Local Chef’s Guide to Portland, ME - Find. Eat. Drink.
Portland, Maine, ME, City Guide, Chef Erik Desjarlais, Where to eat, Where to drink, What to do, Rabelais Books, The Eastern Promenade, The Cheese Iron, Browne Trading Company, Browne Trading Co., Becky’s Diner, Portland Lobster Company, 158 Picket Street Cafe, Back Bay Grill, Bresca, 555, Nosh Kitchen Bar, Bar Lola, The Armory Lounge at The Regency, Rosie’s, Novare Res Bier Cafe
Bar Lola’s Stella and Guy Hernandez, are experts in the field of hospitality. They are former architects who have created a welcoming and comfortable dining hot-spot at the top of Munjoy Hill. Cooking and personality straight from the heart and soul. You simply have to go check them out.
They have an outdoor deck right on the water, freezing cold beers, and a lobster roll worthy of a James Beard award. A half lobster caught that day, on a toasted bun, brushed in butter (the way life should be), and mayo on the side.
LUNCH
158 Pickett Street Cafe (One Fifty Ate)
Take a short drive to South Portland and visit Josh Potocki at 158 Picket Street Cafe...bagels, cookies, muffins and coffee. The back door to the backyard dining area slams really loudly, but the cookies, hippies, and bagel sandwiches will make up for it.
BREAKFAST / LUNCH / SNACKS
Nothing could be finer than the vibe at Becky's Diner in the morning.... bump elbows with lobstermen, and restaurant workers who are trying to recover from a rough night. The coffee is always hot, and the eggs are cooked right.
LOCAL CHEF’S GUIDE TO PORTLAND, MAINE
September 2, 2010
BREAKFAST
Chef owner Larry Matthews Jr. took over the helm of this Portland landmark in 1997 and has maintained a consistent fan base with his simple, elegant approach to not reinventing the wheel. His Duck Two Ways, that involves a lavender thyme marinated breast and a crispy cake of confited leg, is a lesson in flavor composition and a deftness at controlling the often overused lavender.
DINNER
My wife, Krista Desjarlais (nee Kern) was cooking in Portland in the late 80’s. She left to cook in some of the best kitchens in the world: Le Cirque, Gotham, and Guy Savoy, just to name a few. She came full circle and opened Bresca in February 2007. With a cunning skill set and the most natural intuition for cooking, Krista Kern and Bresca were immediate hits. So much so, that she won me over with a simple 6-minute egg with pancetta, dark seeded toast and kombu butter… and won over the James Beard Foundation to include her as a semi-finalist for Best Chef Northeast last year.
Steve and Michelle Corry came from Napa Valley to Portland in 2002, wielding experience from Domaine Chandon and The French Laundry, respectively. 555 opened in July of 2003 and Steve was named Food and Wine Best New Chef 2007. Locals love their welcoming atmosphere, engaging service, and creative cuisine.
“Wrap free since 2010,” because owners Big Jay Loring and Matt Moran know better than to mess around with everyone’s favorite, the sandwich.
ABOUT THE CHEF
Erik Desjarlais, former chef / owner of Restaurant Evangeline in Portland, ME, is a chef’s chef. He bows to the alter of the pig, celebrates the stomach lining and brain of a cow, and pays homage to the great chefs who have come before him. His cooking combines classic French techniques with seasonal local ingredients and has earned him national recognition. GQ’s Alan Richman named Erik’s Mitra's Clabber-Fed Poularde and Poached Maine Lobster Tail as one of his ten favorite ethical dishes.
A CHEF’S GUIDE
We turned to Portland chef Erik Desjarlais to offer up a local’s guide to one of the best food towns in the country. When the local ingredients are lobsters, oysters, mussels, scallops, asparagus, blueberries, and fiddlehead ferns... chances are the food is going to be amazing.
