And We All Dine On...

Monday marks the beginning of the second Maine Restaurant Week, and we couldn't be happier.

Restaurants statewide (OK, "statewide" is a bit of an exaggeration) will offer three-course dinners for $20.10, $30.10 or $40.10, and lunches for $15.10 through March 10. In addition, there's an art contest and an opening night Bartenders Bash at the Portland Museum of Art.

But since we're breakfast hounds, what really caught our eye is the Incredible Breakfast Cookoff, from 7 to 9:30 a.m. next Friday, March 5, at the Sea Dog in Portland. Among the contenders? Bayou Kitchen, Becky's, Congdon's, Dysart's, Farmer's Table, The Good Table, Miss Maine, Miss Portland, Moody's Diner, Port Hole, and Sea Glass Inn by the Sea. Yum.

A full list of participating restaurants is available at www.mainerestaurantweek.com, and they'll be adding last-minute entries through March 1. Though we're a little disappointed that there isn't more representation north of Augusta, that has everything to do with the restaurants and nothing to do with the organizers. Plus, there are more participants this year than last, which is a great sign.

If we had to choose five, we'd hit Slates in Hallowell, The Good Table in Rockland, Duckfat in Portland (even though their menu is inexpensive anyway), Hugo's in Portland (because the idea of three courses there for $30.10 is incredibly appealing), and Fuel in Lewiston. Actually, the very thought of this makes us so hungry we can hardly stand it.

We'd like to know — which restaurants do you plan to visit next week? And are there any new restaurants you're dying to try? Tell us by posting a comment below, on the Maine Maven Facebook page or on Twitter.

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Fine Dining in Lewiston? Try Fuel

When we first heard about Fuel, we have to admit we were skeptical. Fine dining? In Lewiston? On Lisbon Street?

But the menu won us over, as did positive reviews from some of our favorite foodies. Since we live in Orono, it's not exactly a quick trip for dinner, but after making — and canceling — reservations several times, we were finally able to experience Fuel.

And it is an experience. Owner Eric Agren has created a chic oasis in the heart of downtown, reviving a historic theater without sacrificing any of its charm. The warm, terra cotta walls and cozy seating make this a place where diners want to linger. And linger we did.

There were four in our party — the entire Maven team. One of us had special dietary needs, another is very particular about meats, and our server and the kitchen were incredibly accommodating. As we perused the French, bistro-style menu, we had a hard time deciding what not to order. Chef Justin Oliver clearly knows his way around the kitchen, and his attention to detail shines in each dish.

We've long thought that the soup course will tell you evErything you need to know about a restaurant. Often, it's an afterthought or a way to get rid of leftovers. At Fuel, soups are made to order — and made well. We loved the rich, complex onion soup with Gruyere, and the Truffled Corn Bisque was like velvet. Really buttery velvet.

The salads are sublime — we ordered watercress with blue cheese, paper-thin radishes and apples from the nearby Nezinscot Farm, along with a composed salad of olive tapenade, shaved fennel, arugula and roasted red peppers.

One surprise, which was not unpleasant, is that the main plates here are huge. As in, ginormous. The potato-encrusted salmon that came to our table was about three times as large as we were anticipating, and the Steak Frites was definitely enough for two meals. We also ordered a selection of appetizers as a main meal — Applewood Grilled Escargot, Steak Tartare, Frites. There was no room for dessert.

We'll be back. And next time, we'll order "Feed Me Justin," a four-course tasting menu tailored to the individual diners' tastes for a shocking $35 — pairings from Fuel's extensive wine list are an extra $15. We may even consider reserving the chef's table — in the kitchen — just to watch the drama unfold.

After all, Fuel is energy, and we want to be in the middle of it all.

Fuel is located at 49 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. For more information, visit www.FuelMaine.com. Image credit: Fuel restaurant.

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Verve in Orono: A Sweet (and Spicy) Symphony

Back when we were students at UMaine, Orono felt like a college town that didn't want a college. There were a grand total of three bars, four if you counted the tap room at Pat's Pizza, and three restaurants any student would actually want to eat at — and that's being generous.

What this town needed was a little verve. And now, Orono has it.

Verve burritos and smoothies, the latest venture from Abe and Heather Furth (UMaine alumni and two of the three partners in Woodman's), is exactly what Orono needed. It's long overdue, but the wait was worth it. In recent years, a handful of young business owners (including the Furths, their business partner in Woodman's, Mark Horton, and Horton's wife, Mary, who owns Harvest Moon Deli) have breathed life — verve, if you will — into downtown. We couldn't be happier.

We could tell Verve was going to be good long before its doors opened — the Furths did a much-needed overhaul of the building's facade (Verve is located in the towering brick Mason's hall at the corner of Mill and Main), slapped a gorgeous sign on the side and set up sidewalk benches made from recycled skis and snowboards. The decor — high celings, bold artwork, cozy couches and walls painted electric green and chocolate brown — is college town chic. But the real draw here is the food.

These burritos are tasty. Really, really tasty. You get to watch as the crew assembles your meal from — gasp! — fresh ingredients (as far as we could tell, nothing came from a can, jar or mix). During a recent visit, we tried the chorizo burrito and the steak burrito, both of which were phenomenal. There are plenty of vegetarian options — including a fajita stuffed with beans, rice and fajita-style veggies — and we're dying to try the Huevos Rancheros breakfast burrito.

Verve is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Breakfast offerings include bagels from Bagel Central in Bangor, a selection of pastries, smoothies made from fresh fruit and Stonyfield Farm yogurt, a menu full of gourmet breakfast burritos and coffee from Maine's own Carrabasset Roasters and Rock City Roasters. Lunch options include burritos and burrito bowls. If you're on campus, you can also check out Verve's cafe (no burritos yet) in the Collins Center for the Arts, which is open to the public.

We'll post a link to the menu as soon as one is available. In the meantime, get yourself to Verve, which, true to its name, has brought energy and life to Orono.

Verve is located at the corner of Mill and Main Streets in Orono. For more information, visit Verve's Facebook page. A Web site is coming soon.

2 Mill Street
Orono, Maine
(207) 866-4004

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Quelle Surprise!

When in Presque Isle, do as the Presque Islians do: eat at Cafe Sorpreso. Chances are, you'll find yourself wishing you had a place like this in your neighborhood. Even if you live in Portland.

Surprised? Don't be. There are actually a few phenomenal restaurants in the County (you can read about them in our dining guide), but the European feel of this one sets it apart.

Co-owners Jan and Roger Lucas came here from England, while their business partners, Clifton and Judy Boudman, have spent years serving lavish meals at their upscale Rum Rapids Inn in nearby Crouseville. Together, the couples have created a chic yet welcoming venue in the heart of downtown Presque Isle. The dining room is open and airy, the white walls accented with large-scale prints by Clifton Boudman, an art professor at UMPI. A cozy leather sofa and chairs fills one storefront nook, beckoning patrons to people-watch on Presque Isle's Main Street. The other nook houses a small, private table — perfect for date night.

And though the atmosphere is lovely, the real draw here is the food. At lunchtime, you can't beat Sorpreso's gourmet paninis and homemade soups — selections vary, but the menu could include a rich mushroom soup and a Roast Chicken with Charmoula Mayo, Caramelized Onion and Provolone sandwich. All day long, the prices are incredibly low.

For dinner, the filet mignon is outstanding -- one of the best we've had, anywhere. Because all of the food is fresh, much of it local, the menu changes often, and it's always a treat to see what's new. During a recent visit, we had a hard time choosing between Pork Tenderloin Medallions with an Apple Cream Sauce, Spaghetti Arrabiata with pork and veal meatballs, and the pan-seared scallops with tarragon and white wine. Three of us opted for the filet, while the fourth chose the pork. We started the meal with a salad of butter lettuce, goat cheese and a maple vinaigrette; warm Brie with mango chutney; and steamed mussels. Everything was made in-house, and nothing failed to impress.

The only disappointment was that Judy's legendary almond cheesecake with almond crust wasn't on the menu. We had it last fall and are still dreaming about it.

But we'll be back — no surprise there.

www.sorpresocafe.net
415 Main Street
Presque Isle, Maine
(207) 764-1854‎

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Street Cred

Portland has been all over the national food press lately — the October issue of Bon Appetit calls it America's Foodiest Small Town, and the word on the street is that Julia Moskin of The New York Times will also do a writeup.

Our own late-breaking Portland food story is far less prestigious and completely embarrassing.

You've gotta love family.

A few weeks ago, at The Maven's sister's wedding, Auntie Marie came up to us with a big grin on her face and a sly look in her eye.

"I did a little name-dropping last night," she told us, conspirationally.

"Huh?" we said in unison, totally clueless.

"Yeah, thanks to Maine Maven, we got a table at Street and Co." she said. "I told them I just had to come because my niece, The Maine Maven, gave them such a glowing review. Hadn't they read it?"

The answer, of course, was no, because we have never reviewed Street and Co. And either way, we were totally mortified. Hell, we don't even drop our own names (even if we did, we're not sure it would do much good). But they got the table — we're guessing this has more to do with the fact that we have friends who work there and that they really did, in fact, have a two-top free at 5:30 on a Friday in August.

Auntie Marie and Uncle Mike live in Massachusetts. They love Portland. To be fair, we did talk up Street and Co., the city's seafood stalwart, when they asked for a restaurant recommendation a few years back. We thought the cozy atmosphere, outdoor seating and sizzling pans of whole fish would knock their socks off.

Clearly, we were right.

We're much more fond of the tastes, cold plates and appetizers than we are of the whole fish meals, in part because we have regular access to a mind-boggling array of just-caught seafood. Simply prepared fresh fish isn't a novelty for us, but we totally understand the allure of blackened salmon over fresh gazpacho or a grilled lobster over linguine with garlic.

Still, we crave the shaved fennel salad, which we can't seem to replicate at home. We dream of crab-stuffed piquillo peppers. We can still taste roasted beets with romesco. We could easily drop $100 on appetizers alone and be content. And full.

No, Street and Co. isn't the newest player on Portland's food stage. Nor is it the hippest or the showiest. But it remains one of the city's most beloved restaurants and — as Marie and Mike will tell you — one of the best for seafood.

Just don't tell them we sent you.

Street and Co. is located at 33 Wharf St. in Portland's Old Port. For information, click here.

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Horn of Plenty

For years, this wonderful little restaurant was tucked away in a strip mall in Island Falls. But owners Nancy Levin and Bill Roderick recently moved to Route 1 in Houlton — the road more traveled. For hungry drivers, this could make all the difference. The couple moved to Maine from Rhode Island more than a decade ago, bringing with them international cuisine with an emphasis on Portuguese specialties. Roderick's Azorean Chicken is to die for. But if you're in the mood for crab rangoon, you'll find those, too.

382 North Road (Route 1)
Houlton, Maine
(207) 532-2260

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Fiddlehead Restaurant

Simple food, well prepared. Those four words sum up the philosophy at Fiddlehead, a lovely new addition to Bangor's dining scene. The water comes in Mason jars. The cocktail menu is fab (though we'd prefer a more extensive wine list). The service is wonderful. and When you order your meat rare, it arrives at the table rare. We recommend the lamb croquettes, the salads and the succulent pork. Owners Laura Albin and Melissa Chaiken, formerly of the New Moon Cafe, have found a winning combination at this casual, affordable bistro.

Fiddlehead on Facebook
84 Hammond Street
Bangor, Maine
(207) 942-3336

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Francine

Francine! Francine! Francine! This tiny little gem of a restaurant off the main drag in Camden is one of our favorite places. Chef Brian Hill turns uber-fresh, mostly local ingredients into wonderful, welcoming meals and the ambiance can't be beat.

www.francinebistro.com
55 Chestnut Street
Camden, ME‎
(207) 230-0083‎

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Boynton-McKay Food Co.

Boynton-McKay Food Co. is Camden's best-kept secret. Which is weird, because it's right on the main drag and it couldn't be cuter. Still, it took us years to discover it, and we only went there because we were meeting a friend. The Art Deco interior — a perfectly preserved apothecary with birdseye maple cabinets, the original soda fountain and soaring pressed-steel ceilings — is enough of a reason to visit. But the internationally inspired lunch menu — the Thai chicken wrap is amazing — keeps people coming back.

www.boynton-mckay.com
30 Main Street
Camden, Maine
(207) 236-2465

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Thai Kitchen

There's no such thing as a "hole in the wall" in Camden, where everything is postcard-perfect and touristy. But Thai Kitchen comes close, and we mean this in the best possible way. Here, you'll find home-style Thai cooking — including a few unusual dishes — that showcases the area's fresh seafood (lobster curry, anyone?). And the family that runs the place couldn't be nicer.

31 Elm Street
Camden, Maine
(207) 236-9799

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Nostrano

Every night is Big Night at Nostrano, the reservations-only restaurant of Bar Harbor food fanatic Frank Pendola. He's truly like a character from a movie, and the scene — watch him cook in an open kitchen that resembles a Food Network set — is intentionally theatrical. But it's not all show. Pendola grew up in an Italian-American household where the dinner table was the center of the house and meals were an all-day affair. Today, he continues the tradition by bringing people together, family-style (Nostrano means "ours") over course after course of incredible food. The flavor of his Sunday Gravy — that's marinara, kids — is worth every hour it takes to prepare.

www.nostrano.com
Bar Harbor, ME
(207) 288-0269

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Cleonice

Sink your teeth into a medium-rare lamb burger, slathered with garlic whipped feta and tzatziki sauce. Sip a Tunisian spiced lemonade. Nibble marinated olives or a roasted beet and gorgonzola salad. No matter what you order, know you're in the capaable hands of James Beard nominee Rich Hanson, who creates Mediterranean specialties from the freshest locally grown and raised ingredients. Besides, where else in Maine will you find Timpano on the menu, not as a special?

www.cleonice.com
112 Main Street
Ellsworth, ME‎
(207) 664-7554‎

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Primo

It's so easy to be a foodie in Maine. But between Arrows in Ogunquit, Fore Street and Hugo's in Portland and about a hundred other contenders, it's so hard to choose just one favorite fine-dining restaurant. Still, the place we keep coming back to again and again is Primo in Rockland. For Melissa Kelly and Price Kushner, this farm-to-table restaurant is a labor of love and the meals — unfussy preparations of ridiculously fresh meats, fish and produce, taste like Maine.

www.primorestaurant.com
2 S. Main Street
Rockland, ME
(207) 596-0770

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Local 188

People have one of two reactions when they walk into Local 188, the eclectically furnished tapas bar in Portland's West End: love it or hate it. We love it. Everything about it. The food — Spanish with a dash of Middle Eastern thrown in — is great (we're big fans of the Mezze Plate, and if Kibbeh is on the menu, order it). And the drinks are sublime — we can't stop thinking about the white sangria.

www.local188.com
685 Congress Street
Portland, ME‎
(207) 761-7909

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Chase's Daily

We've been known to stop at Chase's Daily in Belfast when we're not even hungry. Why? The food — much of which is grown on the Chase family's farm in nearby Freedom — is that good. The tacos alone are worth the trip, as is the white bean bruschetta. After your meal, head to the market at the back of the restaurant for produce and other goodies straight from the farm.

96 Main Street
Belfast, ME
(207) 338-0555

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The Armory Lounge

We used to slip into the Armory Lounge at the Portland Regency, tuck into a corner table — surrounded by that bizarro library book wallpaper — and sip a hot toddy in silent solitude. Those days are over. On our last visit, it was dripping with beautiful people who have discovered the Armory’s quirky charm. If you go, be sure to accessorize accordingly — we recommend a giant Angela Adams bag in one hand, a glass of Zardetto Prosecco in the other.

www.theregency.com/ctail2.htm
20 Milk Street
Portland, ME
(207) 774-4200

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Woodman's

At 3 p.m., any day of the week, you will find Abe Furth behind the bar at Woodman's in Orono, juicing lime after lime after lime. After that, it's the lemons. Next up, twists and fruit wedges. Freshness — and an old-fashioned commitment to proper drink-making — make the bar at Woodman's outstanding. Thanks to the restaurant's proximity to UMaine, Furth is known far and wide for his mojitos — we've tried many, if not all, in the state and are convinced Abe's are the best.

www.woodmansbarandgrill.com
31 Main Street
Orono, ME
(207) 866-4040

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The Corner Room

There is a reason why John Myers is a legend. Watching him behind the bar is like watching an intricately choreographed ballet. In this case, Myers, who looks like a cross between a blues musician and a well-groomed biker and mixes drinks like a magician, is the premier danseur. Yes, the food here is good — we recommend the Wild Boar Ragu — but the drinks are out of this world. Order the Kiss, The Elder and by all means, sit at the bar.

110 Exchange Street
Portland, ME
(207) 879-4747

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Novare Res

Tucked away in an alley off Exchange Street in Portland, Novare Res Bier Cafe waits like a beer lover's reward. With more than 25 rotating taps, more than 300 bottled beers, tequila, single malt scotch and wine, there's truly something for everyone, but we stick to the beer, usually the Belgians. And if you're lost, the beertender will be more than happy to offer a recommendation and a sample pour. Read More

www.novareresbiercafe.com
4 Canal Plaza
Portland, ME
(207) 761-2437

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Old Port Sea Grill

The Old Port Sea Grill is known for its raw bar and ridiculously fresh seafood, which is all well and good, but the bar here — a poured concrete creation that looks like a piece of art — is the place to be. Bar manager Laura Romasco gives traditional drinks a modern, restrained twist. We're especially fond of the not-too-sweet tea martini, with Earl Grey-infused Ketel One, lemon and simple syrup. Mmmm.

www.theoldportseagrill.com
93 Commercial Street
Portland, ME
(207) 879-6100

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