Tag: restaurants

Down Under: Dining in Wellington

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MEALS IN WELLINGTON  We found Wellington to be a great food city. There are more restaurants here per capita than in New York, a fact cited to us several times.  With our short visit, we only scratched the surface of good eating.

Artisan. The weather was so miserable our first evening that we opted to eat in the hotel dining room called Artisan. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. We started with some mixed olives and two breads with a flight of four olive oils. The olives were lovely, the olive oils good, but the so-called artisanal bread disappointing. Our next courses were superb; both my smoked cheddar soufflé with cherry tomatoes and spinach and the Chief Penguin’s smoked salmon. We like small plates rather than large entrees and often order these smaller, usually lighter, dishes. My soufflé wasn’t light, but it was exquisite!

Ombra. The concierge in our hotel has been most helpful and enthusiastically recommended several restaurants. We’ve been taking him up on them and today’s lunch was at a casual Italian bistro. We ordered the gorganzola picante with walnuts and honey, gnocchi with cheese and lamb ragu, and fritto misto. Everything was delicious, but especially the gnocchi. To top it off we had three chocolate truffles: coconut, lemongrass and hazelnut.  

 

Whitebait. Dinner here was by far the best meal we’ve had in New Zealand. It’s on the waterfront and the dining room is simple with bare wood tables and high back fabric-covered chairs in muted shades of gray, blue, and aqua. Yvette and Josephine gave us friendly service and everything we ordered was not only beautifully presented, but superb. This is sophisticated dining. We started with anchovy toasts and smoked eel mini tacos (for the C.P. who likes eel) followed by snapper filet on slices of preserved Meyer lemon topped with celeriac for me and for him, lemon sole topped with a mix of peas and beans (very green), and a seasonal citrus salad with fennel, pistachios, and bits of green olive. The salad was reminiscent of a similar salad served at Ports of Italy in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, but more elegant, although I’d leave out the olives. The chefs here are fond of salty tastes.  

 

Chow. Our hosts at Te Papa tooks us to this Chinese place for lunch, which was perfect for our group of five. We ordered seven or eight dishes which were all small platters with five or six pieces including fish cakes, sesame crusted seared tuna, two kinds of dumplings, and chicken satay. Everything was tasty, but could have been spicier for this twosome.

 

Noble Rot Wine Bar.  For our last evening, we dined at Noble Rot, a very happening place recommended again by the hotel concierge.  He adopted us and seemed to eagerly wait our reporting back after each meal.  The front bar and high tables were fully occupied when we arrived, but fortunately for us shorties and oldsters, there were tables  of normal height in the side room.  Most were empty at first, but by the time we left all but one was taken.

With our wine (they have an extensive list of wines by the glass), we started with some chorizo and pecorino cheese with black truffle and accompaniments and then moved on to a couple entrees.  The Chief Penguin had the chicken with parsnips and mushrooms which had been done sous vide and was marvelously tender and lovely.  I had the fish of the day which was a local white fish served with capers and some roasted cauliflower and a bit of sauce on the side.  Also lovely.  Being chocoholics (at least I am), we had a dark chocolate truffle each.

 

Note:  All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).  Header photo is gnocchi with lamb ragu and Parmesan.

Coastal Cuisine: Eating Around

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Seafood, especially lobster rolls and fried haddock, is served everywhere in Maine, but there is a lot of other good food to be had too. For my friends and those who might be traveling to this coast, here are some of the places we’ve most enjoyed in the greater Boothbay region.

Harborside Tavern (Boothbay Harbor)

A familiar location with new owners and chef, this second floor space with its maple tables and chairs has outside seating on the screened porch overlooking the water and inside tables and a large square bar.  The quesadilla was one of the best I’ve ever had and their ribs and cole slaw also from the tavern menu were also very good.  From the entree listing, the halibut with steamed spinach on a bed of tomato risotto was both pretty and tasty.

Ports of Italy (Boothbay Harbor)

For something other than pizza, this longtime Italian favorite delivers consistently delicious fare.  Many of the pastas are homemade and their veal piccata served with julienned vegetables is an excellent rendition.  Located on the second floor, there are tables both inside and on their screened porch.  No view so either seating is acceptable.

Thistle Inn (Boothbay Harbor)

Up the hill from the waterfront, the Thistle Inn (dating from 1861) might at first seem more appropriate for winter than summer with its dim interior and cozy bar area.  But, they have lovely tables on their side porch and, in good weather, this is the place to be!  My favorites here include their butter poached lobster in pastry appetizer and the salmon entree. In my experience, you won’t go wrong whatever you choose.  And you can even arrange to stay overnight!

Newagen Seaside Inn (Southport Island)

This longtime resort is the scene of many weekend weddings, but also has a most attractive dining room–bar area, semi-circular porch and outside deck, all overlooking a broad lawn sloping down to the water.  The menu is nicely varied and includes everything from beef sliders to stuffed halibut to lobster and lobster rolls, chicken, and flatbreads.  I’m partial to their firecracker shrimp appetizer and recently, an herb crusted swordfish with mushroom risotto.  It’s open for lunch and dinner and can accommodate families with kids.

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Squire Tarbox Inn (Wiscasset)

This historic inn (originally built in 1763 with an 1820 addition) is in the country on Westport Island outside Wiscasset. It would be a cozy place in the cold weather with its fireplaces and dark wood.  In the summer, their screened porch is the place to be with a view out to the garden. The chef and co-owner is Swiss and his veal in a mushroom cream sauce served over rosti potatoes is tasty comfort food, no matter what the season. The house salad is fresh greens and includes a tangle of julienned celariac in a mustardy mayonnaise. Other entrees include lamb, duck breast, halibut and a seductive vichyssoise.  This is relaxed fine dining!

Francine (Camden)

This small mainly French restaurant just off the main drag is cozy and comfortable with very good food.  The halibut I had was perfectly cooked and attractively served with spinach and a few walnuts.  Others in our group raved about the corn soup and the lamb.

Hot Suppa (Portland)

Beyond the art museum and in an area less frequented by tourists, this little place is a haven for breakfast and lunch, although they also serve dinner.  We went for lunch and were surprised that it was packed so we had a 20 minute wait for a booth.  Definitely worth the wait!  Everything was delicious from the French egg scramble with cheese (and other additions you choose) to the corned beef hash to the eggs Benedict and the cole slaw.  Both the breakfast and lunch menus are available at lunchtime, hence cole slaw with my eggs!

 

Header photo by JWFarrington (some rights reserved)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foodie’s Farewell to San Francisco

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August 2014

After seven and a half years in this fair city, my husband and I are moving back east.  We won’t miss the fog or the lack of a real summer, but we will miss the fresh fruits and vegetables and the abundance of wonderful restaurants that make this such a satisfying place to eat.  Just eat.

In our last two weeks as residents, we’ve been dining around at old and new favorites.  Top of the list is SPQR.  It’s superb—creative, always crowded, and challenging to the palate.  Their pasta dishes always tempt me and usually win out over any of the entrees. We will have our second dinner there in as many weeks.  My latest favorite is the lasagnette with the mini meatballs.

Enjoying SPQR
Enjoying SPQR

Newer on the scene and also a favorite for repeat visits be it lunch or dinner is Coqueta.  Located at Pier 5, a short walk from the Ferry Building, Michael Chiarello riffs on Spanish tapas in the most appealing way.  We love Padron peppers and his preparation with salt and slivers of prosciutto is addictive.  The menu changes frequently, but we also are fond of the chicken and pea croquetas (a   soothing counterpart to the peppers), the little lamb and duck meatballs, and the pinxtos (tiny bites on a skewer).  Recently we discovered the smoky homemade potato chips.  I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, sharing is the order of the day and the perfect way to sample a wide range of hot and cold dishes.  And there are plenty of wine, beer, and sangria choices.

We live just two blocks from Fillmore Street where you can find everything you need from supermarkets to trendy fashion boutiques, a proper bookstore, many coffee shops, and of course, a number of very good restaurants.  Besides SPQR, we have been regulars at Curbside Café, great for comfort food tinged with French ambiance (short ribs and the fish of the day always reliable and Olivier and his staff always welcoming) and also at Troya. Troya’s Turkish/Mediterranean menu offers a variety of vegetable dishes—we especially like the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower preparations—along with generous portions of kebabs and traditional Turkish manti, little meat-filled dumplings in a creamy yogurt sauce.

Another night we dined with friends at L’Ardoise in the Castro, a place we had frequented several times before.  This French bistro is cozy and a popular neighborhood spot with menu classics such as escargot, cassoulet, and steak frites—all delicious.

On our last night in the city, when we were staying on Nob Hill, we returned to Ala Romana on Russian Hill.  This is a friendly place—the host practically sweeps you off the corner with his enthusiastic greeting—and the service and food are both very good.  Continuing our pepper theme, we enjoyed their tempura pepper appetizer (which, by the way, we had indulged in the week before with friends) followed by their prosciutto and burrata plate, the tortellini pasta with a balsamic reduction and the roast chicken.  All tasty and filling.

Besides dinner, there is lunch, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to my favorite lunch places in the Sunset.  They are Park Chow, for their smiling noodles with shrimp and chicken and their salads, especially the Thai chicken salad, and Sai Gow.  This attractive Thai spot is perfect if you are by yourself and I find their curries both comforting and addictive.  My personal favorite is the green curry with chicken.  Lastly, the arrival of La Boulange on 9th Street is an added plus and they offer a healthy salad nicoise.

Bon appetit!  We’re off to the other coast.