The story of the SS Wandby is well known by locals in the Kennebunks. In 1921 the British steamship came ashore in a thick fog and wrecked just east of Walker’s Point, home to the Bush family compound. After it was determined the 334-foot ship couldn’t be towed off the rocks, another ship was sent from England to fetch the crew. According to records published by the Kennebunkport Historical Society, the sailors were taken in by locals and shown a good time: barbecues on the beach, dancing, clam digging, and even a trip to Portland.

Matt Dyer, whose new restaurant Wandby Landing is located on Western Avenue, some half a mile from the shipwreck site, says “that was the start of hospitality [in the Kennebunks].” He named his restaurant after the generosity the locals showed to the Wandby crew and aims to “show people what [we] love about Kennebunk—it’s very important to us to be a part of the community.” And Wandby Landing, which opened last July, has quickly become a hit with the locals of the seasonal community.

Wandby Landing serves an Italian-influenced menu and sits on a three-acre parcel adjacent to a skinny tributary of the Kennebunk River. The property was home to On the Marsh Bistro for 20 years, which closed after the owner decided to retire during the pandemic shutdown. Matt and his wife, Mariah, both longtime Kennebunkport and Portland hospitality professionals, bought the property and renovated its nineteenth-century farmhouse. The remodeling, which transformed the first floor, included removing some walls and adding a large, 22-seat bar and wine room.

The bar has become a favorite for locals as a place to chat with friends and enjoy a specialty cocktail or a glass of wine from an extensive collection curated by Matt. The couple previously worked at Batson River Brewing and Distilling’s Kennebunk location, Matt as a cofounder and Mariah as the front-of-house manager, and the two have used their industry knowledge to create an intriguing but approachable bar program. Matt tells me that the bar has become such a hotspot that the homeowners of the adjoining neighborhood have cut a path through the woods to the back of Wandby Landing’s property for easy access.

Beyond the bar, chef Michael Bergin’s menu of appealing small plates, handmade pastas, and charcoal-grilled meats is equally responsible for the restaurant’s draw. Bergin, who moved to Maine from Boston with his family in August 2020, worked for years at several fine dining French and Italian restaurants in Boston and New York City. Once in Maine, he took a job with Big Tree Hospitality, working at Honey Paw in Portland and at the restaurant group’s Biddeford commissary kitchen.

During my visit to Wandby Landing, I am seated at a large, cozy table flanked by a tall leather banquette in the restaurant’s quiet second-floor dining room. I begin my meal with fried calamari rings mixed with pickled peppers and piled in a bowl of tangy, thick pomodoro sauce. I also enjoy the miniature Mangalitsa pork ribs, a special of the evening, sourced from Gunnycreek Farms in nearby Arundel. The fatty ribs come shellacked with a smoky, sweet serrano glaze and sprinkled with fried shallots, fresh mint leaves, and scallions.

The kale and frisée salad acts as a nice palate cleanser between courses, with thick slices of pear and salty cheese that offset the bitter edge of the greens. The walnut vinaigrette delivers a pleasantly astringent finish to each bite. Next comes a round of pasta, thoughtfully offered in half and whole portions. The tortelloni en brodo is the standout. Bergin later tells me it’s a dish that he sees as an extension of himself, its intricate preparation embodying his appreciation for from-scratch cooking. “I’m not a flashy dude,” he says. “I really believe I was born in the wrong decade. I’m like a 70-year-old man in a 39-year-old’s body.” The mortadella-filled tortelloni come floating in a rich broth that takes seven days to make, each day bringing another round of clarifying and the addition of more roasted poultry bones. The result is swoon-worthy, delivering a depth of flavor that keeps me spooning up the broth long after the tortelloni are gone.

While entrees are served à la carte at Wandby Landing, each dish contains enough complementary elements to stand alone. The pork coppa, a cut of the shoulder roast, is a tender slab of meat slow-cooked in pork fat then grilled and finished with a reduced sauce made of apple cider, soy sauce, and fish sauce. The pile of thinly sliced fennel and apples topping it cuts through the dish’s rich sweetness. My husband’s grilled swordfish is unbelievably tender and rests in a pool of buttery caper-filled pan sauce with tender pieces of artichokes.

After one last course of a delicate panna cotta topped with blueberry compote and tender squares of lemon poppyseed cake, my dinner companions and I step out into the cool evening air and are met by the sounds of peepers coming from the nearby marsh. We’re a short distance from the hustle and bustle of Kennebunkport but feel a world apart. After being shown the gracious hospitality of Wandby Landing, I momentarily wish I was a shipwrecked sailor, stepping through a wooded path back to the warm home of my host family for the night.

Read More:

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  Maine’s Most Popular New Restaurant is a Locavore’s Delight

The post Smooth Sailing at Wandby Landing appeared first on The Maine Mag.

In the fall of 2022, I developed a stomach ulcer. It started out as an innocent stomachache that turned into debilitating pain after eating seemingly anything. I don’t have a particularly overindulgent diet, but at the time I was drinking alcohol every day—something many of us in the alcohol industry can relate to. It wasn’t too much, never more than a glass or a cocktail a night, but it was every night. I didn’t think anything of it. In my twenties, I could really hold my weight. Working in a bar five nights a week, I was drinking much more than the daily glass.

I went to the emergency room, and after the diagnosis, they put me on a special diet. No fat, heavy salt, spicy heat, acids, coffee, or alcohol for at least thirty days. At first, I felt stuck. Eating rice and oatmeal every day was one thing, but a day without wine was a day disconnected from something that gives me so much joy, so much life. I had to think about why I drank wine. 

In part, drinking is my job. Finding new producers and cuvées that folks who read my articles will enjoy is a big part of how I pay my bills. Wine is also part of my daily wind down. A glass of something special pairs perfectly with the sunset after a long day. How would I replace an evening ritual I’ve had for so many years?

It was the right time to think through my relationship with alcohol. Non- and low-alcohol beverages have been rising in popularity recently, and I dove headfirst into finding the ones that were most exciting, and that were centered in a connection to the ingredients, instead of marketing sugary substitutes to a sober (or sober-curious) consumer.

Six months later, my ulcer has healed, and I’m back to drinking wine and the occasional cocktail, but my relationship with alcohol has changed, thanks to the discovery of some of my new favorite beverages found in local Maine shops and breweries. Layering in these drinks allows for a more diverse experience in my drinking habits and gives my body a bit of a break. I hope you’ll try them out for yourself.

Maine-Based Bevs

Shimmerwood Beverages, Razz Lime Shimmer Seltzer, 0% ABV

Part of alcohol’s appeal is the calming effect that ramps up after your first drink. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down your nervous system and brings on an initial feeling of relaxation, exactly what I look for after a long workday. The Shimmerwood CBD infused seltzers help recreate that feeling, with none of the THC that gets you high. 

5mg full spectrum CBD is enough to help me reduce anxiety and unwind, and it tastes great over ice with none of that cannabutter flavor you might remember from the weed brownies of yesteryear.

Urban Farm Fermentory, Cranberry Kombucha, 1.5% ABV

A seasonal offering from my local brewery here in Portland, the cranberry kombucha from Urban Farm Fermentory is tart, crisp, and overflowing with flavor. This became a fall staple I couldn’t get enough of, perfect for drinking outside in the cool air. 

As it turns out, I’m a big fan of most of their flavors, including Ginger Root and Elderberry. If you’re adventurous and not worried about spice, try the Ghost Pepper.

Herbal Revolution, Maine Wild Blueberry Drinking Vinegar, 0% ABV

Before my ulcer, cocktails were a major source of delight. Drinking a good cocktail means discovering how different flavors layered together could become more than the sum of their parts. I started looking into low- and no-alcohol cocktail ingredients that would be simple to mix with two or three ingredients at the most. 

This drinking vinegar from Herbal Revolution delivers major blueberry flavor, and, mixed over ice with lime seltzer and a rosemary sprig, makes a beautiful end-of-day beverage. I use five parts seltzer to one part vinegar for a lively and refreshing drink.

Root Wild, Grapefruit Shine Kombucha, 0.5% ABV

Not only is Root Wild kombucha delicious, but their physical Portland location is a safe-haven bar where kombuchas on tap make it easy to be out and about but not surrounded by alcohol. Meeting with friends at Root Wild has become a staple for me when I’m not interested in drinking but still want to be social after work. 

The grapefruit flavor is citrusy and bright with powerful hibiscus notes, and the addition of hops makes it feel more like a sour beer than a kombucha.

Non-Alc From Away

Unified Ferments, Jasmine Green, New York, 0.5% ABV

I used to not like kombucha. I was one of those people who thought it was too vinegary and too aggressive. It had been years since I tried anything new. The Jasmine Green kombucha from Unified Ferments re-opened the door and blew me away. 

Soft and gentle, with a full jasmine bouquet, the drink is fizzy and alive with a ton of flavor, yet elegant enough to stand up to a glass of floral white wine. This bottle is special, tea-forward, and begs to be shared.

Heirloom New York, Genmaicha Tea, New York, 0% ABV

Green tea and puffed rice give this Heirloom New York brew a nutty and herbal flavor that I absolutely love. If I’m craving something a bit more winter-friendly and rich, this is the bottle I reach for. It’s also a gorgeous gift to bring to a holiday dinner, as it has an umami vibe that pairs beautifully with many different foods. The company uses organic fair-trade teas and local fruits and herbs.

Muri, Yamilé, Denmark, 0% ABV

If you like complex and fruity semi-sweet rosé, you’re going to like this. It tastes like smoky raspberry sherbet. The fizz is creamy and soft. The Copenhagen-based brand makes this blend from carbonically fermented raspberry and gooseberry mead, smoked lacto-fermented rhubarb, goldenrod, and pink peppercorn kefir. 

The transparent flavors of the beverage shine—you can really taste every element. It’s delicious, interesting, and delightful. The flavors keep developing even after a few days stoppered in the fridge.

Yesfolk, Sencha, New York, 1% ABV

Single origin Sencha tea is the star of this bright and light canned kombucha. When fall barbecues and campfire hangs were filling up my schedule, but I couldn’t bring wine to share with friends, a couple of four packs of the Yesfolk kombuchas were a perfect accompaniment. 

Bringing this around also opened my eyes to how many other people in my life were cutting down on drinking or were interested in alternative beverages. This brew is refreshingly simple, with lively grassy notes.

Fully Rooted Juice, Citrus Hibiscus, Rhode Island, 0% ABV

Like the Muri Yamilé, this Fully Rooted Juice citrus hibiscus kombucha feels a lot like a glass of rosé. The honeybush tea, grown in South Africa, has a naturally sweet flavor that perfectly meshes with the hibiscus and orange peel. The sweetness is wonderfully balanced by the sharp lemongrass. 

I love the size of the 16oz bottle, which feels heftier than a can of ’booch, and more like a mini growler of beer you’d bring to a dinner with friends. They also offer a 32oz full size growler—you’re going to need it when everyone wants to a glass for themselves.

Read More:

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  8 Low (or No) Alcohol Beverages That Got Me Through My Stomach Ulcer
• 
  Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy is Maine’s Favorite Spirit
• 
  9 Creative Craft Coffees to Mix Up Your Morning
• 
  The Ultimate Maine Bar Cart
• 
  Portland’s Hottest Cocktail Bar Isn’t a Bar At All

The post 8 Low (or No) Alcohol Beverages That Got Me Through My Stomach Ulcer appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Shakshuka is an easy, fragrant, and healthy breakfast dish. It’s as simple as simmering tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices and gently poaching eggs in one pot. Enjoy with pita or a baguette, plus, the aroma is certain to get your guests out of bed.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 eggs
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
¼ cup chopped fresh mint, for garnish

Instructions

Place the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet and warm it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste and cook, stirring continually, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook until the shakshuka has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.

Season the shakshuka with salt and pepper. Using the back of a wooden spoon, make six wells in the mixture. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle the feta over the shakshuka.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until the egg whites are set, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, garnish with parsley and mint, and enjoy.

Excerpted from Mediterranean: The Ultimate Cookbook by Derek Bissonnette (Cider Mill Press, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

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  For the Love of Shellfish

The post Shakshuka appeared first on The Maine Mag.

I remember my first Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy sighting. We were in northern Maine, and the snow was slowly starting to melt as the spring sun thawed out the terrain. On a hike along the side of a snowmobile track, I saw the neck and cap of a bottle that would soon become iconic in my mind. Without realizing it then, I had seen my very first “lily of the tundra,” the term used for Allen’s bottles that have been thrown out on the trails over the winter and emerge as the snow melts in spring.

Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy has had a stronghold on the Maine spirits market for decades. In 2018 there was one bottle of it sold in the state for every man, woman, and child. However, when you leave Maine, you may be hard-pressed to find a bottle—or a non-Mainer who has heard of it, let alone consumed it. Many cities and states have locally famous food or beverages that are mostly unknown or unavailable beyond a geographical line. Pennsylvania has its scrapple, New Orleans has its king cake, Chicago has its Malört, and Maine has its Allen’s Coffee Brandy.

According to M.S. Walker, the Boston-based producer of Allen’s, the popularity of the spirit started with Maine fishermen who would use it as a pick-me-up by adding it to their morning coffee. Most of Allen’s is poured in homes or locals’ bars. Mixed with an equal amount of milk it’s known as a Sombrero, or by many other, generally off-color, nicknames. But over the last few years, we have seen Allen’s make its way onto highbrow cocktail menus across the state.

Hayley Wilson, cofounder of the cocktail popup Jimmy Drinks World, has embraced Allen’s since her move from Boston to Maine four years ago. “I love using Allen’s in unexpected cocktails,” she says. “It works beautifully in stirred, spirit-forward tequila drinks, pairs well with amari for an extra bite, and is always fun to mix with rums.” Wilson says her favorite 50/50 shot to give to guests is Allen’s plus Plantation pineapple rum. “Coffee and pineapple are such a great combo,” she says. “Who knew!” Allen’s fanbase is certainly growing with a new generation of Mainers.

When opening Hunt and Alpine, co-owner Andrew Volk wanted to make a riff on the now classic espresso martini, made famous in the hopping 80s London bar scene by a bartender named Dick Bradsell. The story goes that young women preparing for an evening out approached Bradsell’s bar and asked for a drink that would “wake me up and then f*** me up.” For Volk’s version at Hunt and Alpine, his challenge was to create a cocktail that stood up to other espresso martinis but didn’t require an espresso machine. The end result, which Volk also made with a nod to the local food scene, is a cocktail that has remained on the menu since Hunt and Alpine first opened. Jackson Cannon, the co-owner of Boston’s beloved and recently closed bar Eastern Standard, and of the soon-to-open Equal Measures, calls it, “the greatest espresso martini in the world.”

Espresso Martini

Though Allen’s is inexpensive, its coffee extract comes from higher quality Arabica beans. Simple to make at home, you can easily scale up this recipe to make in larger batches for parties.

Yield: 1 drink
Glass: chilled martini or coupe

Ingredients
2 ounces sweetened coffee concentrate (Hunt and Alpine makes theirs in-house using Tandem coffee, but you can also buy this in stores)
1 ounce white rum
1 ounce Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy

Instructions
Add the coffee concentrate, rum, and Allen’s to a mixing tin.
Add ice to the tin and shake hard for 30 to 45 seconds.
Fine-strain into a chilled glass. Drink immediately.

Mexico, Maine

Named after the town in Maine, this drink is based on popular spirits from both Mexico (the country) and Maine (the state). It’s a perfect cold-weather cocktail and loves fried foods. Enjoy around a warm winter campfire.

Yield: 1 drink
Glass: chilled rocks glass

Ingredients
1 ½ ounces blanco tequila
½ ounce mezcal
½ ounce Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy
1 teaspoon agave syrup
6 dashes coffee bitters (Maine-based Coastal Root makes a great one)
Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions
Add the tequila, mezcal, Allen’s, agave, and bitters to a well-chilled rocks glass.
Add one large ice cube, and then stir for 20-30 seconds.
Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Read More:

• 
  Smooth Sailing at Wandby Landing
• 
  Shakshuka
• 
  Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy is Maine’s Favorite Spirit
• 
  Seasonal Bites in Portland and Beyond
• 
  9 Creative Craft Coffees to Mix Up Your Morning

The post Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy is Maine’s Favorite Spirit appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Jackrabbit Cafe

Craving something sweet? Head over to Biddeford to sink your teeth into Jackrabbit Cafe’s wienerbrød, a sweet Danish pastry with cranberry jam and cookie butter cream topped with cranberries, or the Lussekatter, an enriched Swedish bun with saffron served during the holidays to honor St. Lucia! Directly translating to “Lucia cats,” the pastry gets the name from its signature swirl reminiscent of a cat’s tail, and comes topped with a simple syrup glaze, pearl sugar, and golden raisins.

Central Provisions

Warm up your appetite with a trip to small-plates haven Central Provisions! Currently on the globally-inspired menu is a Thai mushroom salad, which features a mixture of miatake, king trumpet, and oyster mushrooms on top of a coconut squash red curry made from Musquee de Provence pumpkins from Stonecipher farm in Bowdoinham. Still hungry? You can never go wrong with an order of the carrots smoked with cinnamon, star anise, and local hay, and then tossed in butter and plated on a chevre made from goat’s milk from Flying Goat Farm in Windham. Topped with local honey and crumbled pistachio, the savory-sweet combination of flavors will put holiday stress out of your mind—at least for a little while.

Pacifico

Trying to get ahead and make your New Year’s Eve plans more than a week in advance? Purchase your tickets for Pacifico’s special Año Nuevo dinner! This four course meal will include an amuse-bouche of nigiri balls (fresh tuna served over rice balls and topped with aji amarillo mayonnaise and nori), a choritos a la chalaca appetizer (inspired by a Peruvian dish made with mussels), a posta negra main course (a traditional Colombian dish that features a sweet dark sauce made with panela and sugar cane, and a yuca foam made from the root of the cassava plant), and an assortment of desserts. Take a load off after the holidays and ring in the new year with an evening on the town!

Magnus on Water

Nothing keeps the winter chill at bay like a steaming cup of chowder! Put some heat back into your bones by ordering a bowl of Magnus on Water’s monkfish chowder, a twist on the New England classic with garlic, onions, celery, fennel, potato, cream, steamed Bangs Island mussels, little neck clams, and the piece de resistance, pan-roasted monkfish. With a salad of freshly shaved fennel, dill, parsley, lemon, and olive oil on the side to balance the richness of the soup, by the end of the meal you’ll feel refreshed and ready to brave the holiday crowds once more.

Smalls

Made from roasted red peppers and shredded sharp cheddar, the pimento cheese at Smalls is just the pick-me-up you need to get you over the finish line this holiday season. Order it from the restaurant and enjoy it on the spot with ritz crackers, or purchase it from the restaurant’s market to take with you as an appetizer at your holiday party.

Primo

Panettone is a December tradition at Primo in Rockland, with deep roots in Chef Melissa Kelly’s Italian-American family. Over the course of three days, the Primo pastry chef painstakingly candies citrus peels, proofs the dough, bakes the bread, and then festively wraps dozens of these delicious confections for your holiday table. Made with eggs and honey from the restaurant’s farm, Panettone can be the base for your French toast or bread pudding, fried into donuts, or simply slathered with local butter. Kelly toasts slices to accompany the seared Foie Gras at the restaurant. Available to ship or pick up at the restaurant.

Crispy Gai

Looking to keep it casual on New Year’s Eve, but still want a little pomp and circumstance? Stop by Crispy Gai for a meal of chicken nuggets, caviar, and champagne from 5 to 10 p.m. No reservations will be taken that night, so be prepared for first-come, first-served.

Izakaya Minato

For all the seafood fanatics out there, you know that uni (sea urchin) season is tantalizingly short! Take advantage by ordering an uni spoon from Izakaya Minato, which comes with a house-made ponzu and is topped with a raw quail egg yolk, scallions, and a dusting of shichimi. Chase it down with an order of buta no kakuni, a hearty dish of fatty pork belly simmered in a sake, soy sauce, and sugar braise and served with a spicy brown karashi mustard.

Leeward

Newly added to Leeward’s menu, the spiced butternut squash tart is made with a chocolate cookie crust, ganache, and poached cranberries—the perfect mixture of festive flavors to get you in the mood for some caroling.

Full Turn

Newly opened Full Turn in Portland is diving into seasonal flavors right off the bat! Take a break from holiday shopping to order the beet reuben, a vegetarian twist on a lunch-time favorite. The sandwich is made on marble rye with pastrami seasoned beets, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and house Russian and is served with a house half sour pickle on the side.

Mr. Tuna

If you prefer to eat in on New Year’s Eve, you can’t go wrong with a pre-order of Mr. Tuna’s NYE Party Box, ready for pickup on the afternoon of December 31! This assortment of sushi, fish, and sides comes in a bento-style box, and looks so good you won’t be able to resist pulling out your iPhone to snap a pic before you dig in. Maki platters are also available, in addition to vegan and gluten-free options. Each order comes with a bottle of sake, perfect for toasting with while you watch the ball drop from the comfort of your couch!

Wayside Tavern

Lean into an Italian holiday tradition by ordering the salt cod mantecato from Wayside Tavern! Originating from Venice, this fish recipe is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve. Soaked in water for two to three days to remove excess salt, the fish is then cooked in milk with garlic and bay leaves. Once cooked, it goes through a mixer with cooked potato and olive oil to make a whipped spread served with an olive tapenade and house-made bread.

Judy Gibson

’Tis the season for hearty dishes and warm cocktails! Treat your sweetheart to a holiday date night at Judy Gibson in South Portland with a chai hot toddy and a roasted Denver steak, served with stewed white beans, pumpkin seeds, and buttercup squash. Bon appetit!

The Honey Paw

Want to go all out on New Year’s Eve? Be sure to stop by The Honey Paw for a dim sum-themed extravaganza! Dig into a sea of festive small bites like caviar with a scallion pancake, pork or mushroom bao buns, and lobster sui mai with flying fish roe. Larger dishes include wok veg with oyster sauce, longevity noodle in mushroom and parmesan brodo, and char sui monkfish. Don’t forget sweet treats like citrus sesame balls, egg custard bao bun, and black tea soft serve.

Read More:

• 
  Smooth Sailing at Wandby Landing
• 
  Shakshuka
• 
  Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy is Maine’s Favorite Spirit
• 
  Seasonal Bites in Portland and Beyond
• 
  9 Creative Craft Coffees to Mix Up Your Morning

The post Seasonal Bites in Portland and Beyond appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Pistachio Cream Latte: espresso, homemade pistachio cream
Time & Tide, Biddeford

Inspired by a consulting trip to the Middle East, this latte combines espresso, milk, and a secret recipe of pistachio cream to create a latte that is equally sweet and nutty. Hot or iced, this popular menu item is a Biddeford staple.

The Thunderbolt: espresso over fresh-squeezed lemonade
Cupacity, Damariscotta

Ideal for warmer months, this surprising marriage of tart, sweet fresh-squeezed lemonade and smoky, bitter espresso makes for a refreshingly acidic pick-me-up.

CBD Maine Maple Latte: espresso, Maine maple syrup, Mindful Earth CBD tincture
Higher Grounds, Portland

This combination coffee shop and medical dispensary has the option to add up to 10mg of Mindful Earth CBD tincture to your brew. A celebration of local ingredients, the Maine Maple Latte is made with coffee beans sourced and roasted by Speckled Ax, real Maine maple syrup, and CBD extract from Maine grown hemp.

Flying Dutchman Latte: espresso, dark chocolate, habanero pepper
Traverse Coffee Co., Hallowell

If you’re looking for a way to change up your mocha latte and don’t mind a little heat, Traverse Coffee Co. has the perfect drink for you. Rich, dark chocolate and a hint (or splash!) of habanero pepper concentrate blended into a smooth and creamy latte create a spicy twist on a coffee shop staple.

“Special” Café Bombon: espresso, condensed coconut milk, pandan
Dog Bar Jim, Brunswick

The deep green color of this twist on an Iced Vietnamese coffee comes from pandan syrup. The floral, grassy notes of the pandan paired with sweetened condensed coconut milk and rich, earthy espresso come together to create a delicious and aromatic breakfast blend.

Espresso Tonic: espresso, tonic water, orange
Smalls, Portland

Espresso tonics are quickly rising in popularity in coffee shops around the country, and for good reason! A bubbly fusion of tonic water, espresso, and citrus make for a refreshing morning pick-me-up or a great mocktail option. If you’ve been itching to try this new coffee craze, Smalls in Portland has the hookup.

Cold Brew Flight: rotating seasonal flavors
Lucky Cat Coffee Truck, Lewiston

Do you often find yourself having trouble choosing between different flavor options? At the Lucky Cat Coffee Truck, you don’t have to. Order the cold-brew flight to pair with your Hong Kong Bubble Waffle to sample four of their seasonal coffee beverages. The four pours are switched up each month, and each of the cold brews are specifically brewed and infused depending on the flavor profile.

Café de Olla: latte with house made cinnamon and cardamom syrup
Choco-Latte, Bar Harbor

Choco-Latte brings a traditional Mexican spiced coffee to Maine. The warm blend of cinnamon and cardamom with espresso and milk is a great way to start your morning and gently wake yourself up before hitting Acadia’s hiking trails.

Astro Drinks Series: rotating seasonal flavors
Little Woodfords, Portland

This rotating drink series is based on the zodiac cycle, which means twelve unique beverages to sample a year! As of writing, “Sagittarius” is on the menu, a peppermint mocha topped with a torched marshmallow. When in season, you can also find drinks like the “Leo,” a sparkling blood orange bitters and agave flash brew topped with oat cream cold foam, and the “Pisces,” a white chocolate and cardamom mocha topped with crushed raspberry and pink salt.

Read More:

• 
  Smooth Sailing at Wandby Landing
• 
  Shakshuka
• 
  Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy is Maine’s Favorite Spirit
• 
  Seasonal Bites in Portland and Beyond
• 
  9 Creative Craft Coffees to Mix Up Your Morning

The post 9 Creative Craft Coffees to Mix Up Your Morning appeared first on The Maine Mag.

Between the pandemic era shift to at-home cocktail hours and the recent boom in new distilleries across the state, this holiday season is the perfect time to upgrade your bar cart selection. Whether you’re a novice entertainer or a professional mixologist, we’d like to offer a 2-0-7 twist that will make your inventory deliciously one-of-a-kind. Try one of the recipes below—or concoct your own—snap a picture, and tag @themainemag on social media!

Tree Spirits Knotted Maple

While there are a few micro-distillers producing maple-flavored spirits, Tree Spirits Knotted Maple is different because it’s made from the Central Maine winery and distillery’s popular Maple Picnic Wine. Using syrup from Bacon Farm in Sidney, the 80-proof spirit fits the rich flavor profile of a true brandy and is delicious on its own, but click here to check out their recipe collaboration with Vena’s Fizz House.

Hot tip: Tree Spirits is the only absinthe distillers in New England, so be sure to grab a bottle of the green, aniseed-flavored spirit while you’re at it.

treespiritsofmaine.com

Three of Strong Acadian Rum

Three of Strong is a values-driven distillery in Portland that emerged from a conversation between two friends while sipping rum. The brand’s sustainable and inclusive practices reflect its values, which include protecting Maine’s natural resources, agriculture, and communities. Their rums are made with 100 percent organic evaporated cane syrup, molasses, and yeast, and pure water from Sebago Lake. The bright and citrusy Acadian white rum is distilled from cold-pressed sugarcane juice and has zero artificial flavorings or colors. Not sure how to mix it? Check out their cocktail recipes here!

threeofstrongspirits.com

Cold River Potato Vodka

Triple-distilled using Maine potatoes and water from its namesake Cold River, this award-winning vodka is gluten-free and perfectly refined, making it ideal for a premium quality martini or whatever vodka-made beverage your heart desires. Craving something savory? We recommend trying the Stonewall Kitchen Legal Sea Foods Down East Bloody Mary Mix.

coldrivervodka.com

Blueshine Blueberry Liquor

Blueshine is crafted by hand at Maine Craft Distilling in Portland. Made from Maine barley, the grain is fermented in a large wooden fermenter and then run through a copper still. Once the “shine” is ready, they add in Maine wild blueberries and a subtle helping of Maine maple syrup. Blueshine makes the perfect addition to a refreshing, ice-cold lemonade, a combo Maine Craft Distilling sells at the ready at their public house, on their website, and at stores across Maine.

mainecraftdistilling.com

Allen’s Coffee Brandy

Did you think we would forget this Pine Tree State classic? Rooted in Maine heritage and tradition, Allen’s Coffee Brandy first earned its popularity among fishermen who’d put hair on their chests every morning with a swig of the coffee-flavored liquor. Now, Allen’s is the number one selling spirit in all of Maine. They even sell collectible ceramics in the shape of famous Maine lighthouses, only available for purchase at select liquor stores. Here in Portland, we recommend Bow Street Beverage.

allenscoffeebrandy.com

Hardshore Gin

Hardshore is a distilling company that expands how we think about gin by experimenting with new tastes and textures. Released in 2016, their flagship product Hardshore Original Gin is crafted from their own family-grown grain, with water sourced directly from Sebago Lake. The gin itself is flavored with fresh rosemary and mint, giving it a leafy-green profile.

Check out owner Jordan Mine’s exclusive Grapefruit Sage Collins recipe below, which features Hardshore Original Gin. The drink strikes the perfect balance between complexity and simplicity, using ingredients that are easily sourced at your local grocery store.

Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Hardshore Original Gin
1 oz. of sage simple syrup*
¾ oz. fresh grapefruit juice
Seltzer

Instructions
Combine gin, syrup, and grapefruit juice.
Top with seltzer.
Garnish with grapefruit wedge and sage sprig.

*To make sage simple syrup, blanch one bunch of sage in boiling water for 10 seconds and immediately cool in ice water. Blend with 1 cup of simple syrup and strain.

hardshoredistilling.com

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The post The Ultimate Maine Bar Cart appeared first on The Maine Mag.

The Danforth’s bartenders begin pouring drinks at 4 p.m., so I arrive at the Portland cocktail bar at 4 o’clock on the dot for an early happy hour. As I step through the restaurant’s front door toward the host stand, the afternoon sun is streaming through several large windows, illuminating the space that has been recently renovated into a posh, modern lounge. One wall of the bar area is lined with three plush, dark red velvet booths, while 12 backless barstools provide seating at the blond wooden counter. Midcentury modern glass pendant lights hang overhead, drawing the eye toward the sleek wooden shelving that showcases an extensive liquor collection.

Head bartender Carlo Caroscio and his team are shaking and stirring drinks, moving seamlessly around each other in the timeless dance of bartenders everywhere. I’m seated in a cozy booth, and shortly thereafter my friendly server delivers a cocktail named Down Ocean, a daiquiri made with grapefruit liqueur, sake, and sparkling wine. It’s tart and refreshing, as a well-made daiquiri always is, with some added complexity from the dry rice wine.

Expectations are high for the Danforth. The bar is the fourth establishment from Gin and Luck, a hospitality group headed by Portland resident Alex Day and his business partners Devon Tarby, David Kaplan, and Ravi DeRossi. The group owns three other cocktail bars—all called Death and Co.—in New York, Los Angeles, and Denver. The New York location opened in 2006 and became a trailblazer in the craft cocktail revival. While Day swears it was not his intention to open another bar in Portland, he was swayed by the opportunity to purchase the West End bistro Little Giant in September of 2021. Day and his husband, Andrew Ashey, whose architecture and design firm provided the makeover of the Danforth, moved to Portland from Los Angeles in 2019, attracted to the pace of life in a smaller city. After a substantial interior renovation, the Danforth opened in July and became an instant hit with Portlanders looking for a special night out and an upscale spot for a drink after work.

The cocktail list at the Danforth is composed of ten drinks, beginning with a light cucumber-melon spritz and ending with boozier classics such as variations on the old-fashioned and the Manhattan, called Hyperion Old Fashioned and West End, respectively. The menu, at least on its face, seems surprisingly simple—there’s no long list of ingredients, unfamiliar liqueurs, or specialty syrups mentioned. Rather, drink descriptions are short, with three to five ingredients that seem approachable and familiar. Later, Day tells me this simplicity is by design. He says the concise list “has hidden layers that you can peel back if you want to, but we’re not going to put them right in front of you.”

Day’s success in creating approachable yet intriguing cocktails is evident in the Impossible Love—a frothy mix of green chile vodka, peach liqueur, and pineapple juice. It’s another take on a daiquiri, made with vodka. Always popular with drinkers, vodka has long been eschewed by serious craft cocktail enthusiasts. But Day says no more. “We were the worst offenders back in the day,” he tells me. “We were such snooty, smug jerks. But that world doesn’t exist anymore.” At the Danforth, he’s more interested in ensuring that customers feel comfortable and have a good time than insisting that a proper martini is made with gin and not vodka.

The food at the Danforth is another surprise, revealing a depth I didn’t anticipate from an establishment that is primarily a cocktail bar. Chef Michael Boomhower, most recently of Central Provisions in the Old Port, offers a robust menu of nine share plates and five large-format entrees. When I return for dinner, my husband and I are seated in the lounge, a room adjacent to the bar that seats 75 in burgundy velvet booths and clusters of mustard-yellow swiveling barrel chairs. The mood in the lounge is energetic as our upbeat server delivers a parade of small plates. I sip an Echelon, a riff on a margarita made slightly savory by the addition of celery juice and sesame, and dig into the campanelle pasta, each bite coated in a radish-greens pesto that leaves a lingering spiciness.

Other popular appetizers include Pigs in a Blanket, small bites made from fennel sausage wrapped in puff pastry; griddled head-on shrimp; and beef tartare served on a crusty piece of Standard Baking Company sourdough. The salad, a simple combination of baby leaf lettuces, crispy fried shallots, croutons, and a light Caesar dressing, ends up being one of my favorite dishes. My entrée, a half chicken with a seared, crispy skin, is finished with smoked butter and sits atop a flavorful corn, zucchini, and pepper succotash. My husband’s vegetarian entrée, a decadent mushroom polenta, is reminiscent of a soufflé with its creamy, rich texture. Whole roasted branzino, a dry-aged rib eye, and a burger round out the meal options.

After only four months, the Danforth already feels like a classic. General manager Lucy Comaskey tells me that some repeat customers have found their favorites on the specialty drink list, while others ask for “dealer’s choice,” an off-menu drink of the bartender’s design. Whether it’s drinks and snacks at the bar or a multicourse meal in the loungy dining room, Portlanders are eagerly exploring the many moods of this multifaceted West End destination.

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The post The Danforth Excels in Portland’s West End appeared first on The Maine Mag.

These potato candies were originally invented in Auburn, Maine, in the 1870s when a cook who worked for confectioner John Seavey at Seavey’s Sweets came up with a recipe for coconut creams—with a spud-based twist. The potato has long been one of Maine’s top agricultural products, and this confection was one of many industrious ways to use the versatile tuber. The candies, which are always cut into squares, became an instant hit. Seavey reportedly named the candies after a popular preacher of the time, George C. Needham, but I can’t help but think the name stuck due to its obvious marketing appeal, since the name explicitly states that you “need ’em.” Which, for the record, you do.

Makes about 18 large or 36 small candies

Ingredients

1 medium-sized russet potato (at least ½ pound)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Dark chocolate melting wafers

Instructions

For large candies (1½-inch square), line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides so it can be pulled out easily. For smaller candies (¾-inch square), do the same with an 8 × 8-inch pan. (Full disclosure: smaller candies take twice as long to coat in chocolate—but you do end up with twice as many!)

In a pot of boiling water, cook the potato whole until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork (this can take 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size and shape of your potato). Let cool until still warm but easily handled. Peel the potato, then put it through a ricer or food mill until smooth. (You can also push it through a standard-mesh sieve with a sturdy wooden spoon. Do not use a food processor or blender—the potato will turn out gluey.)

Measure out ⅓ cup of mashed potato. If cold, reheat the potato in the microwave, just until warm. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar, coconut, vanilla, and salt with a wooden spoon until well mixed. The mixture should be moist. If not, keep mixing until no longer dry. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer and cut with a sharp knife into pieces. Freeze again for 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments at 50 percent power, stirring in between, until melted. (If you stop heating when the chips are mostly but not entirely melted, you can keep stirring to melt the rest of the chocolate without losing the temper.) Alternatively, you can melt your chocolate in a metal bowl set over a small saucepan with an inch of gently simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.

Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. Remove the parchment from the pan and separate the candies with a knife. One at a time, dip the candies in melted chocolate, remove with a fork, and set on parchment or waxed paper to dry. If the chocolate starts to harden in the bowl before you’re done, you can gently reheat in the microwave. Try to pull out any pieces of coconut that fall into the chocolate as you go so the candy coating is smooth and appealing. Candies can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, or 4 to 5 in the refrigerator.

Excerpted from New England Desserts by Tammy Donroe Inman (Globe Pequot, 2022). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

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The post How to Make Needhams appeared first on The Maine Mag.

When Steve and Michelle Corry opened their fine-dining restaurant at 555 Congress Street in 2003, it was part of an emerging cadre of Portland date-night destinations, such as Fore Street, Street and Co., Rob Evans’s Hugo’s, and Walter’s on Exchange Street. Five Fifty-Five became known for its elevated American cuisine and impeccable service just as chefs across the country were embracing the farm-to-table movement. Chef Steve Corry was the first in Portland to serve truffled lobster mac and cheese, a now-classic comfort food mash-up that became the restaurant’s signature dish.

In the nearly two decades that have passed, a lot has changed, both in the Portland restaurant scene and in the Corrys’ lives. The couple opened their second restaurant, the French bistro Petite Jacqueline, and they had two sons, now teenagers. In early 2020 Steve and Michelle decided to close Five Fifty-Five to spend more time with their family. This proved to be a prescient decision, as COVID struck a few weeks later and pandemic restrictions hastened the restaurant’s discontinuance. The Corrys thought perhaps they would reopen Five Fifty-Five someday in a location closer to their home in Scarborough.

Then Steve’s friend Gerard Kiladjian, another longtime hospitality professional, called to ask if Steve was interested in reopening Five Fifty-Five in Brunswick. Kiladjian had signed on to manage the recently renovated Federal Hotel and was looking for a familiar name to anchor the property’s 150-seat restaurant. Corry initially said no, but after visiting to see the renovation of the historic property and negotiating a favorable schedule that would allow the couple plenty of family time, Five Fifty-Five was reborn.

Dubbed 555 North, the restaurant echoes its Portland predecessor with some familiar dishes and a time-tested approach to serving seasonal ingredients in palate-pleasing ways. Fans of the previous iteration will recognize several signature dishes on the menu, and will enjoy the same friendly and attentive service. The new restaurant is much brighter and larger than the old one, with floor-to-ceiling windows flanking one wall of the dining room and a large center bar that Steve plans to develop into a raw bar.

When I visit on a Friday night, we’re guided to our table in the side room by a young hostess. The restaurant is full, generating a pleasant buzz from our fellow patrons. Michelle Corry is known for her wine selection, having garnered a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2015, so I opt for a glass of a Chilean cabernet sauvignon to start the meal. With about 75 options, the list here is slimmer than the 400-plus bottles at Five Fifty-Five, but it still offers a crowd-pleasing variety of new- and old-world wines by the glass and bottle.

As I enjoy a slice of the housemade bread, served warm and slathered with delightfully salty chive-lemon butter, I see grilled Caesar salad and steamed mussels on the menu. The two dishes were staples at Five Fifty-Five, so I order both to begin the meal. The salad, which comes thoughtfully split between two plates after our server hears that my husband and I plan to share it, delivers a slightly smoky char from the grilled romaine and a classic creamy dressing with plenty of lemon. The meaty Bangs Island mussels are surrounded by a garlicky broth spiked with pickled cherry peppers that lend a pleasant heat.

The lobster mac and cheese has been temporarily replaced by the more summery “Knuckle Sandwich,” a stack of fried green tomatoes and a lobster salad dressed with basil-lemon mayonnaise that Steve developed for Food and Wine magazine. As the weather cools, the luxurious dish made with a blend of five cheeses and studded with chunks of butter-poached lobster will return to the menu. I opt for another Five Fifty-Five classic, the three-day marinated hangar steak, prepared on this night with a fresh chimichurri sauce and a side of rich, creamy, wilted spinach.

We also try the scallops, coated in freshly cracked black pepper and then seared until a hearty crust forms. Steve tells me later that applying high heat to the black pepper takes away some of the stinging spice, mellowing it into a warm complement to the meaty bivalve. Five scallops come arranged around a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes that are blended with a fennel cream sauce. An emulsion of carrot juice and butter, fragrant from the addition of vanilla bean seeds, completes the dish without overwhelming the fresh flavor of the scallops.

Desserts from sous chef Sean Hobson are also a hit, with the “Coffee and Donuts” standing out as the most popular. Three craggy beignets dusted with powdered sugar and accompanied by a mug of rich mocha pots de crème make a playful end to the meal. As the restaurant is only a few months old, 555 North is still finding its sea legs in its new iteration, but between Michelle’s front-of-the-house leadership and the competence of the kitchen team led by chef de cuisine Michael Greenstreet, the Corrys are confident their latest project will live up to the reputation of its predecessor.

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The post A Fine-Dining Staple in Brunswick Lives Up to its Predecessor appeared first on The Maine Mag.