September 2006 Archives

Morcilla, blood sausage. No one knew the English word for it, but it's distinctive look is unmistakable. Served with yucca, lightly pickled onions, and some sort of yellow-orange chutney sort of thing I couldn't identify. Hearty and delicious.

Huaraches con chorizo. It's like a taco big enough to wrap around your head. A large corn tortilla with a base layer of crema and a generous amount of spicy, tangy chorizo. Accented with fresh cilantro, sauteeed onions, and topped with queso fresco.

Today was the celebration of Central American Independence Day. There was a DJ and plenty of pinatas. Just not in this picture.

This is actually the intersection of Clinton and Bush, but it's a little strange regardless.

For more information on what you can expect to find at the Red Hook soccer field, check out these reviews. (The Porkchop Express)

Duckfat is a casual restaurant from Rob Evans and Nancy Pugh, who also run the more upscale Hugo's. The menu is composed of paninis, soups, salads, which doesn't sound exciting on first mention. But notice the frites, fried twice in Belgian style and offered with a range of dipping sauces. Or the beignets, not something you find every day. How about a homemade soda, or a "Five dollar shake" (available as a malted). You realize quickly that this is not just "any old place," which makes sense since Rob Evans has worked at the Inn at Little Washington and the French Laundry.

I have two regrets about Duckfat. First, that I was only able to eat once here. Second, that the sweet panino was so substantial we didn't have the appetite to order (and fully appreciate) the beignets. I wish there was a place like this near my office!

Long Island duck panino

The fries. Every bit as tasty as they look, with your selection of dipping sauces.

Special of the day: nutella and banana panino.

We had dinner at 555 Congress St, a restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Steve and Michelle Corry. According to the excerpt in this Food & Wine article, both have worked in Napa Valley. I can never resist taking pictures of salt in candlelight.

I asked for, and received, permission to take photos inside the restaurant. We had a great view of the kitchen from our seat, but not good enough to get clear shots.

They allowed me to take pictures closer to the kitchen. Here we see salads being composed.

We had been eating all day, so we decided to create a meal mostly from the small plates. I only had a few minutes before our food was ready. Two of our appetizers are ready here, the "popkins" and the Bangs Island mussels. This was my first time near a working kitchen. The pace was fast and I missed a lot of potentially great shots. I hope I get another opportunity.

mediterranean-style grilled flatbread
cheesy flatbread . niman ranch prosciutto . picholine olives . roasted garlic . agra-dolce onions

"steak and cheese"
thinly sliced black angus carpaccio . shaved reggiano parmesan . wild arugula . white truffle oil . fried capers

chili-lime angus beef "popkins"
crispy pockets . creamy turtle bean sauce . cheesey corn grits . five pepper "pittman" hot sauce

bangs island mussels
house pickled cherry peppers . chive butter . roasted garlic . crunchy bread for dipping

"two blue"
hand-picked maine blueberries . maytag blue cheese . tender organic greens . blueberry-champagne vinaigrette

peppercorn -crusted, pan seared day boat scallops
roasted fennel-potato puree . butter-glazed pearl onions . organic baby carrot and vanilla-butter emulsion

We ended with a selection of desserts and two cheeses. The first was, I believe, an Italian blue. The second was Pecorino Ginepro, which I had the fortune to try a few months earlier thanks to one of the staff at Murray's Cheese. It is a wonderful raw sheep's milk cheese bathed in balsamic vinegar and juniper before aging. The texture is slightly crumbly and the taste is light, almost refreshing. You should absolutely stampede over there to buy some.

I'm going to cheat on evaluating the meal by saying that everything was delicious. The ingredients were fresh and every dish was unfussy and worked. The flatbread interested me the least among the dishes. I might have liked it better if the crust was crispier. The space is beautifully designed. The service was professional yet friendly. I felt very comfortable during the entire meal. The overall dining experience was of a caliber that one would expect in Napa Valley or New York, and reflects well on the committment of its owners.

Another hasty shot. I wish I had my tripod here.

The exposure is off because I didn't have a lot of time to set up this shot. Still, I like the reflections off the faucet.

Maple's Organics is Portland's first certified organic bakery and ice creamery, committed to using high quality, locally sourced, organic ingredients in its recipes. Visit their web site to learn more about them.

The store is located in a house on Forest Ave.

The main seating area is warm and bright.

MOFGA is the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. There's a real committment to good service and good product that's really refreshing to see. Every neighborhood needs a scoop shop like this, not the weapon of mass mediocrity that is Cold Stone Creamery.

Le Menu.

What you'll find here are ice creams in their purest form. There are no stabilizers, ensuring the texture is airy, light, almost ethereal. The flavors are clean and refreshing. It's the complete opposite of thick, heavy, mass produced super-premium ice creams (that I still love).