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So we did the Art Walk last night. We started up at the East End studio of Elizabeth Fraser and wandered down toward Rabelais Books, stopping at four or five places along the way. If you’re going to come out in June and want to see as much art as possible, I’d recommend sticking to the downtown arts district near Monument Square. However, if you want a lovely evening walk with some art and a few tasty bites to eat, Munjoy Hill is the place to be.

After checking out Elizabeth’s awesome collection of daily 5″ paintings, we headed across the street to Hilltop Coffee Shop for some of the least expensive, yet best, coffee available in Portland. Two small lattes and a bottled drink (our friend Jen was with us) for $6 is pretty rare these days. They had a few small nibbles laid out as well, and the girls gave these very positive reviews. The atmosphere was a cozy local coffee house. We would have stayed and hung out if there weren’t more walking to be done.

Wandering down Congress St., we stopped into a few shops and studios, and made our way into Home Grown Herbs and Tea, also on Congress Street. Unfortunately, we still had our Hilltop cups half full, so we did not order any of the array of herbal teas she had on offer. we did try some of the appetizers that were laid out. The grape leaves, stuffed with something we couldn’t quite figure out (I say there was some fennel in it, but that was definitely not all) were quite tasty. We’ll have to head back to this one next time we fancy some tea.

Finally, we turned down India St. on our way to Rabelais. First, however, we came upon Duckfat. Being a little peckish by then, we simply had to stop for some Belgian fries. Though I’ve read wonderful reviews of Duckfat’s potato delights, Amber and I had not yet found ourselves in that area at meal time. Sad, given that we’ve lived here nearly two years now. We remedied the situation with a large order of fries to go and a couple of dipping sauces for the side. The curry mayo was the favorite. We will, without a doubt, be going back to see what comes off the panini press at this delightful little sandwich and fry shop. And yes, the fries were worth every single calorie. I will gladly spin an extra few miles on my bike this weekend to burn them off. Jen assured us that their milkshakes are equally fabulous. More research is needed…and I’ll be the first to volunteer.

We’re already looking forward to June 5 for the next Art Walk. The Monument Square area is not without its own delightful eateries, and I’m sure I’ll have some more food notes to share the next day. I’m just sorry we waited so long to check out First Friday. Portland is a great little city, and if you’ve only ever explored the Old Port area, the Art Walk may be the perfect excuse for you to branch out a little and see what else she has to offer. You won’t be disappointed.

The Ferry Beach Ecology School’s now annual benefit event at Cinque Terre, Eco Appetito, is on tap for this Sunday, March 8. Amber and I very much enjoyed going last year and were looking forward to it this year as well. Unfortunately, we’ll be attending a first birthday party instead, so we’ll have to wait for next year. For those of you not otherwise occupied, we highly recommend checking out the festivities on Wharf Street. The menu highlights include:

• Premium veal, ham and pork samplings
• Artisan cheeses and breads
• Fresh fish from Browne Trading Company
• Winter Point oysters, raw and roasted
• House-made ravioli filled with organic vegetables from Laughing Stock Farm
• Arugula pesto and mushroom soup “shots”
• Seasonal vegetables from Farm Fresh Connection

And, to quench your thirst:

• Handcrafted beers from Allagash Brewing Company
• Wines provided by Aurora Provisions, Mariner Beverage, & Wicked Wines
• French Press Coffee tasting by Starbucks Coffee

If you’ve not yet experienced Chef Lee Skawinski’s fare at Cinque Terre, this event offers a reasonably economical (tickets are $35 each) way to see what all the buzz is about, and it’s tax deductible. Oh, and it benefits a great cause, too! Check out ecoappetito.com for more information and to order your tickets.

Flatbread Pizza on Commercial Street is donating a portion of its proceeds from tonight’s sales to Konbit Sante, a Maine-based medical partnership with Cap Haitien, Haiti. Amber recently did a mission trip to Haiti with our church and travelled with Konbit Sante. She’s seen the good work they’re doing to bring medical care and training to the people of Haiti’s second largest city. We’ll be going out for pizza tonight and hope to see you there. If you’ve already got dinner plans, but would like to help out this effort, take a look at Konbit Sante’s “How You Can Help” page. Financial assistance is not the only means of contributing:

Konbit Sante is different from many other organizations in that we do not send teams of doctors and nurses to provide hands-on care. Instead, our staff and volunteers work with Haitian colleagues to develop health care programs, to teach doctors and nurses, to make infrastructure improvements, and to collect and deliver much-needed equipment and supplies.

The most valuable asset you can give is your time. Not a doctor or nurse? They have many needs that can be filled by those without medical training, including infrastructure improvements, working with things like the computer and electrical systems, and collection and distribution of medical supplies and equipment. 

Konbit Sante is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation organized in the State of Maine. They can be contacted as P.O. Box 11281, Portland, ME  04104. You can call 207-347-6733 or email info@konbitsante.org for more information.

Amber and I met a friend at Fajita Grill, on Main St. in Westbrook, for dinner and margaritas last night. Having never eaten there before, we did not know what we were in for, but Amber had heard good things from some of her teacher friends who live over that way. We arrived first and each ordered a frozen margarita. We had seen the large glasses on a few other tables and figured that they were probably pretty stingy with the tequila to make them that big for $5. We were quite mistaken. These suckers seriously must have had a triple, or at least a double, of tequila in them. They were incredibly strong (not to the point of not tasting good, of course, but strong). 

Amber and I each ordered one of the various combo meals that they have. All 25 or so of the combos run about $7 and include various combinations of such staples as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and chimichangas. Our friend ordered a California burrito that was so named because it was nearly the size of said state (well, at least that’s my reasoning behind the name). It was a $10 dish, but it was enormous. We received the obligatory basket of warm corn chips and salsa while we waited for our meals to arrive. If you go, ask for the house green salsa. It’s got a nice kick to it (the red salsa was a little mild in my opinion). 

The meals were fine, but did not really stand out for either of us. The tequila overload probably didn’t help that any. I finished my meal and was comfortably full; Amber had to take home about half of hers. Surprisingly, she still had room for dessert, so an order of sopapillas (friend dough drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar) was requested. We all ate some of this $5 dessert and concluded that it, like the rest of the food, was adequate but unremarkable. All in all, the margaritas were the highlight of the meal. If you like tequila and can find a sober driver, I highly recommend heading down to 857 Main St. in Westbrook. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Amber and I were looking for a new place for brunch after church this past weekend and decided that we’d give Local 188 a try. We’d heard some good things and had walked by before and thought it was a pretty cool looking space, so we swung by around noon. The parking lot was packed, so Amber went in to grab a table and I did a little mall stalking until a space opened. The parking situation on Congress (I was going to say “that end of Congress,” but really, it’s the whole street) could use some improvement, so thank God for off-street lots. 

The restaurant was full when we arrived. There was a bustling crowd of young hipsters mixed in with older couples and their kids and a more than a few tables with grey hair. It was a pretty complete cross-section of the Portland population. We got a table in short order. Unfortunately, my seat was facing the unshaded window, so I had to eat with sunglasses on. There is a nice bar and lounge section on the left when you enter, an area that obviously hosts live music near the center of the space, and some couches and low tables behind that. On the right half of the red-dominated industrial space (exposed duct work is, as expected, visible above) is the dining room. I didn’t count but would guess that it easily holds 75 or so.

The brunch menu was somewhat basic, but the very friendly waitress mentioned a few specials that sounded interesting, including an open-faced omelette and a chocolate chip blueberry pancake. We both ended up getting the “build-your-own” scramble option. The scramble is $5, with toppings/fillings $1 a piece. A side of home fries and an English muffin is included. For such a basic breakfast, it took the kitchen a while to get our meals out. I was nearly done with my first cup of coffee (which I was nursing) before we were served. It was busy, but I expected a little better.

The scrambles were both good. I got spinach, bacon, and goat cheese in mine, and Amber opted for spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese. The goat cheese was excellent and added a very nice creamy saltiness. I’m not sure I got a dollar’s worth of bacon in mine, but there was plenty of food for $8. The home fries were only average. In my opinion they could have used a bit more seasoning. The English muffin was the surprise of the meal. I’ve never had an English muffin that I would bother to comment on, but this thing was great. Seriously, I don’t know where they got it (perhaps it was house made, but I would be surprised), but it’s easily the best English muffin I’ve ever had. 

The check took a while coming, but it was nice to not feel hurried toward the door so that the next party could take our table. Overall we were pleased with, but not blown away by, our visit. We’d go again (I’ve heard the dinner is great), but probably not for brunch if we had lots to do in the afternoon. Between Hot Suppa and Local 188, the western end of Congress Street is definitely worth checking out by any foodie looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Old Port.