We checked out and drove to downtown Bar Harbor and parked next t Cottage Street and walked a block to the Trailhead Coffee Shop. We had bought a cup of coffee there three days ago and had noticed that they make a mean bowl of oatmeal with fresh Maine blueberries cooked into the oatmeal. Today we ordered a bowl each with a locally made dark rich tasting maple syrup. We poured maple syrup and half and half on the oatmeal and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast until 9:30, when we walked the two blocks to the wharf to take the lobster boat excursion on the LuLu Lobster Boat. There were about 18 hardy souls who showed up for the 10:00 excursion. The Tour guide was a young lady who was obviously a local and knew everything about lobstering and explained everything about it during the two hour tour.
The boat went out of the harbor and around an island on which a lighthouse was located where we saw harbor seals and grey seals and a full grown and immature bald eagle. We then motored back toward the breakwater seawall where the LuLu’s traps are kept. Three traps were pulled using a hook on a long stick to get the rope holding the trap onto a winch that pulled the trap up to the boat, where the captain, removed the lobsters, re-baited the trap with salted mackerel, and reset the trap on the bottom. Four or five lobsters were caught and released after showing everyone on the boat the difference between male and female and soft-shell and hardshell lobsters. We loved the informative
tour.
When we returned to the dock we returned to our car and drove up the coast to Gouldsboro to the Bartlett Winery and Distillery. We discovered Bartlett Distillery last night as I perused the after dinner drink list at Havana Restaurant. I saw a spirit I had never seen before, Apple Eau d’ Vie. I asked for a taste and was brought a thimble of Bartlett’s Apple Eau D’ Vie. So today we decided to drive to the Distillery. When we arrived we were surprised to find that Bartlett was Maine’s first winery and that it had won a slew of awards for its fruit wines and spirits. We were met by a charming, intelligent lady in the tasting room, who I assume shares the owner/winemaker duties with her husband. She very expertly led us through a tasting of seven of the drier wines and the three Spirits we wanted to taste. We bought a lightly oaked blueberry wine, two bottles of apple Eau d’ Vie and a bottle of rum (made by distilling molasses).
It was after 2:00 by the time we finished tasting at Bartlett’s and I had a telephonic conference call I had to make into a hearing in the Lower Rio Grande water adjudication at 3:00 so we asked where to get a good lunch nearby and were directed to the Pickled Winkle at 9 E Schoodic Dr, Birch Harbor, ME 04613, which is essentially a crossroad in a small rural town in the Maine woods next to a small bay.
We ordered three baskets, one of each being deep fried battered haddock bites, steamed clams, and calamari with homemade potato chips. The haddock and clams were served with tartar sauce and the calamari with aioli. I drank a pint of apple cider and Suzette drank a red ale selected from the extensive list of on-tap beers listed on a chalkboard.
We sat on the porch and ate while I listened to the hearing.
Suzette then drove the van for two hours south on US 1 to Camden while I made notes and participated in the hearing.
When the hearing ended we were less than ten minutes north of Camden, so we drove to Cissie and Rick’s house. After arriving, I watched Mad Money and rested and then we took naps until 7:15 when we dressed and went to dinner at Francine’s. I was not expecting much since on our way to the restaurant, Ryan told us that the building used to be his neighborhood bicycle shop, but when we walked in my eye immediately came to rest on the James Beard nomination certificate as nominee in 2015 and semi-finalist as best in the Northeast in 2016 plus a membership in Chaines de Rotisseries. The confrerie describes itself as follows: The Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs™ is the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world. Our society is vintage, but our events are cutting edge! The chapter in the United States is now in its 56th year with about 6,000 gourmands, gourmets, gastronomes, chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, oenologists, winery owners, sommeliers, food and wine educators, and others interested in the finest of dining and life experiences and enjoying the
camaraderie of friends at dinners and events. The tradition of the royal guild of goose roasters of 1248 was revived in Paris in 1950, and we now carry on those traditions.
So Chef Brian Hill is a yeoman chef, well recognized for his accumulated skills. Here is his history, in his words:
“Brian Hill is the owner and chef of the acclaimed Francine Bistro, a bustling culinary hot spot hidden away above the harbor in the small coastal village of Camden, ME. Chef Brian purchased the restaurant in September 2003, and expanded the dining room in 2007 from 25 seats to 44. The bistro features an innovative daily menu consisting of appetizers, salads, and entrees, created almost entirely from local organic, meat, fish, vegetables and cheeses. The breads, desserts, and even the ice cream are all made from scratch.
Brian credits his appreciation for the organic farming industry to his upbringing on his family’s organic Maine vegetable and goat dairy farm. His first professional cooking job, as a bread baker, was with Todd English at the original Olives restaurant in Charlestown, Massachusetts, before moving to the main kitchen for additional training. Brian worked the brick ovens and stoves at Chef English’s ground breaking pizzeria, Figs. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles and cooked Euro-Californian cuisine at Rockenwagner in Santa Monica. From there, Hill was offered a sous chef position at the Mauna Lani hotel in Hawaii under former Rockenwagner chef, Trey Foshee. After a two and a half year stay in Hawaii, Hill took a position at Susan Spicer’s legendary Bayona in New Orleans. Soon after, Brian felt a longing for New England and eventually returned to Boston. He took a position as chef at two of Todd English’s restaurants. While in Boston, Hill also assisted chef Rene Michelena in opening Centro, a tiny rustic trattoria in Cambridge which drew rave reviews. He cooked barbeque at the Linwood Grill, was chef de cuisine at the elegant French bistro, Aquitane, and pulled a three month stint in Manhattan “indie kitchen” Patio Dining.”
Suzette and I coordinated our ordering. She ordered a grill Atlantic Halibut in a basil sauce and a lemon thyme Tonic, so I ordered corn chowder with fresh golden chanterelles and six raw Pemaquid oysters and a glass of Gruner Vitliner.
Rick ordered BBQ Pork Ribs, Cissie ordered fried calamari, and Ryan ordered the steak frites; pan roasted hanger steak, with garlicky horseradish potatoes and a cabrales cheese sauce.
My corn chowder was very interesting. Although there were kernels of corn, much of the corn was creamed and mixed with cream fraiche. There may have been a little essence of mushroom added giving the soup a woodsy hint. The fresh chanterelles were cut in strips and were exquisitely fresh. There was also a small pinch of greenery that I did not catch mixed into the mushroom garnish. Suzette’s Yarmouth Halibut was interesting also, charred and laid on a green basil cream sauce and garnished with fresh crab meat. It had a decidedly different texture than the West Coast Halibut. This east coast halibut was mushy without any discernible flake, whereas the west coast is a great steak fish with a hugely discernible flake. The basil cream did not have much flavor, rather an odd dish
I enjoyed my oysters perhaps because the dish was creative. Each oyster was garnished with a dollop of smoked trout mixed with cream cheese. An interesting combination after so much cocktail and mignonette sauce.
The meal was just okay from my perspective. I hope to return on a night when the menu includes more exciting dishes.
Having said that the food was light may be the point. I slept like a baby without waking once until 5:30 in the morning as it became light.
We went home and talked until 10:30.
Bon Appetit
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