Crooked Face Creamery

Located in Skowhegan (one of my ancestral homes), the Crooked Face Creamery makes another product that deserves a place in your fridge, a Gouda-style unpasteurized cheese agreed for at least 60 days in a natural rind. This buttery cheese (imagine Homer Simpson saying it), has a rich flavor and a dense bite, a texture that I can only call "cheesy," not crumbly or chalky at all. Like with all great cheeses (and great chocolate), it's the quality, not the quantity, which matters most, and that means this small wedge may last another few days. I only wish I had tried their ricotta, which won third place in a national competition in Wisconsin in 2013! Those folks in Wisconsin know their cheeses.

For more on these wonderful cheeses, click on the link below.

Crooked Face Creamery
620 Middle Road
Skowhegan, ME  04976

(207) 858-5096

To follow the creamery (and see their adorable cows!), like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

The Turkey Farm

For those of you who couldn't make it to the Maine Harvest Festival in Bangor last weekend, I'm so very sorry. This is the first one I've attended, and I was overwhelmed with the variety of amazing foodstuffs to sample and buy. Let me tell you about one of my new favorites.

As I walked around one corner, an incredible savory smell wafted on the air: cranberry turkey sausage from The Turkey Farm, in New Sharon. Though I'm not easily impressed, I thought I'd take a nibble, so I reached for a bit of their freshly grilled loose sausage on a toothpick and popped it in my mouth (the sausage, not the toothpick). Most of the turkey sausage I've eaten in the past has been dry and a bit bland, but this was amazing. It was tender, rich and savory, juicy like no sausage I've ever eaten. It wasn't pork sausage's fit, lean, boring cousin. It was better. It was pork's gorgeous older sister, and it was love at first bite.

I had to have more, so before I left the festival, I picked up a package of links with feta, spinach, and sweet pepper (yes, I paid!), which I pan fried tonight. Like the loose sausage I sampled, these links were juicy and full of flavor with the clear taste of feta, spinach, and red pepper in every bite.

The Turkey Farm sells a wide variety of products including whole turkeys (though they're sold out for Thanksgiving), different cuts from the bird, sausages, cooked meats, salads, pot pies, and more. With a seasonal presence at various farmers' markets, holiday drops around the state, a few regular retail locations, as well as a farm store that is open part time, you should be able to get your hands on something good. 

For more information on these delicious turkey products, visit their website at the link below. Yummy!

The Turkey Farm
209 Mile Hill Road
New Sharon, ME  04955
| 207-778-2889

Little Vietnam

When you live in this part of Maine, in one of the busiest tourist areas, you get used to having access to things that most rural areas don't have, but the millions of people who visit this gorgeous party of the planet expect those things. We have better cell reception than more populous towns further south, breweries, wineries, bakeries, dozens of organic farms, and more. But there are also things you don't have, like a good Vietnamese restaurant. Fortunately for us, Little Vietnam opened earlier this year in Bangor, and offers local diners another choice for tasty Asian fare.

Little Vietnam popped up on a web search this summer, but at the time, there weren't enough reviews for me to decide if it was worth trying. The reviews I did see, though, suggested that the staffing at the restaurant might be a little light, so I knew that it would make no sense to go for lunch, when I wouldn't want to risk taking too much time. Dinner time, it was. When I entered the small storefront about 4:45 on a Monday, there were only three people in the place, but I still had to wait a few minutes for someone to seat me. Though a bit slow, the service was very polite. Later on, it became clear that this is a family operation, and that folks who are uptight about service and atmosphere probably shouldn't visit. The food, however, made the trip well worth while, and if that's your focus, pay them a visit. To the food...

First, I ordered bánh mì, a traditional baguette sandwich made with Vietnamese ham, which is actually closer to a pork sausage with the fine texture of pâté, cucumber, cilantro, and shredded carrots. While it was good, when I've eaten these sandwiches in the past, they've typically come loaded with pickled julienned carrot and sometimes other vegetable, like daikon, and it was missed tonight.

The Chicken Sate at Little Vietnam

The chicken sate was more than delicious. It was the best chicken on a stick I've ever had. It was juicy, tender, and rich with a lime-based marinade. The peanut sauce left a bit to be desired, though, it wasn't as flavorful and thick as it is at most of the Thai restaurants I've visited. Now, I should add that I am not an expert on Vietnamese cuisine having only eaten it on six or seven occasions in Korea, Japan, and the U.S., never in Vietnam, so this could be just what Vietnamese peanut sauce should taste like.

After eating those two appetizers, I should have paid the check and left, but what trip to a Vietnamese restaurant would be complete without trying the pho? No trip. Again, I'm no expert, so let me simply describe the dish. It was a large bowl with a heap of rice noodles, beef, and scallions in a rich broth, which was the star of this meal. The savory sweetness of the soup was balanced by Asian basil (which has a stronger anise taste than the basil we see in Italian cuisine), the tartness of fresh lime, the bite of fresh jalapeño slices, and the warm depth of sriracha hot sauce. The pho alone is enough food for two, that is, if you have someone with whom to share a "Lady and the Tramp" moment.

Though it's hard to judge a restaurant like Little Vietnam based on only one visit, the experience I had tonight will certainly bring me back, and given how rare it is to find a Vietnamese restaurant in this part of The Pine Tree State, I hope you'll join me. These folks need us to get the word out. Note: "check please' reflects the cost of the entire meal, which was more than I normally would have ordered. 

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

Check, please: $$

Little Vietnam

687 Hogan Road, 
Bangor, Maine, 04401

(207) 945-0073

Aragosta

Though she has been building her reputation as an innovative chef with a flair for presentation for years, Devin Finigan has always done so in someone else's kitchen, but not any longer. Finigan's restaurant, Aragosta, opened for lunch in early summer, and from all accounts, has been wowing diners since. I am very pleased that I was finally able to make the drive to "the island," as so many call it, and sample the fruits of her labors. To the food.

It's a good thing when you can't decide and want to order nearly everything on the menu, right? Ultimately, I did decide, though, and started my meal with six raw oysters from the Salt Pond in Blue Hill, three as nature intended them, and three with a spicy applewood smoked champagne granita with a bit of dill. All six were silky, clear, cold representatives of the bounty of the Atlantic. The touch of dill, however, overcame the granita such that I couldn't detect much of the smoke at all. They were still very good, but not as promised on the menu.

As a second starter--in my defense, when I ordered it, I thought I might just order two starters and dessert!--I decided to indulge in baked Brie topped with caramelized onions and sweet, toasted walnuts.

Warm Brie with caramelized onions at Aragosta

The Brie came with toasted focaccia, and was certainly enough food for two people. Oh, the creamy, warm cheese with those smooth, sweet onions and those crunchy honey-toasted walnuts smeared over crisp focaccia made me a happy man. My only complaint? Too much cheese! You might say just add more bread, but, it was already more than I should have eaten. 

Though I had heard raves about Aragosta's signature lobster ravioli, I decided to try an Italian favorite of mine, gnocchi, more specifically, gnocchi in a creamy cheesy sauce with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, sweet dumpling squash, "winter red-flesh apple," and crispy baby bok choy. Well, well, well, with all these complementary tastes, every bite was a new experience of new tastes and new textures. I'd enjoyed crispy kale before, but this was the first time I'd eaten crispy bok choy. The crunch of the toasted hazelnuts, the meatiness of the savory mushrooms, the fleshy, sweet tart bite of the apple, the earthy crispness of the bok choy, and, well, I could go on. 

I should mention that before my entree came out, I did enjoy some house-made bread (focaccia and a mini baguette) with butter and some leek sea salt. Though the bread had good flavor and even, soft texture throughout, neither the focaccia nor the baguette had the crisp crust I would have expected. Good bread, just not great. The leek sea salt, however, was a real pleasure. The fine powder, pale green, tasted clearly of sweet leeks and smelled even more fragrant. 

In an era when restaurant trends shift and shift again before they hit coastal towns like Stonington, Maine, one can't be sure if the attention to detail and dining traditions at Aragosta are relics of the past, or a return to dining elegance. Knowing that there are already several upscale restaurants in the area which use butcher paper instead of tablecloths, I'd prefer to think that it's the latter. Where did this awful trend start? I'll leave it up to some restaurant historian to figure that out, but it's a trend that I don't like, except, perhaps, at BBQ joints, or seafood shacks, and so I was pleased to see tablecloths being changed between parties at this ocean-side restaurant in its first year in business. And a palate-cleansing sorbet before the main course. Now, fine dining is more than white linens and palate cleansers, but so is Aragosta. If you haven't been, go. 

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

Check, please: $$$$

Aragosta

27 Main Street,
Stonington, Maine, 04681

(207) 367-5500

86 This!

Don't want to sit down for table service? Don't want to cook for yourself? Don't want to eat processed fast food? In Ellsworth? You are in LUCK. In it's third year of business, 86 This! fits the bill perfectly. Housed at the intersection of Main and State Streets in Ellsworth, this owner-operated eatery (read more about the owners here) serves made-to-order burritos and wraps (and salads and sides) from scratch using wholesome, largely locally sourced ingredients. 

The Boss Hog Burrito at 86 This!

It's when those ingredients come together that gustatory magic happens, as it did today when I went in and ordered my favorite, though it's hardly magic, I suppose, when they consistently create excellent food. What is this deliciousness? Well, it's called "Boss Hog." Take a look at it, will ya? It's pictured here with one of the many types of hot sauce they offer at 86 This!.  

So, what is this burrito? A perfect balance of chipotle citrus pulled pork, black beans, rice, pico de gallo, red cabbage slaw, chipotle creme, and cheddar/jack cheese in a warm, soft tortilla. Oh, the tangy crunch of the slaw! The sweetness of the tomatoes! The tender beans and rice! The spicy "porky goodness" to quote a friend. The first half is enough to fill my belly and satisfy my taste buds, but I haven't been able to save the other half for later. Hmm...

Ah, now where was I? Oh, so this is my favorite, but everything I've tried is fantastic, like the "Yam I Am" burrito with it's spicy roasted sweet potatoes, beans, rice, chimmichurri, chipotle creme, and cheese, and like the wrap which goes by the name "The Clash," a tortilla filled with roast beef, roasted onions, cheddar, horseradish mayonnaise, and greens. Even their specials are a treat. Last year, I went in one day and saw a tuna special on the blackboard. I didn't notice that it didn't say "tuna salad," and I was blown away with, that's right, seared tuna steak. You can even get a vegan or vegetarian wrap, like the "Beet Knick," beets in creamy dill dressing, cucumbers, walnuts, ricotta salata, and greens. 

Fresh, wholesome, delicious, local food prepared to order, a view of the street, and cool tunes in the background. What's not to love? For some, perhaps that they accept checks and cash only, but don't let that stop you. They are, after all, across the street from a bank with an ATM. 

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

Check, please: $

86 This!

2 State Street,
Ellsworth, Maine, 04605

(207) 610-1777

The Fiddlehead Restaurant

Fiddleheads the food, I love, but friends told me I should try The Fiddlehead Restaurant, in Bangor, and you'll be pleased to know, oh certain friends from Penobscot, that I finally made it in yesterday, and was very pleased to have done so. Let me tell you about it.

First, the courtyard entrance is actually up the street from the storefront, so don't pull on the door right at the restaurant. After entering the courtyard, you take a left and a right and a left, then go down the stairs to the hosting station. I arrived at about 4:45 thinking I'd  have no trouble finding a seat--this isn't Manhattan, right--and I did, the last seat at the bar. I could have had a table, but I prefer to sit at the bar.

The menu is arranged in "firsts," "seconds," and "thirds," directing the diner from appetizer to salad to entree. Though the salads looked wonderful, I decided to try two firsts and a third instead.

I started with "lobster fritters with fresh corn and sweet onion and red pepper jam. First, the "jam." Though it looked like sweet chili sauce, the kind you buy in big bottles, which I love, and which makes everything taste better, this was not from a bottle. It was similar in style, but prepared with fresh green onion that made the flavor pop. The fritters were crisp, like tempura, and the smell of the onions reminded me of beer battered onion rings. They were two, fairly large fritters, so I had to cut them into three or four pieces. The one or two pieces that didn't have any lobster were very tasty and would be a hit by themselves, and those with the lobster claw meat were even more delicious. There was some body meat in one of the fritters, though, and it wasn't as tender as the claw meat.

The pan-seared salmon
on cauliflower flan.

The "tuna tartare with sesame wonton crisps," with its chunks of tuna, red onion, and citrus lacked the visual appeal of the fritters, but was perfectly balanced. The tender, fatty texture of the tuna contrasted the delicate wonton crisps wonderfully, creating what I told the bartender was "compulsive eating." Do you know how once in a while, when you go to a potluck dinner, someone brings something so delicious that you keep coming back for more? If somebody brought a bowl of this to a potluck, I wouldn't leave its side. It was amazing.

Though I usually don't eat fish at every course, for my "third," the pan-seared, dill pollen dusted salmon with Nicoise olives, capers, and garlic on top of roasted cauliflower flan was impossible to resist. A large piece of salmon (it looks small in the photo, but must have been 8 ounces) was pan seared to medium rare, the way the chef prefers it. The warm crust, tender, moist fish, capers, olives, and garlic were a rich and complex mouthful delicious by themselves, but the real star of the dish was the roasted cauliflower flan. The earthy sweetness of the cauliflower and the buttery goodness of the eggs with a brown bottom crust were an epiphany, truly an eye opener. When the fish, the flan, and the flavors were all in one bite, the tastes and textures melded fabulously, but were still distinguishable from the other, and they went very well with the glass of Muscadet recommended by the bartender.

And I waddled out of the restaurant.

In short, for very good food in a lively environment with attentive service, try the Fiddlehead Restaurant.

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

Check, please: $$SS

The Fiddlehead Restaurant

84 Hammond Street,
Bangor, Maine, 04401

(207) 942-3336

4 Points BBQ & Blues House

So, what do you think when you hear Texas, Carolina, Kansas City, Memphis, and Maine XXX? I think BBQ sauce. Now, I've been to this fine establishment several times, and knew that on a rainy, cold, September day that some smoked meat would hit the spot, so I left work and took a 40-minute detour along the beautiful Penobscot River to the 4Points BBQ & Blues House.

For those of you who haven't visited, 4Points has been in an old, red brick home on South Main Street in Winterport since 2011, and every day they smoke what they smoke, and they sell it till it's gone. Inside that brick building are several picnic tables surrounded by red and white walls covered with framed pictures and posters of blues musicians and witty sayings, like "appalling vegans across New England."

The waitress whom I remember from at least one other visit is a real pistol with a sharp sense of humor and an Oklahoma accent both of which leave humble Mainer's like me smiling. Busy as she might be, she is very attentive, "Hun," and could be heard shouting out from the kitchen to regular customers. The menu includes several choices of meats including Andouille sausage, pulled pork, ribs, brisket, smoked turkey, and if you're lucky, the burnt ends of the brisket. They keep the sides simple and traditional with just BBQ beans, cole slaw, potato salad, and potato chips. Of course there's cornbread (or a bulky roll) with every meal. To drink, they have soft drinks, quite a few draft and bottle beers, and wine.

This night, I hemmed and hawed, and thought about getting the sausage and turkey, but as you can see in the picture, finally decided to order the ribs + 1 meat meal, in my case, brisket, with a Belgian white ale to wash it down. Now, before you grumble about why I got a white ale, let me explain myself. Next to food like this, lager is practically water, and if you like water, well, get yourself a glass. Anything dark and moody might be good by itself, but too much malt or hops would just clash with the smoked meat and sauces. The white ale was perfect with it's light citrus taste to cut the fat and a bit of body to stand up to the meat without competing flavors. And if you're still wondering, just ask the guy who sat down next to me as I was about to leave and took my advice, much to his delight, to order an Allagash White to go with his dinner.

First, the brisket: tonight most of it was tender, juicy, and almost impossible to keep on the fork, with a nice dry rub crust. In short, perfect, but there were one or two thicker slices that were on the dry side. The ribs were delicious, but just short of the fall-off-the-bone perfection I look for but rarely find aside from when I cook ribs on my own. 4Points serves their meats with the five different sauces I mentioned in the opening. The Memphis sauce is thick, sweet, and smoky, and is a deluxe version of what most people around here think of when they think BBQ sauce. The Kansas City sauce isn't as sweet as the Memphis, and has tang on the nose that doesn't make it to the tongue. The Carolina sauce has a mustard base as you'd expect, but not the gritty mustard taste that I've seen in some. The Texas sauce is more fluid, and made me think of liquid dry rub, a contradiction, of course, and the Maine XXX is the sweetest sauce of them all with a kick of heat and what tasted like apple sweetness to me, but that could have been some cider vinegar.

While the cornbread, NOT the sweet kind, wasn't as light and fluffy as I would have liked, the BBQ beans were wet, sweet, and smoky with bits of smoked meat in them. The slaw as fresh, crisp, and on the sweeter side with celery seed just like I like it.

While BBQ is all the rage in these parts--I can think of seven places to get it within an hours drive--4Points does it better than most. Now that most of our summer guests have left, you probably don't have to worry about them running out of what you need, but on the weekends, I'd recommend working up an appetite and going in the middle of the afternoon just in case. Now, as you may have noticed, the last part of their name is "Blues House," and while I haven't been to any of their shows, they do have an events calendar of regular shows of mostly blues and R&B including a few local bands, but also including some Grammy winning musicians. Definitely worth a listen.

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

Check, please: $$

4Points BBQ & Blues House

145 S. Main Street,
Winterport, Maine, 04496

(207) 223-9929

Moe's Original Bar-B-Que

Normally I wouldn't review a franchise restaurant, but I've been going to this place weekly for the last month or more, and it deserves mentioning. Besides, I think there are only two or three dozen restaurants in the entire chain in the country, so it hardly belongs in the same category as those fast-food joints with thousands of locations.

Since a coworker recommended it, I've stopped by Moe's every Tuesday or Wednesday on my way home for work to pick up some supper. The location itself, in a building that had housed at least two restaurants that I recall, is unimpressive, but what they do inside makes it will worth exploring. The restaurant features platters with cornbread and sides, sandwiches, or just lots of meat. Until today's visit, I'd had the pulled pork sandwich, the fried catfish sandwich, ribs, smoked turkey, smoked chicken wings, pickles, slaw, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, sweet potato casserole, fried okra, and, well, I didn't make a list, so there may have been others, but I only recently decided to visit again, try a few new dishes, and write a properly descriptive review so other folks will know if it's for them. Here it is.

Fried catfish platter at Moe's in Bangor

Tonight, with great anticipation, I ordered a fried catfish platter, with which I chose to have hush puppies, collard greens, country-style white beans, and a drink, all for $11 and change. I was stuffed by the end of the meal.

The catfish came in small chunks and pieces, and it was juicy and tender in its pepper and spice cornmeal batter. The coat was crispy and did not flake off the fish at all. The hush puppies had a good onion and pepper flavor up front with a sweet corn aftertaste. They were moist on the inside. The outside is harder to describe. They held together very well--you could split one right in half--but the texture of the golden brown edges was firm and crummy like a shortbread might be. Though both of these were deep fried, they were not greasy in the least.

The collard greens were tender, but not mushy, and had a slight vinegar tang to them. They was just a bit of pork in them, enough for a touch of flavor, but not enough to make them taste fatty. Some traditional soul food lovers might see this as a drawback, but I think it's a plus. The white beans were smooth, tender, creamy, and naturally sweet with a few small chunks of ham. Delish.

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

Check, please: $

Moe's Original Bar-B-Que

650 Broadway,

Bangor, Maine, 04401

(207) 992-9000

Japanese-Style Pickles and Roasted Beets and Carrots

Who can resist going out into the garden, picking fresh vegetables, and coming inside to create something delicious for the days ahead? Nobody I know. Today, I picked a few Asian cucumbers and knew just what to do with them. The same irresistible thing I did last week!

First, I sliced the cucumbers on the thick side (1/4 inch?), but you can slice them paper thin if you want. Use a mandoline if you're looking for a more elegant slice and presentation. I tossed them in a glass bowl with half a teaspoon of salt, covered them, then put them in the fridge till the salt had extracted some of the juices and a touch of the bitterness that comes in a freshly picked cuke (about half an hour). While waiting, I toasted a tablespoon or two of sesame seeds, then let them cool. In a measuring cup, I put 2 tablespoons of sugar, about 1/3 cup of rice vinegar, and several shakes (maybe 1/3 tsp) from a bottle of Japanese citron juice, aka yuzu, in a bowl. When the cucumber slices had drained, I tossed it all together and put the pickles in back in the refrigerator. The sour-sweet of the vinegar yuzu and sugar is a really nice alternative to most of the sweet pickles you can buy off the shelf, and though salting these pickles softens them up a bit, they are still crisper than most of what you can buy. They are best eaten after sitting overnight, and definitely should not sit more than a day or two.

I also came back into the kitchen with about a dozen small beets and the greens, and a fat carrot. After I washed them all, I sliced the carrot about 1/4-inch thick, peeled, then cut the beets in half (about 1/2-inch thick, they cook faster), and tossed them in a ceramic baking dish with some salt (I used truffle salt this time) and a drizzle of olive oil to coat. I covered them with foil and put them in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes. While waiting, I mixed about 1/3 cup of toasted sunflower seeds with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of good balsamic vinegar, a few twists of fresh pepper, and some minced garlic. When the 30 minutes was up, I took the foil off and left them in for about 10 more minutes to brown up a bit. If they don't caramelize enough, turn the broiler on for three or four minutes.Once they look perfect, add the sunflower mixture, and either serve them right away, or put them back in the turned-off oven to keep them warm and to dry them up a bit more if need be. You could also serve this cold with some crumbled feta if you'd like. Mmm, and it would be delicious in a pot pie with some chicken-apple sausage. Hmm... it's that time of year!