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Maine Moments: Reading & Eating

July 29, 2023July 29, 2023 JWF Leave a comment

RECENT READING

BOOKS SET IN MAINE

Lily King is an award-winning novelist who happens to live in Portland, Maine. With that credential, she has written an engaging piece “Reading Your Way Through Maine” for the New York Times series focusing on literature from specific locales. Amongst her list of twenty titles, I was pleased to see familiar ones: from Elizabeth Stout’s Olive Kittredge to Landslide by Susan Conley, and More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon, along with several by authors new to me. King also includes nonfiction titles and several popular children’s books, namely Blueberries for Sal and Miss Rumphius.

Appropriately, she doesn’t include her own fiction (not set in Maine), but I have thoroughly enjoyed Euphoria (loosely based on a young Margaret Mead and contemporaries), Writers & Lovers, and recently, the novel below.

A FATHER’S GRIP

Father of the Rain by Lily King

Published in 2010, King’s novel Father in the Rain, portrays daughter Daley’s decades-long struggle to be noticed and loved by her father. Charismatic and charming, Gardiner Amory is wedded to the bottle and is often hurtful and verbally abusive to his daughter and others. When Daley’s mother separates from her father, Daley spends weekends shuttling from home with her mother to her father’s chaotic household. Ki

Gardiner has remarried and has stepchildren. Daley must navigate, or at least survive, the ravages of this dysfunctional household each week. This is probably one of the most harrowing and painful sections of the book. Later, when everyone else seems to have deserted Gardiner, Daley returns to assist him, setting aside, temporarily she tells herself, her own life and love.

What do we owe our parents and what is the pull and attraction of the daughter-father bond? The writing is wonderfully graphic and descriptive, and the characters are believable, but I have to admit to becoming impatient with Daley—the sacrifices she makes, for what return? (~JWFarrington)

DINING OVER BOOTHBAY HARBOR

McSeagull’s Restaurant

Located in downtown Boothbay Harbor overlooking the harbor and the footbridge, McSeagull’s offers a tempting menu of local seafood and fish. We brought our friend from Sweden here for lunch, and the guys began with cups of chowder. It looked very appetizing topped with some crispy bacon. Later, the Chief Penguin declared it the best clam chowder of the four iterations he’s sampled this season.

The C. P. and I had fried haddock with coleslaw and fries. Very fresh and lovely fish and a generous portion. (Someone I know took some home!) Our friend enjoyed some local oysters on the half shelf and sampled some of my haddock.

The porch overlooking the harbor is a most pleasant place to dine, but the inside seating is also bright and attractive. We’ve vowed to return at least once more this season!

Note: Photos except for author photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved) Header photo is Monks Cress.

Majestic Montana: Flathead County

June 24, 2023June 24, 2023 JWF Leave a comment

Kalispell

A year or so ago, I’d never heard of Kalispell, Montana, much less known how to spell it. It’s in the northwestern part of the state and is the town in which Glacier Park International Airport is located. Their code is FCA (totally unintuitive!)

The airport is small, but recently expanded, rustic in feel, and bustling on a Thursday afternoon, not so much so Monday morning when we departed. Kalispell is about 40 miles from Glacier National Park and hence, a lively place, especially in summertime. In the winter, folks come here to ski. We flew to Kalispell last week to visit friends in nearby Bigfork.

With a population of more than 100,000, Flathead County is the fourth most populated county in Montana. With a varied topography from cherry and other fruit orchards to rolling hills and mountain vistas, it boasts attractive small towns like Kalispell, Bigfork, and Lakeside to name just a few. There’s also Kootenai National Forest and an Indian Reservation.

Field of rapeseed destined to become canola oil

On our first day we visited the Northwest Montana History Museum in Kalispell followed by lunch nearby at DeSoto Grill. The museum building, brick Richardsonian architecture, was originally a school, the first public building in town opening in 1895. It’s now an impressive museum telling the story of the town and the region, the role of Native Americans and noted citizens, and the local industry. Several exhibits were interactive, and the gift shop was loaded with fiction and nonfiction books about the region and Montana in general. I was pleased to see that the museum also hosts a History Book Club which meets monthly except for July and August.

Museum and hanging flowers on light post

Named for the car, DeSoto Grill was packed and popular, but we nabbed a table.

Our helpful waitress was all business, but in the nicest way. Several of us ordered the house specialty, smoked brisket in a sandwich or as a salad topper, along with their touted mac and cheese. The brisket was excellent!

Bigfork

Bigfork is named for its location at the juncture where the Swan River flows into a bay of Flathead Lake. It has a short main street with shops, arts center, and summer playhouse theater. It’s charming without being kitschy. Just outside town are comfortable duplexes and lovely homes overlooking a golf course and small lake. Perched high on the granite rock ledges are some seriously stunning mansions. Despite the development, it looks and feels tranquil. And in the distance are the Rocky Mountains, generally visible even on a cloudy day.

The air was dry and sometimes clear, there were expanses of open space, and we knew we were out West. Unfortunately, Mother Nature wasn’t fully cooperative, and we had some rainy days. The weather cancelled our plans to drive the Road-to-the Sun to the Continental Divide. Instead, we went on a jaunt from Bigfork down the east side of Flathead Lake, then around the bottom and along the west side and up to Lakeside.

Flathead Lake

Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. It has 185 miles of shoreline, and the southern half of the lake is within the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Flathead Reservation. With many access points along the lake, there are opportunities for camping, swimming, picnicking, and boat launching. We enjoyed the views and the changing topography, but rain kept us inside the car.

We had lunch at Tamarack Alehouse and Grill situated at the base of Blacktail Mountain. With lots of glass and a brick fireplace, this casual open space was welcoming with great views outside toward the lake and in the courtyard of the brew works. Pub food choices ranged from chicken quesadillas and enchiladas to pizza, burgers, and fish and chips to the meatball sandwich of the day. Of course, the guys sampled a pint of Tamarack’s Rye Sally Rye IPA.

Just Relaxing

Despite the weather, we managed to take a brisk walk every day but one, had delicious dinners prepared by our hosts (grilled salmon, chicken marbella, romaine and shrimp salad) and enjoyed several afternoons just chatting, reading, and sometimes napping. Evening entertainment was usually reading or a TV movie. The Chief Penguin and I rectified a serious omission in our cultural life by seeing a performance of Grease at the summer playhouse, thanks to our friends!

On our last day, after an especially vigorous walk up and down in the neighborhood, we had lunch at A Bar, Montana, another favorite of our friends. Sandwiches, salads, burgers, and nachos are the fare on this Bigfork menu. One of us had chicken wings, and I had the best tuna melt ever! Another friendly place with very good comfort food.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.). Header photo taken at north shore of Flathead Lake.

Potpourri: Cypresses, Cold War & Meals

May 29, 2023May 29, 2023 JWF Leave a comment

TREES IN ART

Van Gogh’s Cypresses (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The last exhibit we visited in Manhattan this month was the small, but fascinating, collection of Van Gogh’s Cypresses. Probably Van Gogh’s most famous painting is The Starry Night. When we saw it here, we were made aware of the tall dark cypress trees on the left. Something I hadn’t paid attention to in the past nor really noticed.

Other paintings from Van Gogh’s time in Saint-Remy, Provence highlight not only the brooding cypresses, but also show off poppies in a field (cypresses in the background) and in a canvas luminescent in yellows, two straight poplar trees. The exhibit was crowded and occupied only a few galleries but was well worth the visit.

GERMAN DRAMA

Line of Separation (Amazon Prime)

Line of Separation is a German series set in the divided town of Tannbach after WWII. A brook splits the town between the Nazis and the Americans. Families are at odds with one another, and past actions and differing political views make for tension, anger, and violence. Young Anna, a young aristocrat, takes command of her family’s estate after the death of her mother when the Nazis threaten.

Tannbach is a fictional village modeled after a real one. There are two seasons of six episodes each. We have watched Season 1 and found it a gripping piece of postwar history.

Deutschland 83 (Amazon Prime)

Martin with his aunt (*The Hollywood Reporter*)

In Deutschland 83, Martin Rauch is an ordinary border guard in East Germany. He is recruited as a spy by the Stasi and sent to West Germany to infiltrate the army and gather NATO intelligence. As Mauritz Stamm, he is the chief aide to a high level general. Inexperienced and naïve, his bungling at the job makes for a series of close calls. It also provides American viewers a different look at the Cold War years before the Berlin Wall came down.

This 2015 series starts out slowly but becomes more intense in the second and third episodes. There are 8 episodes in all. For those who get hooked, there are two more series which we have not yet watched: Deutschland 86 and Deutschland 89.

DINING BITES

Valerie (Midtown)

Valerie, a comfortable dark bar and restaurant on W. 45^th Street was just right for lunch with a friend. We were seated in the back and, all was quiet initially until a boisterous crowd arrived, making conversation more challenging. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the entrée salads we each had, two with ahi tuna and mine a tasty Caesar with freshly grilled chicken strips. I’d go back, but probably book for 11:00 or 11:30.

The Bar Room (East 60^th St.)

This visit the Chief Penguin and I dined at several bar cum restaurants. The Bar Room was one where we dined twice. The first time the back tables were quiet, and the happy hour drink prices most appealing. We sampled the bar fries and indulged in lobster rolls, almost as good as in Maine. On our second visit, we went for the guacamole, fries, and the fried chicken bites. All tasty snack treats. It was much more crowded and thumping music was an accompaniment. Go, but proceed with caution!

Imli (1^st Avenue, Upper East Side)

We returned to Imli after not having dined there for several years. They offer delicious Indian fare in an airy, contemporary space. We liked it so much we ate here a second time. The tandoor chicken is nicely spiced, the veggie samosas large, the lamb logs a bit different, and the very spicy paneer as billed. We happily took some home for lunch the next day!

Barbaresco (Lexington Ave.)

Barbaresco is one of our regular go-to Italian restaurants. It isn’t overly expensive and we like the vibe. Recently we tried a couple of their daily specials and were delighted. Vitello tonnato (thinly sliced veal with tuna anchovy sauce) has long been a favorite of mine. The version I had here, topped with arugula and cherry tomatoes, was one of the very best ever!

Note: Unattributed photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header photo is Van Gogh’s Field of Poppies.

Watching, Reading, & Eating

April 29, 2023April 29, 2023 JWF Leave a comment

FEEL GOOD MOVIE

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Lady Mary with family and staff (TVLine)

The characters in the original Downton Abbey TV series, are the favorites of many, me included. This latest movie, the second one, brings everyone together again prompted by Tom Branson’s wedding to Lucy. There are several children running around, Lady Violet is hanging on, just, and Lady Mary has grown into her lady of the manor role. A short trip to France raises some puzzling family history. Against this backdrop, Lord Grantham grudgingly agrees to let the abbey be the set for one of the first talking films. The filming provides fodder for several subplots.

Isobel Crawley (Baroness Merton) & Lady Violet Crawley (NPR)

Overall, this is a set piece rather than high drama. There are sweet vignettes between Downton’s married staff and some couples who aren’t. Add in nostalgia and the recognition that the mantle is being passed on to a new generation. What would have been the logical ending was instead followed by a scene preparing the way for yet another film.

The Chief Penguin and I thoroughly enjoyed this return to Downton. It’s fun and affirming in a good way.

CIVIL WAR NOVEL

Wild, Beautiful and Free by Sophfronia Scott

E-mails from Amazon bring newly published titles to my attention. A few are freebies while others are bargains from mostly unfamiliar authors. This new novel from Sophfronia Scott came via that route.

It’s the story of a Jeannette, a mixed-race young woman in Louisiana. Her slave mother died in childbirth, her white stepmother loathes her, and her rich landowner father dotes on her and oversees her education. He also tutors her in the layout of the Catalpa plantation and tells her she will inherit a portion of it one day. When he dies, his wife sells her and sends her to a distant plantation.

Jeannette’s greatest wish is to someday return to Catalpa and claim her heritage. Narrated in the first person, this is a compelling story of hardship, danger, determination, and love. Boldness and daring acts shape Jeannette’s journey, making for a most absorbing book.

Scott began her career as an award-winning magazine journalist and is the author of other novels and numerous essays. Her young son was at school in Sandy Hook on that fateful day in 2013; Scott’s memoir, This Child of Faith, outlines how religion has played a beneficial role in his life.

WHITE LINEN ITALIAN

Lusardi’s (Upper East Side, Manhattan)

We returned to Lusardi’s for dinner after a long absence. It’s traditional and elegant in an Old-World sense. Wait staff is all male and the service is impeccable, but not stiff. It’s perfect for a special occasion, but so welcoming that I could easily dine here frequently.

On this night, we shared an order of tagliolini cacio e pepe to start. These pasta strands coated in butter sauce with Pecorino cheese and pepper and the added ingredient of strips of zucchini were sublime. The zucchini elevated the dish.

For our mains, I had delicious almond-crusted John Dory on sauteed spinach while the Chief Penguin went for the chicken breast with black truffle sauce accompanied by butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. It was a lovely meal. The menu has so many temptations, we’ve vowed to go back again soon!

Chicken with black truffle sauce (Lusardi’s)

Note: Header photo of Lusardi’s dining room is from lusardis.com

Category: Restaurants

Maine Moments: Reading & Eating

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