PortlandTown: Havana, Fit For A 1st Meal

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Havana, Fit For A 1st Meal

When I made plans to take the Canon In The Parks Video Workshop, in Bar Harbor this past weekend, I put in a call to Michael Boland, co-owner of Havana, to see if I could shoot in his kitchen, on Sunday night. He said, "Great, come on in!" When I arrived about 6:15 the place was starting to fill up.

When I entered the kitchen Executive Chef Jason Casey was preparing a paella on the 10 burner gas range. The same entree he had served the president a couple of weeks before.

The secret service had picked out a nice quit table in the back dining room for the first couple, who started out with the Farm Salad and World Mixed Grill ( complete menu descriptions and 75 photos on Flickr)

This has been an especially busy year for the restaurant that many think is Bar Harbors finest with many night seeing well over 200 diners served by it's wait staff from the very efficient kitchen.

About a half hour before the 1st couple arrived the street was blocked off a few blocks to either side and by prior arrangement only reservations were accepted that evening. With restaurant stay at the secret service checkpoints to greet the surprise diners and a quick pass of the "wand" they were allowed to enter and find their tables. Once the President and Mrs Obama arrived no other reservations were accepted. The first lady decided on the Latin Lobster Thermidor for her entree.

The well stocked wine cellar is affixed to the side of the back dining room and has a large window between them.
After I finished, having taken roughly 450 images of the kitchen, dining and exterior of Havana, Michael graciously offered me a meal when I mentioned I had eaten an apple tart from the bakery in Southwest harbor that morning and little else since. After much debate as I had seen all the wonderful food coming beforehand, I choose a House Salad, the Annatto Filet Mignon to go with a glass of Malbec. Flan and a coffee was it for the night and I left after the last people came thru the door and the kitchen was closed.

All in all a good weekend with two fun classes and a good hall of images, both at H avana and in the Arcadia National Park itself. One of my favorite was a shot of two pieces of tuna just before they went on the grill.

Then to watch as it was transformed in color as it cooked.
If you missed it above I put 75 images up on my flickr site, look for the Havana "set' on the right side of the page.