Category: Restaurants

Tidy Tidbits: Out & About

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ENDLESS SUMMER

This is so far a strange November.  We’ve changed the clocks and it gets dark early, but the sun is still hot during the day and the mercury scrapes 90.  Overnight it doesn’t get really cool (still low 70’s) and the days are sticky humid.  Usually by now, the local paper has had at least one article touting the arrival of “sweater weather.”  Coming from up north, I like the ring of that, but no one is wearing sweaters here yet—and we continue to go to the pool in the late afternoon.  

Ah, it’s lovely, but will summer ever end?  I’m pining for fall or at least Florida’s version of it.  But this morning, my wish was granted—60 degrees and no humidity. Finally!

OUT AND ABOUT

Last Sunday, we went to a concert series new to us.  It brings to Sarasota rising young classical performers. This particular concert featured an outstanding 20-year-old cellist and a very accomplished pianist.  

Zlatomir Fung (theviolinchannel.com)

The cellist, Zlatomir Fung, was the first American in decades to win first place in the Tchaikovsky International Competition. Pianist Angie Zhang studied at Juilliard and now teaches there in addition to performing around the country.  Together they played several of Beethoven’s sonatas for cello and piano in the second of two concerts.  It was superb, and we felt fortunate to have such a variety of music in this area.

DINING—POSH AND CASUAL

Shore on Longboat Key is the sister restaurant to Shore at St. Armand’s Circle.  It’s in a new fancy building with a variety of dining spaces inside and out.  In either case, you are likely to have a view of Sarasota Bay given the great expanses of glass.  It’s a high concept place, swish in décor, with some sophisticated, very good food.  We went early, shortly after they opened, and the demographic was largely retired folks.  By the time we left, the crowd was livelier and younger.   You can arrive by land or by water.  

Lovely fish entree

The Chief Penguin and I shared the generous calamari appetizer which was more of a salad with cabbage, peanuts, and spices and very tasty!  I ordered the sea bass entree which was exquisitely beautiful and delectable.  Prices are somewhat higher than other area venues.

Swordfish Grill, on the other hand, is down home casual.  Located on the water in Cortez, it frequently has live bands. Seating is on the outside deck or inside at a mix of booths and tables.  We hadn’t been here in awhile and were pleased to re-discover that the food is very good.  Among our group of five, we sampled and enjoyed the crab cake, scallops, pompano, and the swordfish bites.  Despite the name, swordfish is not on the regular menu!  The accompanying cole slaw was fresh and the French fries crisp and not soggy.  Wines by the glass and several kinds of beer are also available.  This is a good place for a group, but can be noisy if you’re planning on serious conversation.

RECENT READING

Ecstasy by Mary Sharratt

Alma Mahler (telegraph.co.uk)

This new historical novel focuses on musician and composer Alma Mahler and the many loves in her life, but especially on her relationship with her husband, eminent composer Gustav Mahler. She had affairs of the heart both before him and after, but Gustav captivated her.  When she married, she agreed to give up music to dedicate herself to his career.  Despite their mutual love, the loss of her own music was crushing. In an era when women were expected to be subservient wives and mothers, Alma was greatly conflicted as she tried to meet Gustav and society’s requirements.  A compelling portrait of an ebullient, anguished and extremely passionate woman.  (~JWFarrington)

Note: Text ©JWFarrington.

Maine: Boothbay & Beyond

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MOON DAY

If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember exactly where you were fifty years ago today on July 20, 1969.  I had a summer job at Cornell University and was living in a rooming house near the campus.  My fiancé, now the Chief Penguin, was doing Air Force training in northern Maine at Loring Air Force base.  I lived in Ithaca without a car (I didn’t own one) and walked everywhere.  Usually my kind father came and retrieved me and I went home to Auburn for the weekend, but not this one.  (I think my folks were going out of town.)

Given how momentous an achievement the moon landing was, students and others were invited to gather in one of the Cornell lounges for the historic moon walk.  With no personal computers, iPads, or iPhones, twenty strangers and I sat, eyes glued to the small TV screen.  Transfixed, we held our collective breath and watched as Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon’s surface, planted the American flag, and uttered that memorable statement, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Although we might phrase it slightly differently today, it was an awesome occasion!  Now we have billionaires dangling the lure of space travel for ordinary people with dreams of getting to Mars.  Will travel to Mars really be in our future, who knows?

CURRENT READING

I bought Kiese Laymon’s Heavy: An American Memoir just because it looked interesting.  A black man raised in poverty in Mississippi, Laymon addresses this work to his mother, the “you” referred to throughout.  I am about halfway into it and not sure what my final response will be.  I’ll report back when I finish it.

COASTAL DINING

From Boothbay Harbor to Southport, we get around the local dining scene with multiple visits to favorite eateries. Here are a few notes on first visits for this season.

Harborside Tavern

We refer to this restaurant as Fiona’s Place since chef Fiona did a stint cooking at the Newagen Seaside Inn several years ago. The food that summer was especially memorable.  This year, instead of stopping for lunch at Sarah’s Café in Wiscasset (lots of construction going through town and torn up sidewalks), we continued on to Boothbay Harbor.  

The Chief Penguin ordered the chicken quesadilla (odd choice, some might say, but it’s one of his two standard lunch orders, the other being a Reuben), and I had my first lobster roll of the season paired with cole slaw instead of the fries.  Both were tasty and delicious combined with a view of the harbor from the second floor dining room.  Their dinner menu looks even more appealing so I sense we will be back!

Thistle Inn

It was fitting to have our first night’s dinner here as we’ve dined at the Thistle many times over the thirty summers we’ve come to Maine.  Recently, the food has only gotten better.  

We sat outside on the deck under the trees in a perfect corner table.   The Chief Penguin ordered the clam chowder, which he pronounced the best he’d ever had (have to agree based on my taste of it!) and the lobster tail in a brandy cream sauce, as pretty to look at as it was delectable.  I had the house green salad and the crab cakes.  Both were good, but not exceptional, while menu prices have increased.

Ports of Italy

This Italian restaurant remains one of our all-time go-to places and is consistently excellent. Homemade pasta, real thinly sliced veal prepared several ways, including the newest addition, scaloppini with pencil thin asparagus; and occasionally, by special request, veal saltimbocca. The Caesar salad is big enough for two and is nicely dressed with thin strips of Parmesan.  Inside is cozy, but the spot to be is on their screened porch above the street.  Nothing special about the view, but airy and just right for a summer night.  We have been coming here so many years now that both the maître d’ and Tony, the waiter, greet us warmly.  

Cozy’s Waterside

Charred shishito peppers

Our casual favorite, Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor on Southport, has been reincarnated as Cozy’s.  The menu is mostly burgers of all types, hot dogs, the requisite clam chowder and  lobster roll, other sandwiches, and a few salads.  We’ve had one dinner thus far and began with the wonderful shishito peppers. The Chief Penguin thought the fish and chips entree was an excellent rendition.  My grilled haddock sandwich on brioche was also quite nice.  I miss some of the fish entrées on the old menu so the jury is still out as to how often we will dine here.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved). Header photo is an idle boat at Molly’s Cove.

Portland: Food & More

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PORTLAND—FOOD AND MORE

Like Julius Caesar’s army, the Chief Penguin and I travel on our stomachs.  Despite what it may seem, we did do more in Portland than eat. But, knowing the restaurants mid-coast are not as varied or inventive, we took advantage of Portland’s wonderful foodie scene.

DINING

Hugo’s

Hugo’s Cucumber

The food at Hugo’s is sophisticated and creative.   We’ve now eaten here several years in a row on our first night in Portland and this visit was no exception.  We began with tuna crudo and then proceeded to a charcuterie board; cucumber with falafel nibs; roasted cauliflower bathed in a smear of hot sauce; and spaghetti chittara; ending with two desserts—chocolate several ways and mini cubes of rhubarb accompanied by mousse and locust leaf sorbet, etc.  All dishes were on the small side and we shared everything.  We hadn’t ordered the cucumber, but when they brought it instead of the cauliflower we did order, they comped us the cucumber.  

Duckfat

We were inspired to try some place different for lunch, figuring if there were a line out the door we’d go elsewhere.  But Lady Luck was with us as we were seated at the bar immediately upon arriving, just ahead of the noon rush!  Duckfat is most casual with seating on high stools at the bar and low stools at counters around the perimeter.  

It is known for its Belgian fries so of course we had to sample them.  Probably the best fries I’ve ever tasted and even better with the Thai chili dipping sauce! From there we moved on to the duck and charred cabbage salad; a board of charcuterie and salmon, Tasso ham, pimento cheese, homemade pickles, loma, and buttered brown bread; and also a wedge salad (actually two large wedges) decorated with slivers of tomato and radish slices in a rich blue cheese dressing.  The last was to offset those fries. Paired with a glass of summery rose, it all made for the perfect lunch!  

Chaval

Chaval is the sister restaurant to Piccolo which we’ve also enjoyed.  This was our second meal at Chaval and with a slight chance of rain, they had closed their garden in favor of inside seating. The menu is a mix of small plates and entrees such as steak frites.  Having enjoyed our Duckfat lunch, we ordered more lightly—warm olives, broccolini with bacon and bits of orange, a young beet salad, Iberia ham croquettes, and the Alsace chicken breast entree with morels and spinach in a light cream sauce, which we shared.  Everything was delicious!

Broccolini with bacon and citrus triangles

While out and about, we also checked out a natural foods store, stopped in to Le Roux Kitchenware for mugs and paring knives, and bought pancetta and good canned tuna at Micucci Grocery, a new find on India Street.  All sorts of Italian dry goods from jars of peppers and pickles to panettone, and many pasta shapes, plus cheeses and sliced meats.  

ART

We like the Portland Museum of Art.  They do an excellent job presenting their collection and engaging visitors with exhibits that focus on lesser-known aspects of arts and crafts.   The currently featured exhibit is called In the Vanguard:  Haystack Mountain School of Crafts 1950-1969.  It brings together works by sculptors, painters, and fabric artists that were groundbreaking and signaled new directions in artistic creation for that time.

Celibacy, 1968, wool macrame by Walter Nottingham

Also on display is Open-Ended, an exhibit of new museum acquisitions that I particularly enjoyed. What makes it special is the commentary about why a piece was purchased and its significance or connection to the rest of the collection.

BOOKSTORES

And for me, time spent in Portland would not be complete without time in their independent bookstores. We didn’t get to Print this year (our time here was shorter than usual), but we browsed in Sherman’s (one of their several locations, this one on Exchange Street) and in Longfellow Books at Monument Square.   I made several purchases in each store, adding to my growing stack of summer reading!

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved). Header photo is of the board at Duckfat.

Tidy Tidbits: Reading & Eating

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CONCERT NOTE

Kudos to the Ladies

Hensel, 1842 by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim (Wikipedia)

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a talented and precocious composer and pianist.  But, she was female, and as sister to her talented brother Felix, she was relegated to the back of the room.  Their father declared that Felix would have the musical career and she would not.  In her day, some of her more than four hundred compositions were attributed to Felix. It is only recently that her work has been rediscovered.

We had the great pleasure recently of hearing a performance of Fanny Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D Minor by three very talented women, Carmit Zori, violin, Natalie Helm, cello, and Jean Schneider, piano.  Pianist Schneider got the biggest workout on this demanding piece.  It concluded the concert and was a fitting end to our set of Sarasota Music Festival concerts!

RECENT READING

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

This is Cleeton’s second novel related to Cuba, this time featuring Beatriz, one of the sisters in the sugar rich Perez family who fled Havana for Palm Beach after Castro took over their government.  Beatriz is determined to avenge her activist brother’s death in that revolution and very much wants to return to their Havana homestead.  On the periphery of Palm Beach society, restless and bored by the endless round of parties, Beatriz is easily importuned to get involved in espionage. 

Discouraged by what she sees as feeble efforts by the Americans on Cuba’s behalf and quickly becoming involved with highly regarded U.S. senator, Nick Preston, she never knows for sure whom she can trust and to what degree.  This novel about the Cold War and the Cuban crises of the early 60’s is absorbing, suspenseful and romantic.  The perfect beach read! (~JWFarrington)

Exposure by Helen Dunmore

Helen Dunmore was a British poet, novelist and author of children’s books.  A prolific writer, she died of cancer in 2017 at only 64. This novel is one of her last works.  Exposure is a look into London in 1960 during the Cold War when there were still secrets and spies. But it is not a conventional spy novel; rather Dunmore focuses on the details and minutiae of life for three individuals all impacted by the misplacement of a top-secret file.  

Giles Galloway, middle-aged, works for the Admiralty, as does Simon Callington, a younger married father of two children.  Simon’s wife Lily, who emigrated from Germany as a child, is a part-time schoolteacher. When Giles falls in his flat and calls Simon to retrieve the file and return it, but Simon doesn’t, life unravels for all of them.  Giles ends up in the hospital, Simon is arrested, and Lily leaves her job. What secrets they hold close, how they cope with dire straits, and how each puzzles out what should be exposed and what not, make for a multi-faceted novel—part love story, part human drama, part thriller.  (~JWFarrington)

CASUAL DINING

Metro Diner

A friend introduced me to Bradenton’s Metro Diner, one of several local locations for this chain.  The restaurant is airy and attractive with a mix of booths along the walls and tables in the middle of the space.  A large American flag (made of tile?) graces much of one side wall.  Specials of the day are on a blackboard at the rear and included a green tomato BLT, beef pot pie, and two soups of the day (loaded potato and their version of Manhattan clam chowder).  The menu is a mix of traditional diner fare (meatloaf, hot turkey sandwich) as well as fried chicken and waffles, salads, and variations on eggs Benedict for breakfast.   We sampled the beef pot pie and the white meat chicken salad sandwich with cole slaw (one of several choices of sides).  Both were very good.  Portions are generous to very large so go with an appetite.  Our waitress was friendly and helpful and took good care of us. 

Blue Marlin Seafood

Steamed clams

This deep blue cottage is cute inside with nautical notes that would be as right in Maine as they are here in Bradenton Beach.  Our dining partner knew the ropes and had requested a table in the front room—and we got the best one.  This room is quieter and a bit more open than the back room and bar.  For a livelier crowd and a more boisterous experience, there are also outdoor tables and live music.  

Thai snapper nugz

Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious and exceeded my modest expectations.  The house salad had a tasty Caesar-like dressing, and my steamed clams were luscious in a broth that included nubs of bacon and a dash of hot pepper along with the requisite garlic.  My companions ordered fish nuggets prepared Thai style, exquisite scallops on roasted Brussels sprouts, and the black grouper (fish of the day).  We ordered mostly small plates and small salads which are very reasonably priced; the fish entrees tend toward the mid-30’s. This was a great discovery and we’ll put it on our regular list!

Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington except as noted.