Décimal 81, Saint John, New Brunswick

Before leaving Bourbon Quarter, I asked the bartender where else I could go for good food. He said that he hadn't tried it yet, but that Décimal 81 had opened that year not too far up the street.

I decided to come in for an early dinner to beat the rush in a restaurant that was sure to be fully booked, and my plan worked. When I arrived, they were still setting up, but they promptly offered me a seat at a two-top near the entrance, the perfect place for me to watch passers-by while enjoying dinner. The restaurant itself is pale yellow, bright, and elegant with etched glass windows and dark wood furnishings. My server, however, seemed to be quite nervous, and may have been fairly new. She had to check with the restaurant often when I asked about the dishes.

While the restaurant specializes in five- or seven-course tasting menus for what is quite a reasonable price, I knew that I wanted to save room for dessert elsewhere, so I decide to order two courses from the menu. Before they came, however, I ordered a specialty cocktail. Unfortunately, they didn't have any mint, and after they offered to substitute basil, a member of the mint family, they discovered that they were out of it also. Ultimately, I settled on their Uptown 81, Cuban Rum with lemons, limes, sugar, and tonic, but the quinine overwhelmed the rum.

The chef was gracious enough to send out an amuse bouche, a spoonful of braised beef in a red wine reduction with fresh herbs and sea salt. The beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned, but would have benefited from a bit more of the fresh herbs to brighten it up a bit.

My starter was russet potato gnocchi, and it was fantastic. (Is my love of dumplings showing?) They were perfectly tender and served with roasted tomato, and goat cheese. The tomatoes were rich and warm, and they balanced the creamy cheese beautifully.

Before my main course arrived, I was ready for some wine, a glass of Fortius Tempranillo, which was a good match for my dinner, a braised lamb shank. The lamb, which was fork-tender and pulled apart easily, was served atop a bed of creamy polenta with parmigiana reggiano and roasted root vegetables au jus that were cooked just to the point of tenderness, not a bit longer.

In brief: Décimal 81 serves exceptional food that it would be difficult to improve on. The decor is bright and cheerful, but the service that night was professional, but strained. This doesn't seem to have hurt business, though.

This is a "First Impressions" review.

Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★★☆ Service: ★★☆☆☆

Check, please: $$$$

Bourbon Quarter

81 Princess Street,

Saint John, New Brunswick

(506) 642-8181

Bourbon Quarter, Saint John, New Brunswick

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Saint John, New Brunswick for a weekend away from home. I chose Saint John after discovering that Portland, Maine would be booked solid for the Columbus Day weekend. It's much like Portland with its strong ties to the ocean, and offers visitors a great selection of restaurants to visit. I was lucky to try three and a cupcake shop all within walking distance of the B&B where I stayed.

The first was Bourbon Quarter, an upscale restaurant with occasional live music recommended by the owners of the Mahogany Manor Bed and Breakfast. I wasn't sure what to expect as I approached the entrance to the restaurant, but I was sure I'd need to sit at the bar, as I hadn't made a reservation. I didn't mind at all, though, as it meant I could watch the bartenders practice their trade, a great way to learn about the entire establishment.

The interior of the restaurant is a sleek and classic and features various different seating areas including a bar wrapped around the end of the kitchen. The brick, dark wood, wrought iron, and leather are all part of a fabulous backdrop for a truly enjoyable dining experience. Here's a picture of one of the seating areas from their website.

After a few minutes perusing the extensive menu, I asked the bartender, Brian, for the first of my three starters, their version of poutine. For those of you who have never eaten this Canadian dish, it is generally a guilty pleasure at best. You see, poutine is a pile of fried potatoes covered with cheese curds and gravy, and while you can make it with fat-free gravy and skim-milk cheese, that's not the way it is usually served. At Bourbon Quarter, the poutine is far from ordinary. Their version is lobster poutine. You read that right, lobster poutine, which they make with brie instead of cheese curds, herbed potato wedges instead of french fries, a creamy creole sauce instead of gravy, and lobster. When Brian set the bowl in front of me, I leaned over and breathed in deeply. The first bite was a revelation, and I was momentarily puzzled by how something so rich could taste so delicious AND light. That's when I tasted the herbs sprinkled around the rim of the bowl and realized the trick was in the thyme. The toasted thyme brightened the entire dish, pulling all the flavors together beautifully. If you like lobster, brie, and aren't afraid of a few calories, this is a dish you should not miss, especially with a glass of whatever dry riesling they were serving that night.

My second starter was another remarkable dish, a warm goat cheese fritter atop a bed of arugula served with chopped beet salad and toasted candied pecans. The fritter was lightly fried and crispy on the outside, but soft inside, and it held its shape as I cut into it with my fork. While very good, I think the pecans would have popped a bit more in the mouth had they been dusted with dried ginger before they were candied. They are sometimes served as a bacon praline, which sounds divine.

My final starter (and final dish) was a plate of perogies made with local wild boar served with two different berry coulis and crème fraiche. Like the arugula salad, this dish was remarkable, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if they had added some caramelized onions to the perogies to enhance the texture and sweeten them up a bit. Still, they were very good.

In brief: Bourbon Quarter is a hit. The food was, for the most part, exceptional, the decor was warm and inviting, and the service was impeccable, the perfect balance of welcoming and professional. This restaurant is worth a visit to Saint John, and I expect to go back again.

This is a "First Impressions" review.

Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★★☆ Service: ★★★★★

Check, please: $$$$

Bourbon Quarter

114 Prince William Street,

Saint John, New Brunswick

(506) 214-3618

Spicy Corn Muffins

This afternoon, I wanted to do a bit of baking, but didn't have a lot of time to spend, so I compromised. I used a corn muffin mix and added my own seasonings to make them extra special and extra tasty. Though my friends know I love spicy foods, these are not very spicy at all; they just have a bit of heat in the finish.

To make them yourself, just add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, and 1/2 tablespoon of chipotle pepper to whatever liquids you need to add to the boxed mix. These amounts are for a mix that makes six muffins, and you can certainly adjust the quantities to taste. After I scooped the batter into the muffin tin, I dusted them with smoked sea salt, then cooked them according to the instructions on the box.

These are great just with a bit of butter, or with some Stonewall Kitchens Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam. Use just a little jam, though, as too much will overwhelm the spices.

I'll definitely make these again, and when I do, I'll use fat-free sour cream instead of eggs and milk as the liquids.

To be continued...

Massimo's Cucina Italiana, Bangor, Maine

Growing up in downeast Maine provided few opportunities to eat good Italian food. Most restaurants offered nothing more than what any of us could assemble using pasta and sauce from the supermarket with a few embellishments from the cupboard. While I certainly didn't know any better at the time, thanks first to countless hours watching "The Frugal Gourmet" as a teen and, later in life, to experiences in different Italian restaurants around the world, I know now a bit more about what great Italian food should taste like: bright, flavorful, succulent, and savory.

I recently visited a restaurant in Bangor, Main, that serves great Italian food; that restaurant is Massimo's Cucina Italiana. According to the restaurant website, Massimo, who was born in Rome, and his wife, Anne Marie, opened their restaurant in 2007 and have been wowing locals and visitors from afar since then.

The restaurant, in a multi-story building in downtown Bangor, is quite handsome, albeit a bit darker than I would have liked. When we arrived, we were taken promptly to our table, a high-top near the bar. After a few minutes of serious discussion (and some help from our waitress), we chose a bottle of Cantele Primitivo, a medium-bodied red with an expansive mouthfeel, strong (but not overwhelming!) tannins, and subtle sweetness that went well with everything we ate.

Our first starter was a special salad that evening, a plate of baby arugula, grape tomatoes, lemon dressing, and shaved parmigiana; it was exactly what we had expected, a balance of bitter, sweet, tart, and salty.

Our second starter was a plate of prosciutto, asiago, and provolone. The prosciutto was lovely, but in my estimation, it paled in comparison to the asiago and provolone, both of which were stand-outs in the world of Italian cheeses in terms of taste and texture.

The taste and texture of my main course were, however, not as good as I had hoped. In fact, it was very good; it just didn't melt in my mouth the way I know a lamb shank can. It came with cannellini beans, which were cooked just right, and roasted vegetables, which were overcooked and a bit mushy.

The Pollo Alla Massimo, ordered by my friend (Thank you!!!), was superb. This chicken breast stuffed with spinach, ricotta, and almonds, wrapped on one end with some porky goodness (pancetta perhaps?), and laden with mushroom cream sauce could not have been improved.

Another dish which could not have been any better was the gnocchi. I love dumplings of all kinds: gnocchi tossed in basil pesto, baked pierogi's, steamed shu-mai, pan-seared gyoza, dumplings dropped in chicken soup, and more. I can say with some authority that the gnocchi at Massimo's are certainly the best I've had in Maine, and equal to any I've had anywhere. They were consistently tender and served in a bolognese sauce the likes of which I had never eaten before. The sauce was flavorful, but not heavy as is sometimes the case with meat sauce. It was well balanced and bright with fresh tomato, garlic, and herbs. My only regret is that it is so good that I may never order anything else.

Though neither of us was hungry, we couldn't let the evening pass without trying some dessert, and thank goodness we did. "Tiramisu" literally means "pick me up," and this dessert lifted us both to the clouds. Though sometimes this dessert can be a bit heavy, with too many lady fingers and too much alcohol, the sweetened mascarpone of Massimo's tiramisu was light and airy, and the lady fingers were soft, but not wet. A hint of anise was a very nice touch. We also enjoyed a clementine sorbetto, which captured the essence of the fruit, and an espresso gelato so light and creamy that it tasted almost like frozen espresso mousse.

In brief: Massimo's Cucina Italiana offers fine Italian dining in an unpretentious, gracious environment. All of the staff are knowledgable, friendly, and accommodating, and the food is, for the most part, excellent. I regret that they take reservations only for parties of seven or more, which makes it difficult for smaller parties to make plans to meet there. I suggest that you stop by and put your name in, then go for a drink at any of the other fine local establishments while you wait.

Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★☆☆ Service: ★★★☆☆

Check, please: $$$$

Massimo's Cucina Italiana

96 Hammond Street,

Bangor, Maine

(207) 945-5600

Cucumber Salsa on Toast

This is a recipe for a super-simple, light summer meal with appeal that couldn't be tastier and easy to make if you don't mind taking a shortcut.

First, slice a whole-grain baguette on the bias, then brush it with some extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle it with freshly ground salt and pepper, and broil it for a few minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn! Once they're golden, take the pieces of toast of of the oven and put them on a rack to cool. Of course, you could add some garlic if you wanted, but I don't think it's necessary once you see what goes on top. I did try smoked sea salt, too, once, but the smokiness got lost in the salsa. Hmmm . . . maybe I'll use

some bacon fat rendered from some Benton's hickory smoked bacon the next time I make it! That should make this dish even MORE irresistable.

Next, peel a fresh cucumber (the fresher the better!), slice it into 8ths, and use a paring knife to remove the seeds while keeping as much of the flesh as possible. Chop those slices large enough so the flavor of the

cucumber doesn't get lost in the salsa, but small enough so it will blend well and spoon easily.

Finally, mix the chopped cucumber with salsa, and spread it on the pieces of toast. The result is crunchy, crispy, fresh, and healthy! What salsa, you ask? Well, this is where you can get creative. Anyone who likes gazpacho can easily imagine mixing the cucumber into traditional tomato salsa, but the first time I did this, I mixed it with some

mango-peach salsa from the deli department at my local supermarket. Oh, was it good—salty, sweet, and voluptuous! The next time I made it, I used roasted garlic salsa, and I added some chopped chicken-apple sausage to give it a bit of sweetness. It was a hit, too!

What do I love about this dish? It's delicious, so healthy, and easy to make. It's a great offering for a potluck, too, and nobody has to know that you didn't make the salsa from scratch!

Enjoy!

Miyake Restaurant, Portland, Maine

In 2004, I graduated from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and accepted a position at Hakuoh University, a private University in Oyama-shi, Japan. At the time, I'd had little experience with Japanese food, and I wasn't sure what to expect in the "Land of the Rising Sun." Lucky for me, a fabulous izakaya run by a charming couple from Kyoto was a short walk from my house, and I dined there a few times each week learning about Japanese cuisine. It was traditional pub food: fantastic soups, karaage, don katsu and katsu don, loads of bites on skewers, and all served with grace and charm. This restaurant, Yuzenya, set the bar high, and few of the restaurants I visited in Japan rose to the level, and only one has come close in Maine. That one is Miyake, not an izakaya, but a sushi restaurant with other dishes to please most palates.

According to the restaurant website, Masa Miyake opened a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in 2007. He quickly gained a loyal following, and since then, he has relocated, opened a second restaurant, Pai Men Miyake, and started a farm to provide a steady supply of high-quality meat and produce for his establishments.

Having already enjoyed a birthday lunch at Pai Men Miyake in the summer

of 2011, I waited eagerly for the chance to visit Miyake Restaurant and try it out for myself. Recently, I spent a couple hours there with friends and family, and I enjoyed the experience immensely. Let me tell you about it.

First, as is sometimes the case with Japanese restaurants, the exterior is understated with signage only near the door. This made it difficult for us to find the restaurant, but, as I was on foot, I found it quickly. I waited outside to welcome my friends, and once they arrived, we went in and were seated promptly at a table near the front. The decor is understated and beautiful, and the restaurant is filled with dark wood, metal, stone, and numerous objects which reflect the Japanese appreciation for things one-of-a-kind. That's enough about that.

My friends and I ordered some appetizers for the table while waiting for the other guests to arrive. Among my favorites were the Yaki Buta, a disc of braised pork belly that melted in my mouth; Tuna 3-Way, traditional sashimi, tuna tartare, and marinated tuna, all of which were exquisite and unique; and the Kamo Tataki, duck breast.

After the rest of our party arrived, we ordered the rest of our lunch, including the crab sushi roll, the Salmon Lady, a selection of sashimi, salads, soups, and more. All of the food was delicious, but the highlight for me was the lobster roll, pictured to the left. The only challenge was that the pieces were quite large and difficult to eat with dignity—I either had to open wide or take it apart on the plate—but that was hardly a real concern. Anyone who knows me knows I have no problem opening my mouth and eating with gusto.

In brief: Miyake isn't cheap. Our lunch for five cost over $300 including beer and sake, but it was well worth it, and we were in the mood to splurge. There are lunch specials, but unless you eat like a bird, spending less than $25 each might be too limiting. We left stuffed to the gills (but didn't eat any gills!) with what was on the wholepart world-class cuisine. The staff were personable, knowledgeable, and friendly in the American tradition, not the Japanese.

This is a "First Impressions" review.

Food: ★★★★☆ Ambience: ★★★★☆ Service: ★★★☆☆

Check, please: $$$

Miyake Restaurant

468 Fore Street,

Portland, Maine

(207) 871-9170