Life is what Happens When you are making plans......

Several weeks ago I decided that it had been awhile since I shared with you something that I had eaten and enjoyed.  While contemplating a new blog, I wondered what I could share with you that would be exciting, new and different.  Because I am new to this blog and because I have been tied to a very busy work schedule, I felt as though I had hit a brick wall.  I decided that I would just gather up my precious husband and dinner companion and hit the road in search of a simple un-bloggable cheeseburger.  We also enlisted our dear friends Pete and Rhonda to go with us.  This was to be a non-bloggable visit to Ellsworth, until we saw the twinkling white lights of Simone's on Franklin Street. 

We wandered in,  unsuspecting of the creative genius held quietly behind warm wood, wine bottles and crisp linens.  I don't want to give you the wrong impression of my first impression....the immaculate upscale interior does not feel stuffy because the staff is warm and inviting and let us look at a menu before we committed to a table.  They answered questions without us feeling as though we were bothering them.  After polling the dinner mates they agreed that the menu had intrigued them.

We sat and were immediately treated to warm, fresh bread  while we decided on what we wanted for starters.  I choose an arugula and cherry tomato salad with fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and first press olive oil. It was simple but each ingredient was perfect, making a delicious salad.  Scott had fresh local mussels steamed in a garlic broth with a fresh slice of chewy sourdough bread.  He said the broth was delicious and the mussels cooked to perfection.  Rhonda had crab fondue served with dipping bread and we were all amazed at the portion!  We could have easily shared it between us all and been satisfied.  It was creamy and delicious.  Pete enjoyed his starter of carpaccio of beef salad.  It was served with an amazing mustard sauce and crisp greens. 

Arugula & Cherry Tomato Salad

Carpaccio of Beef Salad

Maine Crab Fondue

We really had a hard time deciding what to have for our main course.  The menu is amazing and filled with beautifully composed dishes.  We pondered for quite awhile over a glass of wine and decided that Scott and I would order Cioppino, a fish stew that is traditionally made from what is fresh that day.  Ours included clams, scallops, calamari , lobster and halibut served in a savory tomato-saffron broth.  It was served with a bit of bread so we could soak up every drop!  It was delicious.  Rhonda ordered Veal Osso Bucco with risotto Milanese and a gremolata.  The veal was rich and earthy against the creamy risotto.  The gremolata was a wonderful bright note to the dish because it contained lemon.  It was very well balanced, although traditionally tomato based osso bucco is served with polenta.  Rhonda didn't mind a bit!  Pete ordered the coffee rubbed lamb loin with crispy pancetta, sun dried tomato sauce and potato puree.  It too was well composed and delicious. 

North Coast Cioppino

Veal Osso Bucco

Coffee Rubbed Lamb Loin

The evening was ended with heavenly desserts. Rhonda had a beautiful lemon tart, Scott and Pete had a white chocolate cheesecake and I had a glass of wine! (No surprise to my friends!) I had a sneaking suspicion that these gorgeous desserts were commercially made, not because they were not delicious but because the texture and appearance were flawless.I asked our server, who by the way was very attentive and open to all our questions, to produce the chef.  We wanted to commend him for giving us such a wonderful evening in food.  When he arrived at our table he was immaculately dressed in a crisp white chef's coat and explained to us that all of his food was created to order and that the desserts were the work of an in- house pastry chef.  He was very gracious and invited us to come back again and gave us his dinner  and lunch menus.

Lemon Tart

White Chocolate Cheesecake

This was an amazing gastronomic experience heightened by the company of friends.  You never know where you may end up, even if you planned to have a simple cheeseburger!

Simone's is located at 59 Franklin Street in Ellsworth Maine.  Dinner with drinks, starters, main course and dessert run approximately $50.00 per person.  You can reach them for more info at (207) 667-1007

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/207/1553935/restaurant/Maine/Simones-at-59-Franklin-Street-Ellsworth%22%3E%3Cimg alt="Simone's at 59 Franklin Street on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1553935/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>

Have pride.....pretend you are serving the Queen

I think that my friends think I am a food snob because they comment on my "fancy" cheese that I hand grate instead of "shaker" cheese , they apologize for their food, they stare in bewilderment when I speak of smoked mozzarella., tabouleh and couscous.  They find it suspicious when I pluck fresh basil from my deck for our Friday night pizza.  Let me clarify from my perspective.  I am a foodie, a novice cook that is adventurous and daring.  I look at traditional recipes and immediately see new versions of old standards.  I have a crazy passion for spices and worldly ingredients and I watch "Chopped" on Food Network and totally "get" the ingredients given in the baskets and I cannot explain this phenomenon.

I ate spaghettios and ravioli out of the can like the rest of you, plus I have a soft spot for McDonald's cheeseburgers: I know, I know ; none of this makes sense!

Today I made my co-workers ashamed of me......we were delivered a Caprese salad from a local vendor and I  was pleased that this vendor has embraced a fresh option because I love fresh , local food;  my co-workers  raved and handed me the tray, I reached out to see pale, lackluster, mealy tomatoes, and I panicked! Why would you present a promise of luscious, juicy tomato pleasure with a pale, dry tomato? I am reduced to being a snob because  I  appreciate the effort to make the dish, but chose not to enjoy it. We have been seeking the very best of everything for our meals, because mediocre is available everywhere! I guess the moral of this story is; have pride in your food...trim off the brown ends, pretend you were serving someone that was important to you and pick your ingredients with pride.  Prepare your ingredients with passion and eat with that same passion.....eat nothing that is worthy of your palate.....

Date night In Ellsworth

I have to tell you that dining out is complex for me.....it isn't just the food that makes me want to visit a specific restaurant...it also is several other components involved.  Personally,  atmosphere is very important.  I love a warm inviting environment and I love to be greeted and served as though the server has a vested interest in the business.  Let me tell you about a recent dining experience we had at the newest addition to the food scene in Ellsworth Maine.  The restaurant is named Shinbashi,  an Asian restaurant that serves Japanese, Chinese, some Thai and sushi.

Scott and I were sharing our weekly date night with our friends Rhonda and Pete when we decided to visit the restaurant that is located across from LL Bean in the former Blockbuster video building.  We went with absolutely no idea what we were getting into except we were really excited to have sushi.  When entering the restaurant, we were greeted with an immaculate foyer decorated in natural bamboo.  It was simple, cool and elegant and opened up into a slick restaurant with a blend of textures that was very pleasing to the eye including a shining silver wall, a textured cement wall with floral adornments and a gorgeous bamboo floor.  We had many seating options but chose a comfortable table in front of the icy cool sushi bar.

We were greeted by smiling faces and given a huge menu and an offer of drinks right away.  We perused the vast menu options and decided what we wanted to experience.  Rhonda ordered Peking Duck with an order of escargot.  Peter chose Mongolian Beef, Scott ordered a Jade roll and I the Dragon roll with a cool salad.  Because the Peking duck is labor intensive, we waited a fair amount of time, but had a great time laughing, discussing the movie we had just watched all the while being offered drinks and updates on our meal.

Crispy Peking Duck

Escargot

Jade & Dragon Rolls

When the meal came we were blown away by the presentation of our plates....the pride of the chef was evident.  I had a small bite of Rhonda's Crispy Peking Duck and I must tell you that it was the most delicious, unctuous piece of duck I have ever eaten.  The dish was garnished by cool daikon radish that was prepared to look like cellophane noodles. Her escargot was the center of attention because Scott and I had not ever tried it...we each open minded and nervous, plucked one from its shell and was treated to a soft buttery surprise...these are delicious!  Not at all chewy and unyielding like I had made up in my minds eye!  Pete reported that his Mongolian Beef was spiced perfectly and was tender and saucy.  My Jade roll was dressed in a ginger garlic sauce and had crab , avocado and eel...I know this may sound scary and unapproachable to some of you but I promise it is a delicious and clean meal.  My salad was icy cold and dressed in a very simple house dressing.  Scott's Jade Roll was topped in a gorgeous salmon roe, and featured yellow tail , jalapeno and avocado.  What a delicious meal in a gorgeous environment.

It is clear that these restaurants owners want you to feel welcome, comfortable and happy.  We look forward to another visit.  We hope you will visit there also.  They have something for everyone!
All said and done our bill (Scott and I) was $50.00 which included beer and wine...the link below features their menu and prices!
http://www.myshinbashi.com/

Insiders Guacamole Recipe that is fresh, healthy and light!

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I always try to eat light.......fresh and local is my mantra......recently Scott and I were watching the Cooking Channel and ran across a chef that really spoke to our philosophy!  She did a lighter version of guacamole......something our family eats at least 3 times a week.....either as a dip or topping to breakfast, lunch or dinner entrees......I took this recipe to work last week and all my gal pals agreed......it is delicious! (and some of them hate some of the ingredients!)  I wanted to post this link for all of you so you can enjoy it without guilt......can you do me a favor?  If you make it and like it let me know!  Here is the link http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/lisa-lillien/holy-moly-guacamole-recipe/index.html

Please pair this with a Maine made chip.....found at our local Hannaford! http://www.montecitoroadhouse.com/       delicious!

Enjoy this recipe....it is 1/3rd the calories of traditional guacamole..........Sending you all love and blessings!

Travelling way Downeast to Lubec for the evening

Last Friday evening, Scott and I were lucky to have some hilarious dinner partners in Rhonda and Peter Taylor.  They kept us in stitches all the way to Lubec, a 20 minute ride from our home.  We had decided that we would eat at Cohill's, only because we didn't find a lot of information online about any other places in the town.  We arrived on the waterfront and were amazed at the amount of cars and people mulling around...this was not the Lubec I visited as a child......it felt like a miniature Bar Harbor!

We walked in and were greeted warmly and were told that the menu was posted on the blackboard and we could sit anywhere we wanted.  We had hoped to sit on the deck upstairs because there was live music playing, but it was full.  We sat in a corner table facing the beautiful marina, where boats bobbed around and people gathered watching.

We were asked for our drink selections.....the guys ordered Smithwick's Irish Ale and a pint of Guinness, while Rhonda ordered an Irish Shandy with is a beer and lemonade concoction (which actually is refreshing! Not as awful as it sounded to me..)  while I had a glass of Merlot whose vineyard now escapes me!  We noshed on peanuts and discussed what we would have for dinner....after much discussion the guys each ordered a medium rare Angus burger, Rhonda, a lamb burger with tabbouleh salad, and I a grilled salmon salad.

The meal arrived incredibly fast and all agreed it was delicious.  The men agreed that their burgers were cooked perfectly to order.  Rhonda thought her lamb burger was very hot and tasty and she enjoyed the freshness of the tabbouleh salad...she had never had it before.   I explained to her that it was alot like a Mediterranean salsa.  My salmon portion was very generous...I could not begin to finish it but it was soft and warm and placed on a beautiful bed of mixed greens with tomatoes and cucumbers.  It was finished very lightly with a cool and creamy dressing.  We were offered a limited dessert menu but decided to decline and paid the bill.....each couple's bill was around $40.00, which included 3 drinks on each bill.  The atmosphere is friendly and familiar, the staff attentive and the prices very reasonable for the meal delivered.  We all agreed that we would come back soon!

Tonights offering celebrating National Chocolate Day!

Several weeks ago we helped celebrate a friends wedding out of town.  Scott and I were so excited that they had something at the bar for us......we really enjoy a good glass of wine.  During the celebration we also were offered something entirely different to us....Chocolate Wine!  We have found it to be very enjoyable if it is offered up in a very small cordial glass and served out of the freezer.  I found this bottle of Chocolate wine , a blend of dutch process cocoa and Pinot Noir very delicious without being cloyingly sweet.  It is not something I would want alot of.  This bottle was purchased in the Columbia Supermarket for $9.99...perhaps it should be considered a dessert instead of a cocktail!

Vasquez Mexican Food Cart - Milbridge Maine

This afternoon Scott and I decided to take a drive, which is not unusual for us on beautiful sunny days.  We travelled Route 1 to Milbridge to try the Vasquez families food cart which can be found at the end of High Street in Milbridge.  We were met with a brightly painted camper adorned with handwritten menuboards.  When we arrived the three picnic tables were full and several other patrons were waiting for their food.  I must admit the aesthetics were a tad offputting but the aroma was to die for!  Scott ordered a chicken burrito and I ordered a chicken quesadilla supreme which included sour cream.  We waited just a few minutes and then were called to pick up our selections.  We hurried back to our picnic table and dressed our food with two sauces that were on the picnic tables, a salsa verde with a bit of warmth and a red sauce that packed quite a punch after it romanced you with a warm spice like cumin.  It appears that the tortillas were handmade because they were a little heaftier than we had had in commercial tortillas.  After the first fresh cilantro infused bite we smiled at one another.......we spent less than $12.00 including 2 waters and had an amazing lunch!  Don't let location and looks fool you...this place is a treasure!