Bon Appetit Recognizes Central Provisions

The foodie mag Bon Appetit has named Portland eatery Central Provisions as one of the top ten restaurants in the country. Coming in at #6,  the very new Central Provisions - which opened only six months ago at 414 Fore Street - was particularly commended for its crudo, a raw fish dish with sweet and tangy seasoning.

Portland has an ever-growing reputation as a foodie town, having more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States. Central Provisions is a welcome addition to the mix. Despite my low-rent predilection for diners and pubs, might have to give them a try.

Periwinkles for Dinner?

I bet you didn't know periwinkles are edible! They are a bit of work, since each provides only a tiney morsel, but have a delicate flavor somewhat like mussels. It makes for a fun day, collecting periwinkles to bring home for dinner.

Here's how to prepare them, from cooks.com:

Steamed Periwinkles
1/2 c. salted water
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 c. beef bouillon or dry white wine
4 dozen well-scrubbed periwinkles
4 tbsp. butter 

Rinse the periwinkles thoroughly; put all ingredients in pot and bring to a boil; add periwinkles and steam until they can be easily extracted from the shell, about 4 minutes. Serve with melted butter.

SAVEUR Discovers Maine Oysters

This will not be news to anyone who lives here, but Sophie Nelson of SAVEUR has discovered, and delighted in, the many varieties of Maine oysters.

Yes, oysters taste like the ocean, but the range in flavor produced by unique aquacultures up and down this stretch of coast is a wonderful thing; this is never more clear to me than when I’m eating at Portland’s Eventide Oyster Co., with a craft cocktail in hand, and an icy platter of a dozen Maine oysters before me.

Read the rest here.