Foodie news: Beard semifinalist nominees released; Maine chefs in the running

Maine chefs are no strangers to the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards, and the 2010 semifinalists include both familiar faces and new entries to the competition. Notably, Sam Hayward, a former Best Chef in the Northeast winner, is nominated for Outstanding Chef and his restaurant, Fore Street, is nominated for Outstanding Restaurant. Contenders for the Best Chef in the Northeast honor include Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, of Arrows (a talented duo who have been previously nominated). Nominees will be named on March 22; winners announced on May 3.Here’s the full Maine line-up:

Outstanding Chef:

• Sam Hayward, Fore Street, Portland

• Outstanding Restaurant:

• Fore Street, Portland

Best Chef Northeast:

• Penelle Chase, Phoebe Chase, Megan Chase, and Ted Lafage, Chase’s Daily, Belfast

• Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland

• Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, Arrows Restaurant, Ogunquit

• Brian Hill, Francine Bistro, Camden

Bourdain in Maine 2

Yup, he was here (and he got a taste for a Maine winter in addition to Maine fare). Reports are beginning to trickle in: In Portland, he visited Street & Co., J’s Oyster, Duckfat, and one more, which one of my sources is trying to get today.

In Rockland, he spent Saturday at Primo, then spent all day yesterday in and around town. Early reports had him dining at Conte’s, but I’ve yet to have a confirmation on that (but he had to be somewhere on Sunday). Stay tuned….   UPDATE

Restaurant updates: York, Portland, Brunswick

Just a few updates worth noting (and for most, the websites have yet to catch up):

In York, the Chapman Cottage has, for the most part, closed its dining room to the public. It will remain open to guests on weekends in the off season, when it will be open to the public one night each month as well. That’s a loss, it was a lovely place to dine. Owners Donna and Paul Archibald are looking forward to working just 60 hours per week, rather than 120. Can’t blame ’em.

In Portland, Walter’s is back! Yay! The perennial favorite reopens tonight at its new location, 2 Portland Square. Katahdin, another long-timer on the Portland restaurant stage, has closed and is expected to reopen in January on Forest Ave., in the former location of the closed Geo’s.

And in Brunswick, local fave Scarlett Begonia’s has moved off Maine Street into the new Maine Street Station. No more ordering at the counter, and no more BYOB: The space is far larger and there’s even a bar.

Fancying Francine

Dined at Chef/Owner Brian Hill’s  Francine Bistro last night, and I liked it. Food is well prepared and innovative; service is very good. It is not, however, a fine dining restaurant; true to the name, it’s a bistro: loud, frenzied, fun. The prices aren’t exactly bistro prices (entrees $23-26), which is probably why I’ve heard mixed reactions to this little gem.

Nothing fancy in decor (wood floors, painted walls, mirrors to give the impression that it’s a bit larger than it really is–and also so the staff can monitor what’s happening). Although the din could be toned down with a bit of acoustical fabric wall hangings, but that would change the good-times feel of the place, even if conversation is a bit difficult.

I dined on braised local rabbit, grits, greens white asparagus, bacon miso. It was hefty portion, and I couldn’t finish it (yay, leftovers!). Next time I dine here, I’ll restrain myself for the day so I’m good and hungry. The appetizer courses looked wonderful, especially the Jerusalam artichoke soup with parmesan and fried garlic—mmmmm. I could easily have paired that with the skillet roast semolina gnocchi, country style ragu local pecorino and called it a meal in itself, perhaps with a salad, too. Next time.

Maine Restaurant Week 2010

Mark it on your calendars. The second annual Maine Restaurant Week is scheduled March 1-10, 2010. Restaurants statewide will offer three-course, prix-fixe dinners for $20.10, $30.10 or $40.10. A few also will serve prix fixe lunches for $15.10.

This promo was extremely successful last year, and I expect, as more people learn about it and more restaurants participate, it will be even more so this year. It’s a great opportunity to try new restaurants, or a good excuse to revisit old favorites. And March is ideal: Everyone needs something to look forward to during Mud Season.

Nibbles and bites along the south coast

Beyond the extremes of the White Barn Inn and the Loco Poco’s, I grazed my way through a couple of other Kennebunk/K’port restaurants (both siblings of the White Barn) and a fish and lobster joint in Wells.

Given that White Barn Inn chef Jonathan Cartwright oversees the empire, I expected both Grissini and Stripers to be excellent, and I wasn’t disappointed. Note: In both cases, they knew I was coming, so take that into consideration.

First stop, Stripers at the Breakwater Inn. Although only a few years old, the dining room and lounge area were renovated for this season. The bar, previously on the street side, was moved to the river side. A wall of windows separates it from a deck, with more seating. On the other side, the back wall is actually a 500-gallon acquarium, which helps set the mood. Fittingly, we watched anglers casting lines in the river as we sipped wine and nibbled on a few choices.

This was only the first or second night of serving a new bar menu, and the place was empty. Service, as would be expected given the lack of crowds, was excellent. We split orders of crabcakes (moist and delicious) and—are you ready—lobster poutine. Yup, you read that right. French fries smothered in lobster sauce and sprinkled with cheese curd from Smiling Hill Farm. And yes, it was as decadent, rich, gooey, and delicious as it sounds. It could have achieved perfection if the fries had been just a bit crispier.

Next, we waddled over to Grissini, but instead of dining upstairs (a gold-toned room anchored by a walk-in stone fireplace and an open kitchen with woodburning overn), we headed down to Grotta, the fireplaced lounge in the basement level. Unlike Stripers, both the restaurant and lounge here were hopping. The lounge was noisy—not the place for a quiet dinner, but then it’s not meant to be.

Grissini specializes in Tuscan cuisine. We split an appetizer order of capesante: pan-seared scallops paired with celeriac puree, cucumber, red onion salad, honey vinaigrette, and mint oil. Wow! That just danced off the tastebuds; fabulous. We also split a small mushroom pizza, which has to be one of the best deals in the K’bunks. This $8 pizza was a meal in itself, a thin, thin, crispy crust topped with sauce, a heavenly fontina, and abundant mushrooms. We ended up taking half of it to go for lunch the next day.

Two days later, we feasted at Fisherman’s Catch, on the Harbor Road, in Wells. I love this place, which gets everything right. A friendly, service oriented staff of high school and college age waitresses obviously enjoy what they do. And so do the customers. We were seated at one of the picnic tables by the windows overlooking the Rachel Carson preserve, an estuary teeming with wildlife. A pair of binoculars was available to use, nice touch. Over head, a roll of paper towels was within easy reach. Much appreciated by the folks chowing on lobster at the neighboring table.

The big hits here are lobster, chowders, lobster rolls, and fried fish. We touched on two: one order of clam chowder and one order of fish and chips. The chowder was rich, thick, creamy, and delicious. The fish and chips were crispy on the outside, moist and tender inside. Doesn’t get much better than that. Well maybe it does. I’ve heard it’s worth coming for dessert alone. Hmmm, maybe next time.

Rockland updates

Took a wander through downtown Rockland today. For the most part, Main Street appears healthy, and that’s a good thing in this economy. Sure, there are a few empty storefronts (Sage Market has moved to Camden), but for the most part there’s life here. And promise.

Just opened a few days ago is Clan MacLaren’s, an order-at-the-counter lunch spot serving paninis, sandwiches, soups, and chowders. Nothing too exciting or flashy, just solid choices such as the Angus MacLaren: ham, povolone, tomato, green pepper, onion, pickles, black olives, and olive oil—which sounds very similar to a classic Italian sandwich—two sizes, $5.99 and $7.99. It’s at 395 Main St.

Of course, Rockland has plenty of choices for lunch, especially on Main Street. I’m really liking the options at Rock City (previously Second Read) these days. I’ll be back to try some of those (as well as another of those killer triple chocolate cookies).

Rockland Farmers’ Market opened its season today at Harbor Park, and will continue on Thursdays, 9-12:30, through Oct. 15. Plenty of enticing foods, from fresh produce to fresh cheeses, natural meats to hand-crafted chocolates. And of course, Harbor Park is such a lovely spot for it.

I grabbed a croissant stuffed with prosciutto and Parmigiana and moseyed along the boardwalk out to The Boat House, the newish restaurant (opened last fall) with that wowser location (former MBNA pier). It would have been an ideal day to hang on the deck sipping wine and nibbling on choices form the raw bar. I’ve yet to eat here, so I can’t provide a first-person report, but what I’ve heard through the grapevine has been mostly positive. It’s still on the young side, and entering its first prime time tourist season, so there are bound to be a few snags. It’s not large, and it doesn’t take reservations for parties fewer than six. Like I said, it gets big points for location. Prices range from $10 for burgers or fried fish sandwiches to $17 for beef tenderloin topped with fresh picked lobster; majority of entrees are in the upper teens. Not cheap, but like I said, the views alone… It’s open daily from 11:30 a.m., serving lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.

Maine chefs and restaurants earn Beard nod

Once again, Maine chefs and restaurants have gained national attention in numbers that are proportionately far greater than its population. Check out the list of Maine-based semi-finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards. Nominees will be announced March 24, with the awards gala slated for May 4.

And the semi-finalists are…

Outstanding Chef: Sam Hayward, Fore Street, Portland, ME

Outstanding Restaurant: Fore Street, Portland, ME

Best New Restaurant: Emilitsa, Portland, ME

Best Chef Northeast: (Wow! five out of 20 are Maine chefs)

Penelle Chase, Phoebe Chase, Megan Chase, and Ted Lafage, Chase’s Daily, Belfast, ME

Rob Evans, Hugo’s, Portland, ME

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, Arrows Restaurant, Ogunquit, ME

Rich Hanson, Cleonice, Ellsworth, ME

Brian Hill, Francine Bistro, Camden, ME

Haven’t had a chance to try these restaurants yet? Better make plans now, before the rest of the state/region/nation starts booking the tables. Many are participating in RestaurantWeekMe.

Restaurant Week Maine update

Given the number of hits I’m getting on an earlier posting, I have a sense that this will be one successful event. As of Feb. 11, participation had grown to 41 restaurants from Ogunquit to Augusta.

Again, here’s the drill: Participating restaurants are offering three-course meals priced at $20.09, $30.09 or $40.09 depending on the restaurant. Details, including menus, restaurant locations and pricing will be posted on restaurantweekme.com on Monday, Feb. 16. Pricing is per person and excludes beverage, tax and gratuity. Go here to get on the update list.

And here’s who’s in as of Feb. 11:

Augusta:
• Cloud 9 (at The Senator Inn and Spa)
Brunswick:
• Great Impasta
Camden:
• Hartstone Inn
• Natalie’s (Camden Harbour Inn)
Cape Elizabeth:
• Sea Glass (Inn by the Sea)
Falmouth:
• The Foreside Tavern
Freeport:
• Broad Arrow Tavern (Harraseeket Inn)
• Gritty’s
• Maine Dining Room (Harraseeket Inn)
• Pavillion Restaurant (Hilton Garden Inn Freeport)
Georgetown:
• Robinhood Free Meetinghouse
Kennebunkport:
• Grissini Italian Bistro
• Stripers Seafood Restaurant (at The Breakwater Inn & Spa)
Lewiston:
• Gritty’s
Ogunquit:
• MC Perkins Cove
Peaks Island:
• Inn On Peaks Island
Portland:
• 555
• 20 Milk Street (The Portland Regency)
• Back Bay Grill
• Bar Lola
• Blue Spoon
• Bresca
• Bull Feeney’s
• Cinque Terre
• DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant
• Evangeline
• Eve’s at the Garden (Portland Harbor Hotel)
• Fore Street Restaurant
• Great Lost Bear
• Gritty’s
• Hugo’s
• Local 188
• Old Port Sea Grill and Raw Bar
• Pom’s Thai Taste
• Ribollita
• The Front Room
• The Grill Room
• Vignola
Rockland:
• Café Miranda
Westbrook:
• ¡Burrito!
Yarmouth:
Sea Grass Bistro

Really, there’s something for every taste and budget on this list.