KRISTA KERN DESJARLAIS | BRESCA
111 Middle St. | Portland | 207.772.1004 | restaurantbresca.com

Buttermilk Panna Cotta
"Bresca is an amalgamation of my culinary careeran expression of my life's journey. I started making panna cotta when I was working solely with pastry. I was trying to come up with more winter dishes. I needed something refreshing, tangy, creamythat's what this panna cotta is. It's made with tropical fruits in a passion-fruit broth with orange-flower white-pepper sorbet. The broth and sorbet are surprisingly bright in flavor, creating a beautifully sweet, sour, and subtly spicy finish to dinner."

KRISTA KERN DESJARLAIS | BRESCA
111 Middle St. | Portland | 207.772.1004 | restaurantbresca.com

Located in the scenic Maine woods on a historic estate, 76 Pleasant Street is unexpectedly elegant. The menu is seasonal, and the wine selection is thorough, covering a range of genres. The restaurant is open year-round, Wednesday through Sunday, and is within walking distance of downtown Norway.

PAI MEN MIYAKE
188 State St. | Portland | 207.541.9204 | miyakerestaurants.com

Miyake Farm Chicken
"With our omakase tastings, I like to use all the parts of our Miyake Farm chicken. The breast is cherrywood smoked, the leg becomes an elegant roulade stuffed with shiso and foie gras, and the tail is cooked on our binchotan grill."

MASA MIYAKE | MIYAKE
468 Fore St. | Portland | 207.871.9170 | miyakerestaurants.com

Located in South Portland's Knightville neighborhood, Verbena is a down-to-earth cafe. Everything is made from scratch, including the soups, sandwiches, and quiches, not to mention baked goods that have inspired an almost cultlike following. Open all day Monday through Saturday, they also feature an extensive catering menu.

FRANCINE
55 Chestnut St. | Camden | 207.230.0083 | francinebistro.com

Francine is tucked away in downtown Camden, just one block up from the harbor. The decor is warm, with vintage church pews and Guinness stout and cream-colored walls. Francine's menu changes daily with seasonal fare from local farmers, fish purveyors, and cheese makers. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday.

FRANCINE
55 Chestnut St. | Camden | 207.230.0083 | francinebistro.com

Located in the heart of Bangor's revitalized food scene, Fiddlehead offers creative and inspired versions of both Maine classics and world cuisine. The dining room is guaranteed to be bustling Tuesday through Saturday, so reservations are recommended.

Schulte and Herr brings previously unavailable rustic German cookery to Portland's ever growing array of ethnic cuisine. A simple, no frills dining room allows for the unadulterated, beautiful flavors of the food to shine on their own. Lunch and dinner (with the bonus of being BYOB) are served Tuesday through Saturday, and brunch is available on the weekends.

Long Grain offers a wide range of Asian-style cuisines, inspired by the hawker stalls of the sprawling food courts in Bangkok. The decor is minimalist, letting the color and presentation of the food brighten the space. Lunch and dinner are served Tuesday through Saturday.

"Local greens and foraged mushrooms... make it one of a kind." - Ravin "Bas" Nakjaroen

CLARK FRASIER + MARK GAIER

MC PERKINS COVE
111 Perkins Cove Rd. | Ogunquit | 207.646.6263 | mcperkinscove.com

Lobster Hot + Cold
"As an escape from the intensity of the kitchen, we're often inspired by a walk in our garden. Sitting quietly on a bench, this is a dish that just came to us. It's a kaleidoscope of texture, flavor, and contrasting temperatures. For half of the dish, the lobster is cooked for only 30 seconds and served like sashimi. The other part is butter poached and served hot. The sauces, vinaigrettes, and accompanying greens and flowers are meant to add contrast."

CLARK FRASIER + MARK GAIER

MC PERKINS COVE
111 Perkins Cove Rd. | Ogunquit | 207.646.6263 | mcperkinscove.com

ARROWS
41 Berwick Rd. | Ogunquit | 207.361.1100 | arrowsrestaurant.com

In the coastal town of Ogunquit, 98 Provence transformed an old country farmhouse into an authentic French bistro. They offer a Provençal menu with a twist, borrowing from North African, Italian, and New England cuisines. From April to December they serve dinner nightly and breakfast on the weekends.

Saveur du Midi
"My goal is not to imitate but to recreate a cuisine from abroad. This dish celebrates the bright colors and aromas of Provence. Reminiscent of bouillabaisse, our fisherman's soup is made with Maine seafood, saffron, orange, and Pernod."

PIERRE GIGNAC | 98 PROVENCE
262 Shore Rd. | Ogunquit | 207.646.9898 | 98provence.com

ALLISON MARTIN + ELMER BEAL JR. | THE BURNING TREE
69 Otter Creek Dr. | Rte. 3 | Otter Creek | 207.288.9331

Crispy Kale with Littleneck Clams, Chevre + Pinenuts
"The flavors of this dish mingle, yet each simple ingredient is detectable. The briny broth from the clams partially wilts the kale and mixes with the creamy goat cheese. Kale is a wonderful cool-weather crop that's easy to grow at the restaurant, and we are able to get clams freshly dug from local flats."

MITCHELL KALDROVICH | SEA GLASS AT INN BY THE SEA
40 Bowery Beach Rd. | Cape Elizabeth | 207.799.3134 | innbythesea.com

Gulf of Maine Poached Lobster Gnocchi
"Growing up in Argentina, I always made gnocchi for my family. It's my comfort food, and when I cook it now it reminds me of home. I love to pair it with lobster to support the fishing tradition in Maine. I butter poach the lobster and serve it with classic root vegetables, since they are abundant here year-round."

FIVE FIFTY-FIVE
555 Congress St. | Portland | 207.761.0555 | fivefifty-five.com

Husband-and-wife team Steve and Michelle Corry recently celebrated the launch of their second urban venture, French-style bistro Petite Jacqueline. Chef Corry is still often found whipping up crowd favorites in the open kitchen of their first collaboration, Portland's destination restaurant 555.

FIVE FIFTY-FIVE
555 Congress St. | Portland | 207.761.0555 | fivefifty-five.com

For your first visit to the Munjoy Hill eatery Bar Lola, the seven-course Feed Me tasting menu is recommended to give you a feel for the culinary stylings of chef Guy Hernandez. Small portions are not short on flavor, encompassing a range of styles that has captivated regulars for years.

GUY HERNANDEZ | BAR LOLA
100 Congress St. | Portland | 207.775.5652 | barlola.net

JOSH POTOCKI | 158 PICKETT STREET CAFE
158 Benjamin Pickett St. | South Portland | 207.799.8998

Supertoast
"Supertoast is a weekly rotating piece of toast that features anything we want to put on it. This slice of 158 sourdough is a new take on a traditional Maine dish with maple baked beans, local franks, and a fried egg. We call it our 'Maine bean suppah.'"

JOSH POTOCKI | 158 PICKETT STREET CAFE
158 Benjamin Pickett St. | South Portland | 207.799.8998

LEE SKAWINSKI

VIGNOLA
10 Dana St. | Portland | 207.772.1330 | vignolamaine.com

Charcuterie Plate
"This dish features an array of smoked, cured, dried, and salted meats as well as our house-made duck-liver mousse and country-style pork terrine. Paired with our crostini, pickled peppers, and whole-grain mustard, it's the perfect way to stimulate your palate."

LEE SKAWINSKI

VIGNOLA
10 Dana St. | Portland | 207.772.1330 | vignolamaine.com

Chefs Dish

EAT FEATURE-March 2012
By Susan Grisanti
Photographs by Dan Soley

A cross-section of Maine’s most interesting chefs, the foods they really care about, and what keeps diners coming back for more.

Chefs Dish

Share The Inspiration

Stay in touch!

Chefs Dish

Share The Inspiration

WE DELIVER.

Stay in touch!