And that's when the magic happened. Ganesh-like, all obstacles were removed to reveal a cup of spicy-sweet chai tea, steeped and lovely, and somehow in the space of wondering where to look and what to focus on, I was served some of the finest Indian food in my history of eating Indian food
- John C.L. Morgan
* Exhibit A: "When an Indian restaurant opens in Westbrook, it is equal parts hopeful and wistful."
* Exhibit B: "[T]he 'I love Indian food!' enthusiasm tangles with 'But it's Westbrook' suspicion, and the result is confusion."
Food Coma TV is a collection of short films released as a series online at www.foodcoma.tv, and hosted by Joe Ricchio, food editor at Maine magazine. The show is based on Ricchio’s blog, Portland Food Coma, and starts its second season on April 16 "We're excited to show off a city that too often gets overlooked because of its proximity to Portland," Ricchio said in a release.
- John C.L. Morgan Related: Maine Food Coma (January 7, 2012)
If you love homemade ice cream, chocolate or curry, you might want to pay attention to the 800 block of Main Street through the next month or so. Two new Westbrook businesses will soon open in the heart of downtown, and both represent the goals of two people who have already made names for themselves on the Portland culinary scene.
Called "Piece of the Pie," the program happens at [owner Steve] Orr’s shop on the last Thursday of the month, which this month will be April 28. The shop will donate 10 percent of all pizzas sold on the last Thursday of the month to a specific charity. "We want it to get to the point where people are looking for it every month," he said.
James Tranchemontagne, the chef/owner of The Frog and Turtle in Westbrook, was looking weary as he ladled batter onto a griddle for his version of "pork in the hole," a variation of pigs in blankets. The chef left work at 1 a.m. Friday and got up again at 5 a.m. in order to be at Sea Dog on time. But Tranchemontagne wanted to participate because "Preble Street is a really good charity." "We usually only do stuff for charity," he said. "If it’s tied to a charity, and a charity we like, we’ll get up early."
It was clear that James Tranchemontagne was the older of the two brothers. Andre sat beside him, waiting for his turn to chime in. They told me the story of how they are third-generation Mainers, how their grandparents, Anita and Edgar Roy, moved down from Canada to work in the paper mills, how they are the youngest of six brothers, and how their mother kept a garden, canned her own vegetables, and raised them on "timeless" American food. It was an enchanting tale, and as authentic a Maine story as there is.
At a recent [Cooking Matters to Maine] class for teenagers at Mission Possible in Westbrook, Chef James Tranchemontagne of the Frog and Turtle and the French Press Eatery restaurants said the program is "like a dream come true for me." Tranchemontagne was already on the board of Mission Possible, which feeds 30 to 50 kids a day, so it was a no-brainer for him to volunteer to teach a series of Cooking Matters classes at the teen center. Although he already knows and has worked with many of his students, even his eyes were opened when he started talking about food with them.
The Main Street Café has closed its doors, making
it the latest Westbrook restaurant casualty in a struggling economy. The
restaurant, located for 10 years at 888 Main St., officially served its final
customers on Sunday, Oct. 3, according to its Facebook page. Restaurant owner
Mike LaChance declined to speak extensively about the closure, but cited the
economy as a reason for the decision. "Nobody’s eating out," he said.
This popular, brightly decorated gastro-pub features French, Canadian, and New-England inspired comfort food, and on Sunday it's known for its goumet doughnuts (three made-to-order with your choice of toppings and fillings, $5) and unique morning cocktails. Try and snag one of the booths near the oversized windows facing the street to soak up the morning sun, or settle into the soft leather couch in front of the television, which screens Sunday morning cartoons.
One of the reasons I ordered the blackened steak and cheese quesadilla is that I figured it would be a good test. Too often, the steak in this kind of dish comes out overcooked, tough and chewy, and you end up wishing you'd ordered something else. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the meat in my quesadilla was tender and still lightly pink in the center. It came with caramelized poblano peppers, onions and sauteed mushrooms, with sour cream on the side.
The French Press Eatery, a popular restaurant on Main Street in Westbrook that
just closed a week ago, is re-opening on Tuesday, Aug. 31, according to one of
the owners, James Tranchemontagne. The restaurant at 855 Main St. was shut down
last Saturday, Aug. 14, and put up for sale for financial reasons. However,
Tranchemontagne said on Friday, Aug. 20 that financial advisors said it would be
easier to sell if the eatery were open. Also, he said, although the restaurant
was not bringing in enough revenue to pay off bills associated with its recent
renovation, bringing in some revenue would be better than none.
The PPH has moreon the decision to re-open the cafe. - John C.L. Morgan
The French Press Eatery, a popular cafe in downtown Westbrook, has closed just
one month after expanding to a 55-seat restaurant with a bar. One of its owners
said a weak economy and a lack of events downtown contributed to the cafe's
demise. City officials said they will work with the owners to help the business
reopen. The French Press, known for its homemade doughnuts and specialty coffee,
closed on Saturday, three days after the owners held a grand reopening to
celebrate their expansion. James Tranchemontagne, a co-owner, said he ran out of
money to keep the business going. The expansion cost an estimated $130,000.
Via a post on their Facebook page Saturday afternoon:
Thank you for giving the French Press Eatery a wonderful nine months. It has been a journey like no other. Sadly, at this time, we are closing the doors indefinitely due to circumstances beyond our control. All of us have enjoyed our time here and we hope to see you our new friends at the Frog and Turtle.
It was a good landmark to indicate the location of my new favorite (probably illegal) swimming hole; right there in the Presumpscot just before Bridge Street. Basically you just walk through the parking lot and along the short boardwalk that overlooks the river and the back of the Dana Warp Mill, clamber down this rocky slope, jump off a rock, and then make sure to quickly swim back toward the shore becaue the current is strong and we claim no liability for you getting swept down to the waterfall.
I've been suffering withdrawal for about a month now that the 2010 World Cup has closed, but tonight's U.S. vs. Brazil friendly will take the edge off a bit.
It also gives me an excuse to make this post, which I've meant to make for a while now: A culinary wish list for Westbrook, inspired by the two countries (Uruguay and Germany) who battled for third place in South Africa this past July.
I wouldn't be surprised if Uruguay's Estancia del Puerto benefited from mouth-watering camera work and sizzling sound effects, but I can't resist drooling all over my keyboard when I watch this clip from Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. It seems just watching, hearing, and smelling meat being cooked this way would almost be as satisfying as it eating it.
The second item on this brief wish list is a more personal fare. Whenever I've gone to Berlin to visit a former German exchange student my family hosted while I was in high school, the döner kebab is basically the only thing I eat. Breakfast, lunch, mid-morning snack, dinner, midnight snack, it doesn't matter; I can't get enough. Apparently, I'm not the only one, as the döner is reportedly the most popular form of fast food in Germany, thanks in part to the country's sizable Turkish population.
- John C.L. Morgan Related: No Reservations (April 23, 2010)
The French Press Eatery was sort of the little brother of the Frog & Turtle restaurant when it opened on Main Street last fall. The French Press’ role has been to serve coffee, breakfast and lunch to the daytime crowd. The Frog & Turtle, a gastro pub around the corner on Bridge Street, serves dinner in the evenings. But now The French Press, run by Andre Tranchemontagne, the younger brother of the Frog & Turtle’s chef, James Tranchemontagne, has developed its own full-grown identity. The French Press will continue to serve breakfast and lunch, but next week, starting Tuesday, July 13, it also will be open in the evenings serving dinner. And coffee will no longer be the strongest tipple at The French Press--the eatery recently won approval from the city for a liquor license and has installed a full bar.
The menu is packed with well-priced comfort lunch options such as grilled cheese ($2.99), soup or chowder and a half sandwich ($5.99), and a BLT ($4.29). The cafe also serves breakfast all day for locals with a penchant for noontime bacon. For workers on the run, Main Street Cafe offers a bargain $2.99 Italian sandwich to go. But it’s worth it to slide into a booth and mull over the "Find the 50 states" placemat crossword puzzle during the short wait for your food to arrive.
