I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, but I am writing today to tell you about a meal I had during this vacation that did NOT consist of Turkey or cranberries.
My fiance and I went up to Maine to visit Family and stopped in Portland, ME to visit friends. On friday night we decided to eat at a low profile (but actually rather large) spot called Local 188. Their space is expansive with a bar that continues around for people who want to watch the kitchen while eating. There are make-shift couch/table/bench nooks around the main “floor” area and more formal tables (although just as comfortable) with cushioned benches against the wall toward the right third of the space. We opted to sit at a table rather than sink into one of the lounge spaces and were still able to relax with plenty of room at our table for two.
Ok, here I am going to cut to the chase – The food was incredible! Most notably the appetizer ~ironically. It really drew us into enjoying the meal actively rather than simply feeding ourselves. Here is what we ate and drank:
Drinks:
The Beekeeper – vodka, mead, a splash of st germain, decked with grapes and grapefruit.
The Farmer’s Daughter – lime Pernod, simple syrup, soda, gin, topped with a lime wedge.
Appetizer:
Smoked Lamb ravioli (tender, with flavor reminiscent of bacon) topped with butternut squash sauce and candied parmesan sage leaves.
They also brought out typical bread and olive oil offering, however theirs was a very buttery bread, pre-soaked in fresh olive oil and cracked peper. There were hints of rosemary baked into the bread. It had a crunchy crust, soft in the middle, but no airy holes found here!
Main Dishes:
We had the Gnocchi and the Risotto (apparently craving some serious carbs)…
Both were house specials, but the Gnocchi was by-far the favorite. Served with the typical sheets of semi-hard parm on top, underneath it was also topped with hazelnut bits and the gnocchi itself was slightly seared – for a crispier bite than we were used to with this dish.
The risotto was creamy and rich with wilted spinach leaves. Delish!
So if you ever find yourself in the North East I recommend making it out to Local 188 for a really spectacular meal. Read more on their site here: http://www.local188.com/
Other spots we hit that night:
Sonny’s – a former Bank now serving up cocktails till 1am.
& Nosh – for their famous Bacon-powdered Fries!