New2Maine.com

I just returned from walking the dog this morning. It was not a pleasant walk. Mother nature reminded us that it is, indeed, winter. The temperature is a chilly 3° F, with a wind chill of around -13° F. The high today is supposed to be a balmy 14° F, and then the overnight low is supposed to drop below 0°. Oh, and did I mention that, after the melting during Christmas week, we returned to Maine on December 30th and were greeted by an 8″ storm that night and another 8-10″ New Year’s Day to put the total on the ground back up into the 2½-3 foot range? Yeah, it’s definitely winter up here!

Portland again made it to CNN.com with an AP story about [s]elf-serve dog washes springing up throughout the nation – Jan. 1, 2008. She and I actually live just down the street from the Portland Dog Wash, but we’ve not been in. Our 6 year old boxer mix doesn’t get along so well with other dogs when she’s on leash, so we’ll continue to deal with the sore backs, the messy tub, and the rest of the hassles of washing at home. If you’re in Portland and looking for a way out of cleaning up after washing your pooch, give them a call at (207) 797-7082.

One thing She and I have been trying to do since we arrived in Portland is go out on “Date Night” at least once a week. Last week we decided to try something a little more casual and opted for dinner at Granny’s Burrito shop on Fore Street. Calling it a shop is not quite fair–the downstairs certainly qualifies, but upstairs is a legitimate, if ultra-casual, restaurant with wait staff and a selection of drinks. If you head in, make sure you are aware of the fact that you have to eat where you order, so if you want to be waited on, head upstairs right from the outset.

She and I decided upstairs was the way to go, so up we went. We sat in a cozy little table. There are maybe ten or so in the whole place, and about half of them were occupied. The beer selection was pretty good, but compared to some of the other bars in town (see my previous post on The Great Lost Bear), it’s not really in the same league. The guest tap was a Sebago Hefeweizen, and it was quite tasty. After looking over the menu, we split the chips and salsa and a cup of the turkey chili (it’s a red chili, not a white) for apps, and then had burritos for dinner. Everything was great, and the total tab, including two drinks, was under $25. If you’re looking for something a little nicer than fast food, but not as pricey as some of the restaurants in Old Port, check out Granny’s. We’re glad we did.

Update (1/1/08): According to a posting on ThePhoenix.com, Granny’s is closed as of early December. Sad to see it go. She and I have eaten there several times and have enjoyed it.