June 19, 2009

A Matter of Taste

I've grouped these two restaurants together not as a point of comparison but rather they are the two restaurants I went to this week.

I go to Fore Street as often as I can because it is still one of Portland's most perfect restaurants: with its grand and gyrating physical space, its utterly competent wait staff and ultimately a well earned national reputation based on the taste levels of simplicity that chef and co-proprietor Sam Hayward has instilled upon his dining public who crowd this establishment nightly. What's more it's one of a handful of Portland restaurants that's run well, in a well defined structure than ensures the operation to run smoothly.

Fore Street has been an original so-called Green restaurant for years, long before the term applied to conservation instead of color. When I go I look forward to its localvore values: local ingredients cooked simply and well. Whether it's island lamb, locally raised pork and poultry and fish from Maine waters, it's all beautifully prepared with the exquisite essence of the classic cooking of simplicity never overwhelming the purity of ingredients in the spotlight. In fact I can't wait for August when the restaurant puts local tomatoes to great use with Hayward's rendition of tomato tart, one of the many standouts on the seasonally based menu.

Local 188, on the other hand, is a home-grown entity in a different way, like a beloved old dog that's petted and adored by Portland's dining public. I,, for one, never cottoned up to its slobbering charms.

However, now I'm won over.

I haven't been there in several years since I dined at its old space on Congress Street and had a miserable time indeed. I hated the time warp décor--a trashy bohemian sensibility well past its prime, with waiters and waitresses who were meant to be cool but came off as inept. The cooking was good, but there's more to dining out than just guiding the fork to your mouth. Adding all of its elements up together I came up with thumbs down.

That was then.

And when one has to stand corrected, then I stand up proudly and admit that I was wholly wrong about the pleasurable possibilities within.

In its new digs it thrives. It still borders on the funky but in a more upscale way. The bar area with its comfortable couches and lounges and a sprawling drinks area seems bigger than the dining space, yet either section draws one in to have a fun, good time, especially when the dinner hour wanes and turns into a hot joint for live music, especially on Tuesday jazz nights.

In the dining space, the tables are blessedly spaced far apart, once a rarity in Portland with its tendency to foist cutesy (meaning small) dining rooms on the dining public. That seems to be changing, and most of the new and newest restaurants are designed on a grander scale with comforts that should be part and parcel of an urban dining scene.

What is also distinctive about Local 188 in a good and satisfying way is that the cuisine is unique to the city. Its menu is basically devised on Spanish and Basque fare, and I can think of no other eatery in the area that does this beyond the few Latin-inspired joints that dot the cityscape.

Spanish cuisine is in vogue these days. But chef/proprietor Jay Villani predates the trend in Portland and is merely expounding on his culinary heritage.

On my first visit several weeks ago I was overwhelmed by the high flavors in every dish I sampled. This is assertive cooking done brightly with style and restraint, not meant to overwhelm but certainly leave a lasting impression.

From the tapas menu I chose the tortilla of the day. This is not the Mexican style tortilla but really more of a torta: layers of vegetables bound together to form an utterly sublime wedge of textures and tastes. The version that I had that night was potatoes, peppers and onions baked like a cake and stunningly savory and sweet with seasonings. Oregano is a prevalent spice that the kitchen utilizes. It's an assertive, sometimes overpowering herb, but here it works just fine.

Other tapas that I've had on subsequent visits include the chicken livers and the cod cakes. The former is boldly seasoned, though I would have preferred a less soupy preparation. The cod cakes are not the kind you'll find on ye olde New England menus. They are as light as quenelles and I could indulge on these daily.

My dining companion loves steak tartare and this is listed under raciones, basically larger versions of the tapas offerings. The one served here was pronounced deliciously prepared. Again, the towering mound of raw beef was highly spiced but just enough so that the excellent quality meat held sway.

Another dish that has a lot of power and style is what's called a Turkish Salad, a chopped salad that combines lettuces with Quinoa, walnuts, cumin and yogurt.

Among the entrees, I've chosen the fish specials each time I've dined at Local 188. On the regular menu is a harissa baked white fish with preserved lemon, which sounds delicious but haven't tried yet. But on two occasions I had the White Fish specials: one time was tile fish and another time halibut. Both renditions were wonderful, boldly seasoned and perfectly cooked, resulting in fish that was done just right, flaky and delicate.

Desserts are not a let down by any means, and whoever is cranking out these sweet morsels deserves to be known. I leave it up to you not to pass on the sweet course. So far they've been very worth the indulgence and dreaded calories. I won't go into specifics because the offerings seem to change each time I've been there.

The restaurant can be noisy, and I'm never a fan of high decibel dining rooms. But like Fore Street where the satisfaction level is high, it produces a hum that is part of the ambiance. The same happens at Local 188 where the excitement of variety stands out loud and clear.