Cassoulet's Profile
Mid Coast Maine Musings - May 2012
Thanks for the heads-up about tapas night at In Good Company - we had a great meal. And the Sobrassada? AMAZING!
Recommendations for Somalian restaurants in Maine?
Thanks for the suggestions!
Unfortunately, it looks like Three One Cafe is closing at the end of the month.
With all the talk about Somalian people moving into the state, I would have thought there would be a lot more restaurants.
Recommendations for Somalian restaurants in Maine?
Somalian restaurants are rarely mentioned on the Northern New England boards, but I'm assuming there must be quite a few around. Does anyone have any recommendations for places in Maine?
Mid Coast Maine Musings - March 2012
What/where is ABC? You have me craving eclairs now.
I am beyond excited to hear about the new tapas bar. Thanks for the news!
First Maine Shrimp of the season
I'm wondering what the prices are from the roadside shrimp trucks around the state. I haven't seen any yet in my area, but I'll report when I do.
Where can I buy Kirsch in Maine?
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll check out Morse's since it's nearby (and always fun to visit), and if they don't have it I'll contact RSVP Discount Beverage (and thanks for including the number!).
Where can I buy Kirsch in Maine?
I've been looking for Kirsch (aka Kirschwasser), but they don't have it at either of the local supermarkets. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm hoping to find it in the midcoast area, but I'm willing to travel a bit to get some.
Black Forest Cake just isn't the same with substitutes.
The NEW Conte's in Rockland, Maine: Just like the old one
Thanks for the update - I loved your blog post.
I need to go and give the new place a shot.
French Macarons? Portland?
I think you're thinking of macaroons which are different from macarons - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron
I've been wondering the same thing - is there any place to by macarons in Maine?
What Is Missing in Mid Coast Maine
Good point. I don't know what's wrong with us for wanting something other than chowder. In the same vein, I think people from Boston should only eat at baked beaneries, inhabitants of Louisiana should eat nothing but jambalaya, and people from Appalachia should be happy with a diet of squirrel.
How will we bring in the tourists if we vary from our stereotypical diet???
What Is Missing in Mid Coast Maine
Excellent idea!
Hopefully if we wish really really hard we can make it happen.
shepherds pie rockport
It must depend on where you're sitting. I was seated in the front portion of the restaurant that same night - not next to the window, but not far - and I had no problem seeing. Of course the amazing lightning storm certainly helped to illuminate things!
I do wish something could be done about the noise. I had a hard time hearing what was being said by my fellow tablemates. Even with the noise, though, I plan on going back many times. What a great addition to Rockport!
shepherds pie rockport
Thanks for the reports - I had been wondering how the new place was. I'll definitely give it a try.
It's nice to have a bit more life in downtown Rockport.
Anthony Bourdain in Maine
I was born and raised in midcoast Maine, and I'd say the overall feel of the show was a pretty accurate take on Maine in the winter (there's a reason the tourists aren't flocking here in January). Just because it isn't entirely flattering, doesn't mean it isn't realistic.
Example: I started to take issue with the interstitial scene with the complaining heavily accented Mainer who clearly had a more pedestrian palate than the average Primo customer - that is, until I remembered my father saying almost the exact same thing. And, you know, that's one of the things that makes Maine great. Unlike many places, it still has a mix of people from a wide range of educational, socio-economic and gustatory levels.
Midcoast Asian Foods already closed!
I went by to get it for you after your request a week or two ago, but the notice has been taken down.
Perhaps someone had better sense than I and copied it down when they first saw it?
Best Pizza in the Camden/Rockland Area?
Order Snappy's Sicilian pizza with a feta cheese topping, and you just might change your mind. The thin crust with deliciously greasy garlic goodness is hard to beat, and feta adds just the right tang.
Midcoast Asian Foods already closed!
Really? I didn't think they'd even been there a year.
Haggis Heaven in Salem, NH
Great Scot! That sounds fabulous!
Guess I know where I'll be in September of 2012. Plenty of time to get the kids accustomed to hard alcohol by the time that rolls around (there's nothing as embarrassing as a fourth-grader who can't hold his liquor).
Midcoast Asian Foods already closed!
I'm afraid I have no more information than you, but I thought I'd chime in with my disappointment. I pulled up just the other day and was dismayed to see the sign on the door stating something along the lines of "due to hard times we've had to close our doors" along with an email address to contact them.
Mid-Coast Trip report
Thanks for the report. I'd been wondering about trying Brevetto, but now I think it's safe to cross it off my list.
Maine Resto Week March 1-10, 2010
Thanks for the notice - this is the first I've heard of it.
Asian Market & Take Out in Rockland
Mid Coast Asian Foods - apparently it opened several months ago, but I just found out about it. It's a teeny tiny hole-in-the wall sort of a place (usually a good sign in my book) with a couple tables and folding chairs for those who choose to eat in and a small room on the side with a limited amount of Asian groceries (rice, noodles, tins of curry paste, fish sauce, etc...). I'm told the market part is slowly growing, and they plan to add some homemade sauces and curries to the refrigerated section.
The prepared Thai food is reasonably priced, and the items we tried were delicious. The entrees were on the smallish side, so I recommend getting an appetizer if you're really hungry. I'm under the impression that it's pretty authentic, but I'm definitely not an authority - I'd love to hear some input from others on that.
It's a challenge to find the place - I failed in my first attempt and had to try again another day. It's on Leland Street, on the left side at the back of the building where Oh Bento used to be. If you stand in the Wasses parking lot with your back to route 1 you'll be looking right at it. There is no sign on the front of the building, just a little one on the side near their entrance.
Anyway, I'm thrilled to have found out about it. It's a great addition to the limited take-out options in the area, and it could also save me some trips to Portland for groceries.
The Dip Net
I think the new owners may have kept the name "Dip Net", but it's definitely not the same restaurant it once was.
Lobster Shacks mid coast Maine
Just a heads-up: I've been told that the chef at the Dip Net wasn't allowed to renew his lease due to the new owner of the Port Clyde General Store wanting to take it over. The new person running it will likely keep the same name, but it's questionable whether the food will be of the same caliber that it had been.
Port Clyde-Tenants Harbor
While I can't say that every meal I've had at the Dip Net was amazing, the one I had there last weekend certainly was.
mmmmm.....I'm hungry just thinking about it....
Reds and Sarah's in Wiscasset, Maine
I've been to Sarah's numerous times, and I have to say that the food has underwhelmed me. I really wanted to like it - the atmosphere is nice, the menu is fun, and the portions are huge. But the flavor? There wasn't any. None. I had to add a ton of salt just to taste SOMETHING each time I went there.
need a Foodie vacation spot in N.E.
Wow, that's pretty harsh.
He clearly likes Maine, otherwise he wouldn't have vacationed here so many times. I'd take a friendly-enough-sounding visitor like ScubaSteve over a nasty sarcastic local any day (or at least I would this early in the season - ask me again around Labor Day).
need a Foodie vacation spot in N.E.
There are a lot of great dining options in the Rockland/Camden area, and it has that rural-yet-foodie setting that it sounds like you want. The only place in the area that I can think of that meets your hotel needs would be The Samoset.
You might want to rethink your anti-b&b-breakfast stance, though, as I've never been particularly impressed with the breakfast options in the area [Cassoulet ducks to avoid a coffee cup flung by the Rockland Cafe fans]. Maybe just save your appetite for the amazing lunches and dinners the area offers.
Amalfi in Rockland
We decided to take a chance, and I'm sorry to say that I was kind of underwhelmed. I had heard such great things about them in their previous location that my expectations were pretty high, and my meal was just ok. It wasn't bad, by any means, it just wasn't anything special. The crab-cakes tasted good but were soggy and my Amalfi Fish Stew didn't have a lot of flavor.
The ambiance didn't do much for me either - not much personality. I'd describe the look as Marriott-chic. My opinion probably wasn't helped by the fact that we were seated at opposite ends of a long skinny table in what felt like a corridor, despite having made reservations the day before.
In Amalfi's defense, it was extremely busy and they have recently multiplied in size. It's very possible that it was just an off night and the food will go back to being as good as what the chowhounds had been raving about.
Amalfi in Rockland
Has anyone eaten at Amalfi since they moved? Our anniversary is coming up and I was wondering if that might be a good place to go for dinner.
