lala

Ah, Moody's, one of the places I regret not getting to on my trip. Drove by it twice, both times looking sadly back at it over my shoulder at the packed parking lot, imagining all the happy eaters with their pie and coffee...

Caveat: I've purchased whole roasted chickens from MM West Seattle, to find them quite raw. This has happened twice - they looked perfectly golden brown on the outside, but the insides were only partially cooked. Both times, I called, and was met with an 'I don't care' attitude, and was told that there was no manager on duty to complain to. Please know that I love Met Mart, and shop at both the QA and Admiral locations regularly, so it's not a random rant. I just reccommend caution if buying a whole roasted chicken.

Crystal lake Lodge? Where is that? Or do you mean Lake Crescent Lodge?

In planning the trip, I tried to get a variety of towns, Bar Harbor (touristy, pretty gawk at the big cruise ships), SW Harbor (good place for home base, restaurants, quiet), Camden (very pretty, yet touristy), Castine (it's all about the history) and Port Clyde (a true fishing village). I really enjoyed Castine, as it is indeed completely from the 18th century, and every building is historic, with dates on each one, starting in about 1750. I almost enjoyed it more than Camden, but then I'm into that historic stuff. Many of the buildings are Federal style, but we also saw some Tudor as well. There's a cupola on one of the churches that's just fantastic. And there were indeed Elms, which (since I grew up in a town decimated by the blight), were quite lovely to see. However, I would say that an overnight, with a good walk around the town and drive out to the lighthouse is sufficient, unless you're looking for a place to curl up with a book for a day. There are three hotels/B&B's, and only a handful of restaurants, half of which are in the hotels (all over priced, pretentious looking food). We stayed at the Castine Harbor Lodge, and had a bit of a run in with the cook who checked us in (he refused to turn the heat on, on a 50*, rainy day). Turns out he is the owner's husband, and not supposed to be let out of the kitchen as he's not people-trained. The Lodge was definately eclectic and funky, much more along the lines of a true English B&B, with odd decorations, and strange room configurations. However, the fire was roaring in the evening, Dad enjoyed the tv lounge, and in the morning, when the sun finally came out, it was lovely to sit on the deck with a coffee and survey the view.

johnnyd:, yes, we were in Port Clyde last Monday, 9/20. It was the first day of the 10 day sea urchin season. The guy had 6 tubs completely full of the l'il guys. Said he got them in 10 feet of water, but didn't specify where that water was And it wasn't quite Carnitas, but something very like that, only longer... quite tasty..mmmmm rlibkind, XYZ is now located on the right side of the road, away from the water as you drive towards Manset from SW harbor. There's a handmade sign that just says XYZ on it and an arrow. Then there's the trek up the dirt road, and no sineage on the actual place. Quite a little hidey-hole! Edited to add, sorry, I don't know what's in XYZ's old place - I have only been to the new place, but I understand from other posters that there's a weak imitiation in their old building.

From what I understand, XYZ sold their location, not the business. I had read some warnings to look for their new location, and to not go to the old one, as there was a bad imitation in that place. In any case, it was terrific. Good Mexican in Maine - whoda thunk it?

Well, I'm back from my trip to Maine, almost over the flu contracted on the plane, and am finally able to offer my thoughts on my eatin' in Maine for a week in September! Thanks to all the generous eGulleters, we didn’t have a bad meal (well, at any EG approved places!) Here’s what we had: Fairfield, CT. Super Duper Weenie: We got dogs to go in between my nephew’s baseball and soccer games. I had the New England dog, with chili and cole slaw. While the bun was a little cool and soggy by the time we found the field, the dog itself was very tasty, with a meaty texture and a good snap to it. Fries were greasy and forgettable. The other meals that we had in Fairfield were not worth any mention, but in their defense, they were chosen to accomodate a rambunctious 7 year old, not for the food. Brunswick, Maine. Sea Dog Brewery, which is actually across the river, in Topsham. An easy walk from downtown Brunswick, but I recommend driving, because as a pedestrian you have to cross the road twice, once at each end of the bridge, with no light to stop traffic. This is a fun little brewery in an old mill building, right on the river. Inside, it’s open and airy, with the original brick walls and wide wooden plank flooring. We sat out on the deck, overlooking the river at comfortable log tables. I had the Windjammer ale, which is their lightest, and more like a good, hoppy pilsner. We had the mussels (PEI) in beer, and then again in wine. The beer liquid for the mussels was a little bitter (which I've found typical in this preparation anyway), but our next order of mussels in white wine were very nice, with shreds of onion, and a little cream to finish the sauce. The crab cakes were rolled in cracker crumbs and sautéed, and were light, yet full of crab, with a creamy lemon spiked dill sauce. The fries were properly double cooked, tender and fluffy inside, with a crisp exterior from the second fry. Provisions: Looking for picnic grub, we stopped in at this store, which is a quite comprehensive ‘gourmet’ shop in downtown Brunswick, with lots of goodies both savory and sweet. We had a baguette from Standard Bakery (delicious - are they using hard Canadian wheat? It seemed more truly French than what we get on the West Coast). We also had some Quebec sharp cheddar and fantastic D’affinois brie. We rounded out the meal with tasty tomatoes and blueberries from the farmers market on the town green Southwest Harbor, ME Had a couple of meals at the Drydock Café. The first night, when we arrived, ravenous, near 8:00, we enjoyed the hot artichoke and crab dip, wishing for a good bread instead of the crackers. I had a perfectly cooked rare steak with gorgonzola butter and garlic mashers, while Dad enjoyed his seafood pasta (scallops, shrimp and fish in alfredo over angel hair pasta). Our other meal, I wasn’t feeling very well, so I had the Pasta Primavera (I know, I know….), but it was actually quite good, with olive oil, oregano, and lots of veggies. A perfectly respectable place, but if you go, avoid the blueberry crisp, as it was a soggy, flavorless mess. Also, beware: they try to seat everyone in the deadly second dining room, full of frou frou, when the room by the bar is simpler, where the locals eat, and much more enjoyable. Little Notch Bakery: After a disastrous first breakfast at our B&B (a soggy, flavorless excuse for ‘apple’ crepes, with too many squiggles of irrelevant, mystery substances on the plate), I marched up to town to lay in my own breakfast supplies, since we had our own kitchen. This included a loaf of the 7 grain bread ($4.00), which was fantastic. Sandwiches eaten from there included the daily special Black Forest Ham and Cheese on Sourdough (proclaimed to be the ‘best sandwich I’ve ever had’ by my Dad, who didn‘t give me a taste), and a delicious chicken breast sandwich with caramelized onions and aioli on foccacia for me. The foccacia was half a round, split into a pocket, with heaps of tender chicken breast, and tangy aioli. It was excellent, and too big, and I snarfed up the whole thing. Another day, we had the Turkish lentil soup (vegetarian, using de puy lentils and spinach, very nice, a tiny bit spicy.) and Spicy Black Bean (creamy, delicious and indeed, spicy). Their Caesar salad had a good garlic/anchovy kick. Bar Harbor: Rupununi: I guess I didn’t understand that Rupununi and Carmen Verandah were the same place, as we walked by it twice before going in. I also hadn’t seen from any postings what a fantastic building it’s in - a sprawling log lodge, in downtown Bar Harbor, with multiple seating areas, outside, at street level, inside, and upstairs on a deck overlooking the town green, which is where we sat. I had the steamed mussels with curry sauce, which were presented in an interesting fashion - the mussels were steamed plain, and presented nude, while the sauce was presented in a bowl on the side, for dipping. I guess it makes sense, for those who are afraid of the mess (all those cruise ship passengers who had invaded the town, perhaps?), but it seemed a little odd to me. However, it was delicious, with a good lemongrass edge to the curry. Dad had the chicken/pesto sandwich, and proclaimed it to be very good. I also had a Caesar salad, which for $7.00 for a tiny mound of limp lettuce in nondescript cream gunk, was not worth it at all. The Lobster Claw At 54 West street, just off the main harbor area, this little shack was a gem. I was sad that it wasn’t lunch time, as the lobster roll that one patron had looked just scrumptious, but I was very happy with the blueberry pie and ice cream. I had three different blueberry pie/crumbles for desserts in Maine, and this was the best. I definitely recommend this little hole in the wall for anyone wanting a quick lunch or snack. Manset: XYZ: If you didn’t know, you would never find it, and I’m glad we had reservations, because they filled up quickly. At this point in the season, they’re only open on weekends. We had Bohemias and started with the Queso Fundido, with chorizo. Mildly spicy, with gooey cheese, eaten with the finest fresh flour tortilla’s I’ve ever had. Fresh, light, soft, like little pillows to wrap around each bit of queso. We both had the pork, the name of which I’ve unforgivably forgotten. It was pork butt(?), rubbed with ancho, stewed in a citrus sauce, served with black beans, rice, and pickled onions. Fantastic flavors, delicate, yet robust, and delicious. The flan was perfectly cooked, creamy with a deep caramel sauce. Thurston’s Unfortunately, I am unable to toss my opinion into the Thurston’s vs. Beals debate, as we never ate at Beals. They close at 6pm at this time of year, but from looking at it, I do agree with those who are not fond of the physical space on the dock. You can’t see the harbor from the dining area, and it seems a bit cramped and nearly industrial, right there next to the Coast Guard building. Thurston’s, however, was a hoot. You study the menu, and have to memorize your order before you even go in the door. You order your lobster by the size, hard or soft shell, and then order your accompaniments, either individually, or as a package. We ordered a clam dinner (steamed clams, corn on the cob, roll, and blueberry cake), and a regular dinner (corn, roll, blueberry cake), and our lobsters. You place your order right in front of the lobster tank, and your lobster is weighted and rung up accordingly. The order taker had to weigh several lobsters to get the correct sizes for the two for us, so there were lobsters flying through the air, into the scale, then back into the tanks several times. The Clams arrived first. Damn, I will say I miss East Coast clams. These were the finest clams I’ve ever eaten, just delicious. Plump, juicy, briney, the very essence of the sea. Wonderful. Lobsters next, steaming hot, curled up next to the corn in the paper tray. I launched in, happily popping the body joints and flipping out the lower claw to get the full piece of meat, plunging it into the butter bath. Mmmmmm…. Delicious. I will say, however, that as I usually do, I found the tail to be on the tough side. I know, it’s the main muscle for the critter, and it did have a good flavor, but it was a bit like chewing stringy erasers. All in all, while the claws and little legs were quite tasty, I will say that I do prefer Dungeness crabs. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the Thurston’s experience, and loved the process of eating the lobstah while hearing those true Maine accents all around me. Jordan Pond House Since it was pouring rain, we did not earn our popovers with a hike, but we enjoyed them nonetheless. It was lunchtime, so I had the lobster bisque, which was delicious, and Dad had the seafood stew, a broth based concoction chock full of fish, scallops, etc. The popovers were lovely, and were served with that fantastic strawberry jam, which is made with either wild strawberries or fraises du bois - it had that incredible essence of berry that you can only get with one of those two berries. Others have said that the lunch is expensive and not worth it, but I found it delightful. While it was a bit spendy, I felt that for the view, food, and service it was well worth it. Camden - We only spent a few hours in Camden, as it was raining, and we had reservations at Primo that night. I did manage to squeeze in a latte and hermit at Boynton McKay, both of which were quite tasty. Primo We drove up to this lovely Victorian house, to find the parking lot astonishingly full for 6:15 on a September Sunday night. We were shown to our seat in the second main floor dining room, which was already full. The menu presented so many fantastic choices, it was very difficult to decide. Our waiter (Bill) approached in a very dramatic fashion to recite the specials, his voice taking over the small room. I ordered a glass of the Cava while we thought about the menu. Bill seemed at first to be a little too dramatic, reciting the specials in an almost actorly way, but he quickly warmed up as I started to ask him pointed questions about the dishes, and wine parings. From what I observed throughout the evening, many people just eat there to have that notch on their belts (so to speak), and I made sure that he know that I was there for the food and the experience. He quickly warmed up to me, to the point of bringing several tastes of wine for each course, and letting me actually have a bite of the dish as I tasted the wines, to better judge the match. He was an integral part of the experience, and even proclaimed that I must be fun to go out to dinner with, since I was so interested in what I was eating. Back atcha, Bill! Dad had the Grilled York Hill farm goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves with herbes de provence, marinated olives and grilled levain. The cheese was just warmed enough to bring out the tang, and smeared on the smoky grilled bread, was just divine. I had the Warm Duck Confit with a salad of late summer fruits and fall chicories with a gooseberry vinaigrette and toasted pecans. Yum. Just….Yum. Warm, meltingly tender duck with crispy skin, paired with a fantastic salad which contained greens, pecans, gooseberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, rose plums, pink apples (cameo?), and pomegranate seeds. With this I had a glass of a Cab/Tempranillo blend, which was smooth, a little spicy, and had just enough oak to compliment the duck. For the Entrée, Dad had the Handrolled Cavatelli with pecorino-lamb sausage, brocolli rapini and tomato, fnished with fresh oregano and ricotta salata. These were handmade, tight pasta curls, perfectly cooked, with rich, properly gamey lamb sausage, and a scattering of firm, creamy ricotta. I had one of the specials - Wood fire roasted fennel stuffed Dorade (Dorato, a Mediterranean fish - I have no idea where they got their hands on this) with a saffron sauce, Yukon gold potatoes and greens, with mussels. The fish was Perfect - crispy skin, firm white flesh, with a hint of the fennel and wood smoke in each bite. Didn’t get a whole lot of saffron hit from the sauce, and the mussels were simply irrelevant, but damn, that fish was fantastic. I regret to say I have no idea what wine I had with this, but it was a crisp, flinty white with a hint of floral aroma, perfectly playing off the fish and fennel. While they had a plethora of baked dessert options, I had the raspberry and ‘tropical’ (passion fruit and mango) sorbets with cookies (almond biscotti, chocolate biscotti, tuile, and madoline with dried cranberries) and a glass of Beaumes de Venise. These sorbets paired with that wine is one of my favorite desserts, and I was indeed, a happy little eater at the end of the evening. The restaurant was at near full capacity for the whole time we were there, and we were there for 2 ½ hours. Impressive for a Sunday night in September. Castine - Dennets Wharf Pub, on the water, of course, in an old Sail loft. Fantastic older waitresses who call you ‘hon’ and mean it. We had huge mussels in wine sauce, and I had the ribs, which were a little sweet, but not bad. Dad had a scallop pasta with bacon and cream. Not a bad find for the end of the road. Port Clyde: I’m so glad that the Dip Net was there, or I would have been a liar as Dad kept asking 'Are you sure there's food down here?" as we kept driving down the peninsula. Port Clyde is quite fun, a real fishing village, where we not only saw them bringing in lobster, but huge amounts of sea urchins as well. The Dip Net provided excellent fish and chips, the fish being haddock in an incredibly light batter. Maine was lovely, the people were delightful, and as you can see, we didn't want for good food!

The restaurants have been covered by others, so here's my pitch: Be very sure to spend some time at the Pike Place Market. There's nothing like it!

I third that vote. Terrific bread, been eatin' it for years. Whole grain, chewy, substantial... absolutely remarkable for a commercial product. I keep it in the freezer, too, and just take out slices as I need them.

Well, now, I'm on a near foodless cross country flight on Saturday, and I believe that I will have to bring that figgie/brie sandwich! No heat source, so I'll have to be sure I get a nice, gooey brie...mmmm....sure to make my seat mates jealous!

I have a few food allergies, as well as a few intense dislikes. The food allergies won't kill me, but as another has pointed out, they can make my evening unpleasant with rashes, burning mouth, etc. All verified by a series of scratch tests. So I can usually glean the necessary information from the menu description to avoid these ingredients, but if necessary I ask the server. As for my food dislikes, I would never lie and say they're an allergy, having dealt with this situation on the business end for many years. Nope, I find that a simple " I hate brussels sprouts. Is there something else I can get instead?" usually works just fine. If the server balks at that, I reitierate the "hate" part, sometimes embellshing with "Loathe and detest". Usually gets the point across. Unfortunately, the one killer (literally) allergy that I have is the fumes emitted by roasting peppers. Fortunately, it's an easily identifiable aroma, so as soon as I step in the restaurant door, if I smell it, I just turn around and leave.

While not necessarily local, but in season: I always eat lots of figs at this time of year. In yogurt with honey, on coffee ice cream with cinnamon, topped with mascarpone and berries. And my favorite, grilled. Some people stuff them with blue cheese. I halve them, wrap in a quarter slice proscuitto, line up a bunch of them and skewer them together and give a bath of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, grill on medium heat until the fig is warmed through. Eat as is, or with a light salad of baby greens. I usually drizzle a little aged balsamic on top. Just...swoony...

Well, he starts with an insult "Julia Child’s contributions to the art of cuisine were limited and controversial.". I guess I wasn't aware that her contributions were limited, or controversial. Millions of people thought they were vast, and straightforward. Then he goes on: "Like many current American food writers, Child didn’t grow up with fine food. In fact, she didn’t take an interest in cooking until she was 30 and had arrived in France (where native chefs generally grow up in family restaurants or at the very least are apprenticed at 14). This means that she was oblivious to the California cooking of her youth, the New York food of her early 20s, the food of her travel from Sri Lanka to China as a secretary for the Office of Strategic Services, and apparently even the Chinese food of her courtship period. When time machines get a little cheaper, I’d like to go back and check out some of the meals she ignored and picked at over those 30 years." Ummmm.... this completely contradicts what Julia herself said in print and in the Biography special, that she was intrigued by the food in India and China, but it was that fish dish in France that truely ignited her passion. To say that she was 'oblivious' to food for 30 years is a bit disingenuous, and incorrect. He certainly has his own take on things: "Like a lot of people, I made the coq au vin and the boeuf bourguignon from her early books — once. I thought, "There has to be an easier way," and set out to find it. Much the same thing happened to many others with her famous recipe for French bread. For me, Julia Child was always old, but never in the way." Thus, he diverges from eGulleteers, and anyone who's actually interested in food, in looking for the 'easy' way to make these dishes. Of course, this is his perogative, but with this attitude, it's a shame that he's a food critic. "Julia Child was always old, but never in the way." Yep, just sit granny in the corner, she won't bother us... Feh!

Lovely article. He mentions her 'flinty' side, and insistance on doing everything right, and that some people missed that, for her 'flighty' demonstrations. Personally, I loved that side of her. You have to learn the technique before you can get creative. It was her humor that encouraged me to learn the technique, and assured me that it was ok to fail, if I then went back and worked a little harder the next time to get it right. Between Julia and Jacques (La Technique, and La Methode, marvellous books), I was well grounded in culinary techniques by my teens, and to be frank, much of what I then was taught at the CIA was simply review of these techniques for me. Yep, solid technique cloaked in a mask of humor. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

It's amazing to me, how loved she was, by so many. Not that I'm naïve about her appeal, but to me, it was all so personal. I spent my Saturday mornings with her. She was by my side as I learned to cook. She was part of our family celebrations, as we made her recipes. The last dish I made for my Mom was Julia's French Onion Soup. And that was what Julia herself had, that last evening. A friend said, "What a coincidence". No, I explained, not at all. Julia, and Julia's food, and cooking, and enjoyment of life, is a part of my family. Inextricably intertwined. While it's fantastic that she's getting her due, I hope she knew her impact on our lives while she was living. I have to think that she did, and that wherever her spirit is, she's secretly pleased at all the fuss, a well deserved recognition of a life very well lived.

heh heh heh ...I'm off to Maine for a week and a half in September..... I've had one lobster roll in my life (and wasn't overly impressed), but I shall take my research quite seriously. However, as a Dungie fan, I'm curious to see how a truely fresh lobster compares...

Yep. That's always been my family's version of WWJD: What would Julia Do? ....with this piece of fish, this chicken, this potato....

Get in and out by 10am on weekends, and you'll get the best stuff, and avoid the tourists.

I was privileged to meet her at a book signing. It was just a few days after the big Quake in SF in...'89? The basement at Macy's, where she was promoting a new book. First, she did a demo, making Pissaladiere. Everything was prepped for her, except for the parmesan, which was handed to her in a hunk, along with a grater. She quite forcefully spoke up "You mean you expect me to stand here and grate all this cheese by hand? I'm 84 years old, I don't have time for that! We're here in the kitchenware department, for heaven sakes! Get me a Cuisinart!" One was promptly taken off the shelf and set up for her. And although I don't remember what she did, she did do something unusual to the machine, muttering about the design flaw! When it came time for the signing, I got in line, clutching my well-worn, stained, and earthquake crunched paperback copy of one of the books from her cooking show 15 years before (French Chef). I was afraid I'd be booted for not buying her new book, but I had learned to cook from her on those shows, and wanted that book signed. When I got up to the front, she saw the book and smiled at me, saying "Well, now, this looks well used, doesn't it". I don't remember exactly what I said, but I tried to tell her that she taught me to cook, and inspired me for my whole life in that regard. I'm so glad to have that signed book, it's a treasure.

I had just read it on the web and burst into tears, scaring the IT guy standing next to me. As he looked at me, not comprehending, all I could blurt out was "She's my Hero". I watched her instead of cartoons on Saturday morning, scribbling everything down as fast as I could. I adored her knowledge, verve and humor, and tortured my family with my renditions of her recipes. She made it all seem so possible, and inspired me to go to the CIA at a time when women chefs were a rarity. It was so nice to know she was in the world, and I'm so sorry she's gone. But her inspiration changed the American food scene forever, so she will live on. no..... may be more appropriate

As in most things, it's a matter of personal taste. I'd rather have a few small plates, to get more tastes than big plate of something. But that's just me.

Been enjoying Peach-O-Rama (Love that name!) as well. Also bought some stunningly good peaches off a farmer at the Market on Saturday. So good, I was cutting it up for my yogurt lunch the next day, tasted one bite, and it didn't make it into the yogurt. I've never grilled peaches, but now seems like a perfect time to start... any advice?

Statistics will also show that these people are also more likely to be no fun to be around and have a generally unpleasant life. I'm not sure that eating/drinking everything in sight automatically makes a person more fun to be around. Unless of course, one celebrates with eating contests. No but someone who never veers from the same regimen every single day of their life is just as crazy as the person who puts no limits on themselves. Try losing 50 pounds. Then try to maintain it. It's harder than you think - most people don't succeed. While I personally adjust my eating to accomodate those splurges (which is what everyone posting so far is advocating, too), you just can't know how difficult it is to maintain weight loss until you try. Go to the WW thread on this board. You'll see that many of the people posting lost weight, gained it back, and are now trying to lose again. It also doesn't help that everyone judges you at those special occasions (like you're doing). A person trying to maintain their weight loss can do all the 'tricks' (eating low cal foods ahead of time, drinking lots of water, etc), then be careful in how they choose to indulge (that small piece of cake may BE an indulgence for them), then they run into the judgemental folks who jeer at them and tell them that they're 'No Fun' because they're not slamming back brews and snarfing down that whole rack o' ribs. It's a minefield out there, it really is. If a person can monitor their indulgences, allowing for splurges by eating less the day before, or whatever, that's great, and that's the way I choose to do it. However, there are those who know that they cannot handle it, that that bite of cake triggers binge eating, well, then, it's not for anyone else to judge. Look at it this way - if those folks aren't eating their 'share', then there's more for you, right?

Due to the heat in Seattle lately, I've found myself dining at restaurants in Pacific Place. The portions at Gordon Biersch are HUGE! It's horrifying. Their pasta could feed a family of four, easily. I use my bread plate to unload half the dish before I even start. Their buns for burgers/sandwiches are at least 8oz.