Walter's... It's open and It's Fabulous!

The tuesday before New Year's saw the opening of the new Walter's at 2 Union Square.  They started off with lunch and I got there for dinner hours.  The new place looks smashing, it's slick in a big city way and at the same time it's cozy in a very Portland way.  The food looked great, I had the fried Calamari and a beer at the bar after I finished shooting ( almost 500 images! ) sweet, sour, tangy, nice crunch, nice. Because I have such a variety of images I decided to not give you any images of a finished plate in this post and will do a 2nd post with just whole plates right after the new year and a flickr post then as well, with a bunch of other images as well.

Feast Of The Seven Fishes

Well , maybe six, because yours truly sort of missed one course, again, sort of.  When I mentioned to my wife that I might shoot in the kitchen at Cinque Terre on Christmas Eve for the traditional Italian "Feast of the Seven Fishes" she showed more then a little interest in tagging along.  So a little trade of a picture and voila, a night on the town, again sort of, because I'm running back n forth taking pictures and in a lull coming out front to sit for a few minutes.  At one point she looks into the kitchen and says you have to try this, it's fabulous! So while I somehow didn't take any pictures of "Maine Shrimp Fritto, radicchio, basil and caper sauce" I did get to taste it and she didn't lie, it was great! So without further ado:

 Cinque Terre 

Feast of the Seven Fishes

December 24, 2009

Winter Point Oysters with prosecco mignonette

Crab Arancini and mozzarella white anchovy crostini

Warmed Leeks and lobster vinaigrette

*Maine Shrimp Fritto, radicchio, basil and caper sauce

Creamy Codfish Ravioli with tomato, fennel and basil oil

Seared Sea Scallops, parsnips, chicory and balsamic aioli

White Chocolate Cranberry Semifreddo, orange crème anglaise, pistachio tuile

The flow of every kitchen is different and I've taken to going with the flow so to speak, shooting the parts of the plate, as it comes together, until I get a picture of the whole.  Still video like.

Now not everybody dining at Cinque Terre on Christmas Eve was there for the "Feast", some had come for the regular menu which on that night had a a variety of seafood dishes to choose from...

Portland has an abundance of good food to choose from and many of the best restaurants offer these prix fix multi course meals, which are usually a great value, so if your thinking of going out New Years Eve, check the Portland Food Map Calendar as at last look about a dozen choices in all price ranges where listed, including a pig roast at Shima on Fore Street. 

I'll be out there somewhere, with my wife, enjoying myself with or without my camera. I hopr you are too!

Almost Walter's

Opening night at the new Walter's is just around the corner. And I'll be there shooting in the kitchen &maybe more.  Jeff & Cheryl Buerhaus and their contractors are working feverishly to get the doors open.  The liquor license came thru today.

The bar area will feature a wall of wine at the far end.
They plan on two private dinners on sunday and monday evenings for their contractors and family & friends as a shake out before opening to the general public on tuesday.  For those of you who ate at the old place on Exchange street, this space will be a real shock.  It has not only a totally different feel but also a different feel to any other space in Portland.

More modern, less brick ( ah, no brick ) but wood, both overhead and in the seating.  A warm inviting entrance, with a bar to the left and tables to the right and a lovely low key fire place in the middle of the wall opposite the doors.  With a brand sparkling new kitchen the food should be as good or better then before and the service should be easier on the wait staff.

As with any new opening there could be last minute snags, so best to call first:  207.871-9258.
Again the first night open to the public is December 29th with reservations accepted on the 27th.

Upcoming Food Posts

A quick note on upcoming foods posts.
If all goes according to plan I'll be shooting in both the Figa and Walters kitchens when they open in the next few days.
I'll also be at the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Xmas eve at Cinque Terre.

In the new year I'll be the kitchen at bresca looking over/around the shoulder of chef/owner Krista Kern Desjarlais.
In the meantime if your looking for local cheeses, the Portland Public Markethouse has a growing selection.

Lots & Lots of Pots!

If your thinking pottery and you don't have much money to spend, or your just looking for great value this holiday season, your in luck.  Portland Pottery kicked off its 19th annual Holiday Show & Sale with the student, faculty & friends thursday night opening party.  Lots of food, lot and lots of pottery as well as jewelry and a few odds and arty ends.

The sale is a great place to find real bargains on functional pottery that you can use every day. Plenty of mugs and bowls to go around but go early as the best stuff goes fast and it will be picked over like a dead mule trying to cross the Desert of Maine by sunday.

Hours: Fri 9-7, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4.
118 Washington Ave, Portland......   www.portlandpottery.com

This years charity tie in is A Family For Me.  So you can do good and do some one good.

Sweet! As in "Sweet Marguerites" Artisanal Chocolates

Sunday at the Toby Rosenberg Gallery was a fun day, with Meg Swoboda, whose passion it is to make and share the finest in handmade chocolates, on hand for a tasting of her latest creations.  The newest of which are a line of "Umami Chocolates".  These five chocolates, Sweet Potato Caramel, Plum Sake, Sesame Tahini, Green Tea & Ginger and Malted Bacon are based on the principle of Umami.  About a century ago a Japanese scientist started using the word umami to describe the fifth taste, beyond sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It is in the savory or full mouth sensation found in foods like sweet potatoes, green tea, soy sauce, meat and parmesan cheese.  Of course she hasn't forgotten more traditional bites featured in her assorted boxes, making her version of peanut butter cups, with Venezuelan milk chocolate, the creamy ganache center is a mix of milk chocolate and cashew butter, wrapped around a whole cashew.  Another offering that proved extremely popular was her chile and dark chocolate concoction made with layers of dark chocolate ganache, and ribbons of spicy orange gelee'.

The enthusiastic crowd got to not only try sweet Marguerites chocolates but lay their hands on some of Maine's finest crafts in an intimate setting at the Toby Rosenberg Gallery, which uses the downstairs parlor rooms of an 1890 Victorian, at 293 Read Street, just off Forest Avenue in Portland.  Among this seasons guest artists are Obadiah Buell - granite works, Lou Charlett - wood, Allyson Humphrey - stained glass, Betsy Levine - salt glazed & wood fired pottery, Melissa mattes - felt & fiber paintings, Diane Bowie Zaitin - encaustic paintings and Grey Dog Studio - glass & stainless serving pieces.  They join holdovers Funky Pretty - jewelry, Silk Bijou - scarfs, DoDa! Foto! - photography, Lenora Leibowitz - illuminated cards and of course Toby's functional pottery and fine judaica.

Also on hand during the afternoon with her sweetness was Erin Forbes of Overland Honey. Erin is one of only four master bee keepers in the state and by far the youngest.  From her backyard on Capisic Street in Portland she harvests honey from her many hives to make honey, which as the saying goes... "You are what you eat" and the bee eats different blooms, from spring to fall and the honey is accordingly different in color and taste with the seasons.  Erin also makes candles, luminaries and beeswax from her eager little workers.  Shes also available for consultations and offering encouragement to novice beekeepers.  Erin was once one of Toby's pottery students before growing up to become the "Queen Bee".

I took pictures of these little guys just last week in Erin's backyard.  They'll spend the winter inside their  hives, which get a tar paper wrap for protection, but otherwise are on their own to flap their wings trying to maintain a 90 degree temperature keeping the queen alive thru the winter.

So if you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, stop by the Toby Rosenberg Gallery for Meg's chocolates, Erin's honey or to see art & handmade crafts from some of Maine's finest artists.

Toby Rosenberg Gallery, 293 Read Street, Portland  tel. 207-878-4590,  10-6 daily until the new year.