Why thank you, @fooddabbler.
Those lil’ devils at East Ender were a cross between Scotch eggs and creamy deviled eggs. I think the crunchy fried coating may have had garlic in it (?). Delicious shallot jam and microgreens were on top.
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Grateful for being able to reference the HO vault (because my memory is not awesome). We visited East Ender back in 2017 and had a great experience at the tiny intimate indoor bar area.
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Fun eating for sure.
I like the Oysters on the Menu with the Cucumber Collins !
The mussels look wonderful and the croqueta looking tapa !!!
And, let me tell you that the OLIVE PITS contain anti oxidants and are extremely healthy to maintain the olive fruit with the pit intact or the essence of the fruit is destroyed by the jar or canning industry.
Three Michelin Starred Chef Ángel León in El Puerta de Santa Maria, Cádiz, Andalusia prepares his freshly caught fish on olive pits on a grill !!! Speaking of a bespoken jewel of a catch – this is unbelievable … The amount of Olive oil inside the pit provides an enormous amount of anti oxidant. And the taste is quite astounding !!
Glad that you had a lovely lunch … Have a wonderful evening.
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Part 2: October 2021 Trip
Sunday: Since we were too full for dessert on Saturday, we started our Sunday with the goodness that is Standard Baking Co. They now offer online ordering for pickup, which we didn’t do because we also needed coffee that isn’t possible to order online.
We appreciated their pandemic precautions. Their setup has been reconfigured so that you don’t actually step inside the shop to order or to pick up. Mask required when approaching the door.
We ordered favorites that we’ve sorely missed, including a loaf of perfect wheat sandwich bread to take home.
Both of us agreed that the single best thing among all the things was this almond croissant. Even better than I remembered. Stuffed with what I think is frangipane and blanketed with almonds, it’s the croissant of my dreams.
My husband chose a pain au chocolat and an Asiago fougasse. We perched on a bench near where the water taxis depart to eat our treats.
From there, we took a drive up through the Falmouth Foreside (Maine 88) on our way to Wolfe’s Neck state park in Freeport. Fall leaves were spectacular on the drive up.
Parking at Wolfe’s Neck was nearly full on a glorious fall day but there was plenty of space and distance between us visitors. Easy walking on short trails. Watch your step on the way to take in the coastal views, though, because stairs could use maintenance.
After walking off our calories it was time to head back to Portland for a little beer tasting. We wanted to visit Oxbow Beer on Washington Avenue but didn’t know they were closed for their annual staff party.
So we decided to return to the welcoming East Ender. I wanted to taste Jam on Toast, a weissbeer with currants, from Side by Each. Husband tried Flannel Pajamas, a Marzan from the same brewer. Yum.
Once again, we were delighted by warm hospitality. Also blown away that happy hour pricing that meant our check was less than $7.00. Of course we paid and tipped on more than the full-price amount, not least because these folks are doing an amazing job in a tough year.
Now, to dinner. I planned on Sunday for our proper dinner out because rain wasn’t in the forecast. Choices were limited because of that and thing of not-eating-inside in a not-too-packed location. Chaval, which would have been our ideal, was closed for the weekend and normally also not open on Sunday.
Local 188 in Portland’s West End made the cut because of solid reviews. Portable heaters for the outdoor seating, which is key this time of year. (Our pup wasn’t along for this trip but outdoor seating is dog-friendly.)
Things were off to a great start with blistered shishito peppers with whipped ricotta and honey to share. A dusting of roasted pistachios over the top.
We didn’t enjoy our main dishes as much. My risotto with mushrooms, confit duck, and Brussels sprouts sounded better than it tasted to me. Sunchoke chips and pea tendrils on top.
This risotto was prepared well but I wasn’t a fan of having the duck and Brussels sprouts mixed into the rice. The flavor was muddled for me.
My husband chose NY strip steak, presented beautifully on a bed of vegetables. However, the strip steak was a bit tough. Supply chain issue, maybe?
Agreeable wines by the glass to go with—a Nebbiolo and a Barbera. A real plus for us because wines from the Piedmonte region of Italy are our favorites.
We finished the meal with a homey slice of flourless chocolate torte, not pictured because darkness had fallen by then.
Our experience at Local 188 was lovely even though our main dishes were a letdown. We’d give it another try sometime for appetizers and drinks.
Monday: My husband was looking forward to Holy Donut for breakfast. There’s no seating near their Park Avenue shop so we decided to drive up to the Western Promenade to perch on a park bench.
These are caramel apple and dark chocolate sea salt. Sadly the doughnuts were somewhat oily, despite the great flavors. Not up to prior standards. Perhaps pandemic fatigue was a factor.
Obviously there are worse ways to start a Monday than with this view. You can almost see Mount Washington (NH) in the distance!
We decided to wrap up our weekend and head home before lunch. We were content with our trip and the prospect of a rare afternoon nap on our day off was just too tempting to pass up.
When next in Portland on a day with good weather, I’d like to do a food and beer crawl on Washington Avenue. Terlingua, Oxbow beer with the Duckfat frites shack next door, The Shop by Island Creek for oysters, Cong Tu Bot, and a fermentation shop called Onggi are on my list. And if you get there first, I’d love to hear about it!
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these are great. thank you!
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So enjoyed reading both reports, thanks very much for them!
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Wow, another great report! It’s possible there is more useful info for Maine than Boston on this board at this point.
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