Restaurant Review- Fajita Grill or Food that Makes Me Nostalgic

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Tom here, posting in the blog about something or another.   As the people who are around me can attest,  I'm rather homesick.  Its something that I've come to accept will likely never change, so I in turn have taken to seeking out ways to take that edge off. One of them is food. Good food at that.  I keep saying I'm going to throw some recipes up here, but that's for the future. Right now, lets talk food, and nostalgia.

For those of you who are unaware I'm a Midwestern boy. I'm sure this revelation will come with more then a bit of mocking, and jokes; however, the joke is on everyone else.  I'd tell you, but then it would ruin it for us. I digress however.

The food nostalgia moment came when we decided to get Mexican food.  Mexican food in Maine is by and large either Taco Bell or frozen overcharged microwave burritos. Back home, in Kansas City there's is a plethora of real Hispanic restaurants.  In a city with a population of 463,202 people, 10% of them are of Hispanic descent.  What can I say, Mexican restaurants are right up there with BBQ and fried chicken joints.  They are everywhere, it's as close to authentic as you are going to get without heading south.  I've missed it, a lot.

We happened upon an authentic Mexican restaurant in Lewiston, called the Hacienda del Patron. It met everything that I had missed about food from home, and provided speedy, efficient service. When it closed down for inexplicable reasons, I was disheartened, and we thought it was back to microwave burritos and Taco Bell until vacation time came about. Then, one day, the rumor mill at work started, as it turns out, Hacienda del Patron was a branch of a Mexican restaurant in Westbrook, the Fajita Grill, which, thankfully, remains open.

 Now I good go into long descriptors about how this was your typical hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, complete with Mexican decorations on the wall and beer pennants across the ceiling. I could tell you about how before we even received menus, the standard bowl of chips and salsa was placed on our table. I could help you understand the creaminess of the cheese enchiladas or the crispiness of their tacos. Instead, I will describe for you my love affair with chile relleno. In a nutshell, this concoction is a poblano pepper, filled with cheese, dipped in batter, and deep fried. Like a giant jalapeno popper. The subtle heat from the pepper spread to everything on my plate, providing a delectable level of warmth. The pepper was cooked perfectly, just long enough to make it soft and non-offensive, but lightly enough that it did not lose its texture and become mush. It was a combination of creaminess from the cheese, chewiness from the pepper, and a crisp crunch from the coating. I asked my wife, who devoured her chicken burrito, cheese enchilada, and chalupa, if her cheese tasted spicey, to which she responded "no." I offered her a bite of my cheese enchilada, and she even noticed the "slight kick" to it.

All in all the food was fantastic. So good in fact, that combined with pricing, we decided to continue our adventure to the one dish that is 100% hit or miss, in every Mexican restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life, the tamale. I couldn't find anything negative to say about the tamale if I wanted to, it was perfect. Except, maybe, for the ground beef garnish. That was a bit different than usual.

All in all, if you find yourself in the area, and you are craving Mexican, and you don't want to deal with the shenanigans of trying to park in Portland's Old Port, head on down to Main Street in Westbrook. As far as the pricing goes, you are looking at between $7-$8/plate for a combination of three different items. Their menu is included on their website. 

Restaurant Review- The Loft Portland's Burger House

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After a more than stressful doctor's appointment, Tom decided to take me out for lunch. Neither of us had eaten yet and we definitely needed some downtime to process everything. We decided to try The Loft, which is a restaurant that specializes in burgers right around the corner from our apartment. Tom and I may consider ourselves foodies, but we also cannot turn down a good burger.

From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, we knew we were in the right place. The decor is based off of dark woods and exposed beams, almost barnlike, but polished. Definitely the kind of place you want to go to grab a burger, or a beer, or hang with a group of friends and play trivia.

The service was excellent. Within minutes of walking through the door we were seated with menus and our drink order was taken. They serve Pepsi products as well, which is definitely a plus in my book. Everything was going smoothly until we looked at the menu, and our choice of thirty, yes thirty, 3-0 different burgers, all of which sounded absolutely amazing. It was almost daunting to choose one. Oh and if burgers are not your cup of tea, you can have any of their burgers made up with ground turkey or chicken breast. After much thought and consideration, I ordered the Apple Bacon Burger and Tom chose the Aloha Burger, only he swapped the swiss cheese out for cheddar. That's another thing, they are more than willing to customize any of their burgers, more points. We each ordered sweet potatoes fries as a side, after our wait staff highly recommended them.

The buns are very obviously handmade, not the fluffy mass produced buns you get at most restaurants. The burger itself was perfectly cooked and juicy. Tom absolutely loved his Aloha burger, I wanted to try a bite of it, but it was long gone before I had a chance to ask. My Apple Bacon Burger was divine. I love apples, especially in savory applications. The sweet of the apple perfectly balanced the bacon and just created love. Tom was skeptical of fruit on a burger, but after a couple bites, he was convinced. As for the fries, I understand why the waitstaff recommended them, they were definitely made in house, perfectly cooked, and balanced sweet and salty.

Overall, we were highly impressed, and will be definitely be going back, so we can try some of the other burgers on their list. If you are in the Portland area and looking for a quick bite to eat in a nice relaxed atmosphere, give them a try. They are located right on Forest Avenue, across the street from Baxter Woods Park. The prices are in the low to moderate range, between $8.99 and $10.99 for a burger, but definitely worth it. Their menu, including all thirty burgers, is included on their website.

Restaurant Review- Ri Ra Irish Pub

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August is certainly the month for birthdays in this family. Tom's birthday is on the 9th, grampa's was on the 12th, and my birthday falls on the 14th. I turned 31 this year, and to celebrate the occasion, Tom offered to take me out to dinner anywhere I wanted to go. The Portland area has several hundred restaurants. Regardless, I did not even have to think about where I wanted to go. I chose Ri Ra Irish Pub in Portland's Old Port. Ri Ra has always been one of my favorite restaurants to visit. The downstairs is a traditional Irish pub, they have live entertainment practically every weekend and serve traditional pub fair. There are actually two bars downstairs, a main area where the band performs, and a smaller bar that is more intimate. I actually celebrated my 30th birthday there with a series of Irish car bombs. While the downstairs is definitely a great evening hang out, my favorite part of Ri Ra is actually the upstairs. First you pass through a whiskey room with couches and another bar, then you reach the restaurant, a moderately sized space with a wall of windows overlooking the ocean and a fireplace on the wall. The menu is made up of traditional Irish cuisine along with some Irish-American fusion dishes. Overall, the restaurant presents the perfect ambiance for an intimate dinner for two, or larger tables for a family gathering.

My birthday dinner started with a glass of reisling. These days I am only allowed an occasional glass of wine, so I make the most of it. Tom had a pint of beer. We ordered potato cakes as an appetizer, these are an absolute must have. Ri Ra has mastered the potato cake to the point of an art form. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly seasoned. They garnish the potato cakes with baby greens and balsamic vinegar, simple and elegant all at the same time. Tom's dinner happened to come with a salad as a starter, so I opted to have a cup of the potato and leek soup. Again, another must have when you visit Ri Ra. The soup has a nice thick consistency from the potatoes, perfect for dipping Irish soda bread into. For the main course, I had potato wrapped haddock with sauteed baby carrots and a lemon caper beurre blanc. The potatoes were nice and crispy while the haddock inside was moist and perfectly cooked. the lemon caper beurre blanc went right through the potato and pulled everything together. I would highly recommend this dish. The main course was followed by dessert. Tom's dinner included a slice of blueberry cheesecake, which I was more than happy to share; however, the server offered me a free dessert in celebration of my birthday. I chose the creme brulee, and I am very happy that I did. I love shattering the sugar top, and the underlying custard was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

If you are ever in the Portland area and you are looking for a nice place to share a meal, I strongly recommend Ri Ra. In addition to dinner, they serve a pretty amazing Sunday brunch as well. They are located right on the corner of Commercial Street and Franklin Street next to Casco Bay Lines. The prices are in the moderate range, and the menus are available on the web site.