfully, we were able to use the BMV’s wonderfully easy Rapid Renewal Service to do the whole thing online.

For a negligible agent fee of $2.00 per car (plus, of course, the tax and registration costs), I was able to complete both registrations in about 10 minutes, including the time it took to run out to the driveway to grab the current registrations, insurance cards, and odometer readings. That’s less time than it would have taken to drive to City Hall and find a parking spot, let waiting in line at the treasurer’s office or the BMV! Well worth the nominal fee, if you ask me. Not every Maine municipality supports the Rapid Renewal service, but many do. Before you queue at your (sometimes not so) local BMV again, I highly recommend you check the list of those that do and see if you can save yourself the trouble. I’m glad I did.