Portland, the other white city

Am sequestered in the Cleveland Airport, on my way back to New Mexico, having just had a few great days of chow at my parents' and the environs of Portland, Maine.
Though I really just want to leave the airport for my love of the Indians and their certain thumping of Mussina tonite at the Jake (also, Stadium mustard promised), I guess I'll just post.
First night visited Rob Evans' (one of Food and Wine's best chefs a couple years ago) Hugo's. Was dismayed to see the menu was tasting only (if it's four courses and sixty bucks a head, is mango and pepper sorbet really worth 15 dollars? decidedly not, especially for a man who loathes a dessert course that doesn't start with "c" and end with "heese.")
Anyways, the dishes were the perfect amount. Highlights included a rabbit charcuterie plate, with confit-like thigh, a cube of liver pate, a boudin blanc-like sausage, as i recall.
My father's dish of mead-glazed pork belly was the hit of the night, in my estimation, with huge cubes of pork belly that were the perfect essence of pork. Dad also had lamb three ways, with wonderful saddle, sausage, and shoulder.
Mom made a wonderful chorizo-crusted maine wolffish (fiercely loyal to their state, it seems mainers feel compelled to point out everything that is from maine, even going so far as to point out that the lobsters you order are, indeed, from maine. thanks.)
this was a great restaurant, though a little pricey, and you must do the price fixed menu, which, i suppose, helps the restaurant make money.
hugos.net, if you want more information.
Next night, cooked a wonderful Bayless recipe for lobster, grilled halves of lobster (you must kill them with a knife, and split them open), with an olive oil, avocado, toasted garlic, and chipotle marinade. Did not disappoint.
Then, went to one of my finer meals of the past year, Cinque Terra.
I was not that excited for italian, given my current home of New Mexico, and the no dearth of seafood here in portland, but i was blown away.
Wolf-farm's Carpaccio (wolf farms is famous up in maine for something or other--the beef tastes good is all i care) melted in one's (my) mouth, Crespalla with braised maine (!) summer greens was otherworldly. One of the true hits was pappardelle with a boar ragu--just a wonderful play between tomato and game.
I had a plate of salumi, which reminded me of not only Salumi in seattle, but the charcuterie plate there at Avec, and thus it was good.
Entree hits were green olive-crusted halibut and grilled swordfish over italian broccoli with tomato/olive oil relish of sorts.
Anyways, hit up Cinque Terra if you're in town, and Hugo's if you're in the mood for a tasting menu.
Otherwise, Alewives farms for your lobsters.
Cheers,
parker

Going there Friday. Any comments on Fore Street?

nr706 wrote:Going there Friday. Any comments on Fore Street?

nr706, are you going to be in Portland on Friday? Me too.

Fore Street lives up to the hype. Sam Hayward has a wonderful menu, and the meats are as mastered as their venerable seafood.
Please report back--they kill on all cylinders, at least every time i've been there.
As for beer, Geary's Pale Ale is a great brew.
Gritty McDuff's in the Old Port is a decent brewpub.
If you're into perusing the local fishmongers, I would suggest against the much-lauded Browne Trading, and instead head to Harbor Fish Market on a different wharf (i forget the name, but they're within five minutes' walk of eachother).