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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.
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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!
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Amber and I headed to Bonobo for date night last Friday. We’d seen the restaurant as we walked from our car to Caiola’s a few months ago, and I’d read some good things about it online. We got to the restaurant a bit before 8:00 PM (we’d gone to the gym beforehand) and were able to seat ourselves immediately. The restaurant isn’t very large and our two-top was the only open table I saw, so we got a little bit lucky I think.

They were busy, but not swamped, so we had a waitress’s attention in fairly short order. The beer menu is a tad short for my tastes, but they did have a $7.00 bottle of Delirium Tremens, a few local selections, and some craft beers from away. Amber had a glass of red wine while I chose an IPA. We split a Caesar salad (sans anchovies) and their Gruyere pizza. I also asked for a slice of the pepperoni pizza just to see what a more traditional pie tasted like. Strangely, the slice came out first, followed by the salad a few minutes later. This is not a fine dining establishment, and I didn’t really specify whether the slice should be an appetizer or part of my main course, so I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

The pepperoni pizza was very good. As mentioned on MaineToday.com, the thin crust is excellent, and the wood firing imparts a nice chewiness. The slices of ‘roni were smaller than most pizza joints and the cheese did not overwhelm the pizza like at some other establishments. Amber liked the Caesar salad, but I found the dressing a touch too tart for my liking. The highlight, though, was the Gruyere pizza. Slices of roasted potato, spinach, and prosciutto (or was it pancetta?) with Gruyere and a garlic butter sauce made for an excellent, if non-traditional, taste experience. We were quite full with nearly half the pizza still left, so we had some leftovers for lunch on Saturday too. It re-heats quite nicely. Unfortunately, we didn’t have room to try any of the desserts.

For just over $40, including a drink each and tip, this was a great find for a casual weekend dinner. This little area of West End, with Caiola’s and Aurora Provisions, seems like quite a little hidden gem just off State Street. Within reasonable walking distance of the top-of-the-hill attractions such as the museums and galleries, I’d highly recommend stopping in for a slice (or a pie), especially if you can’t get a table at Caiola’s or one of the Congress Street places. The towny feel, the friendly if unpolished wait staff, and the excellent crust and unique toppings make this place well worth a visit.

I posted the announcement for Eco Appetito a few weeks ago. Instead of a Friday night date night this past week, Amber and I decided we’d head down to Cinque Terre on Sunday and sample some of their wonderful food, get some of the first taste’s of Peak’s new Maple Oat Ale, and support a good cause. We are oh so glad we did.

Parking was a bit hard to come by early Sunday afternoon, so we ended up in the parking garage on Fore Street and walked down the hill to Cinque Terre. There were already 15 or 20 people there when we arrived, but Amber and I were definitely among the earliest arrivals. The event details said that 150 tickets were available, and I’m not quite sure they sold out completely, but there were probably 125 guests or so throughout the afternoon. With all of the downstairs tables and most of the upstairs tables removed, it didn’t feel at all crowded.

The food, as expected, was excellent. Amber and I are still developing our seafood palettes, so we shied away from the Winterpoint oysters. The pesto, white bean, and parsnip soup shots (soup served in an espresso cup) were very good. Other passed appetizers included delicious wild mushroom fritters (with just a bit of bite to them), venison and mushroom with dijon mustard, and a white bean spread with roasted rabbit. The venison was some of the best I’ve ever had, and the rabbit was excellent as well. Upstairs, there was a ravioli and gnocchi station in one corner, a French press coffee station in another, and an artisan cheese station in a third.

The ravioli making was featured on a recent episode of 207 and included carrot, beet, and swiss chard. The ravioli and gnocchi were both excellent, though the consensus at our table was that the ravioli was the clear winner.

We met several interesting people at the event. Drew Dumsch, FBES’s Executive Director, chatted with Amber about ecology education (teacher talk) and some of the programs offered by the school. We spoke with the residential director’s fiancé for a while about his move out from Seattle, life in Maine, and the new Peak ale. The highlight, however, was sharing ravioli and conversation with local artist Elizabeth Fraser and her partner Maureen over several plates of ravioli and a few beers. Ms. Fraser painted a portrait of Spring Point Light that was auctioned off as part of the silent auction fundraiser. She also did paintings of Cinque Terre and Vignola as thank you gifts for the owners who donated their time, space, and staff to the event. We’ll definitely be checking out Elizabeth’s studio on Munjoy Hill during the May First Friday Art Walk and are considering commissioning a portrait of our pooch, Cindy Lu.

The plans for the second annual Eco Appetito are already underway, and I sincerely hope they’ll continue the event. It was great fun and well worth the cost of admission.

Cinque Terre will usher in the first signs of spring on Sunday, March 16th when it holds its First Annual “Eco Appetito – Good Eating for a Good Earth” event at its Portland restaurant, located at 36 Wharf Street. Scheduled for 1:00 - 4:00 pm, the festive Eco Appetito event will showcase abundant samples of local Maine food and beverages from dozens of producers. Most notably, guests will enjoy hand-crafted beer selections from Portland’s Allagash Brewing Company and the debut of Maine Oat & Maple Beer, brewed by Peak Organic Brewing Company.

The open house event, expected to draw a capacity crowd, will benefit the “Food for Thought” program, offered at Ferry Beach Ecology School (FBES) in Saco, Maine. The innovative program at the school’s coastal campus teaches the value of eating naturally grown and organic food, and how to live and eat sustainably.

DETAILS:

What: Eco Appetito – Good Eating for a Good Earth

Where: Cinque Terre, 36 Wharf Street, Portland

When: Sunday, March 16th 1:00 - 4:00 pm

How (much): $50 per person. All proceeds will benefit the Ferry Beach Ecology School and its “Food for Thought” program.

To purchase tickets or locate additional event information, visit www.fbes.org or call Maggie Daigle at (207) 671-0643.

To learn more about the Ferry Beach Ecology School and its acclaimed programs and offerings, visit www.fbes.org.