Last week my special lady and I went on our annual trip to the family camp in Belfast Maine. It almost seemed like it was not going to happen when a f*ing hurricane blew through VT and left half the state under water. It really was a tragedy and affected many lives. We were lucky, it blew and rained but we did not even lose power. Odd. In any event, we were able to get on the road Monday and after the storm it was sunny and very pleasant. We dropped our asshole cat w/ my folks and made our way north. It is a long drive to Belfast so we decided to take a break in Portland for the evening. It was really fun. We stayed at the Davenport which is a very nice place in Old Port. The rooms are spacious and clean. They have beautiful views and several sitting areas as well as a nice billiard room in the basement. The only criticism I have is that the breakfast was not very good. There was a blueberry crumble that was good but it was put on top of banilla yogurt which was gross. There was nice fruit and the potatoes were good but the Mexican fritata was way too big a portion and did not taste that great, not enough salsa, a little burned, and too heavy on the cheese to egg ratio. Otherwise it was a very nice place to stay. Monday night we went out in Old Port and did it up. We had dinner in the bar at Fore Street and it was very good. The space is dark and very cool. We sat on a couch and had delicious oysters, very fresh lump crab, and a also fresh seasonal salad. Add to that some very well made cocktails and some nice white wine and we were in business (and nearly broke!). It was expensive but the food, service, and setting were all top notch... 1 7/8th thumbs up. We then wandered up Congress Street and closed down Bistro Jaqueline w/ a nice glass of champagne and then some other bar w/ a load of delicious local brews. We then proceeded to get lost and walk off our dinner in a quite unintentional way around Portland. It was a very nice evening however.
Belfast itself was same old. @ Tides was typically good. Dockside was a little disappointing, Young's Lobster Pound... delicious and fun.
Thurs. night we rolled down to Rockland and went to highly regarded Primo. They are known for using local ingredients and embracing the farm to table ethos. The place was a little off the run but the space was nice. We went upstairs to the bar and waited for our table. The cocktail list was extensive and pretty decent. Then on to dinner. The amuse bouche chicken pate was very good. Then things went a little down hill. We started w/ fried green tomatoes and oysters 2 ways. The tomato had a bad consistency and the fry was like burnt cheese, not burnt cheese in a good way either. The oysters were ok but nothing special, breaded and cooked. The wine was over priced and ok, not great. The main courses were also uninspiring. My snapper was pretty good and the lobster/potato mash was very good. My wife's pasta was way over slated. It was better the next day as a leftover. The service was quite good. The biggest problem was the prices. For $15 an overly salted pasta dish tastes a whole lot different than a $32 one. Even in New York they don't generally rip your face off that bad. We thought the whole meal was just ok but priced for exceptional plus. 1 thumb on the atm taking out more cash.
One last non-Maine related note. Saddie Katz closed its doors last week after an all to brief stay in Burlington. They made delicious sandwiches. Biscuit and I ate one last meal before they closed and as always it was great. I had a delicious greasy but not too greasy Reuben and the potato salad was solid. 2 thumbs up and hope to see you back in the mix some day...
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