A Wedding in Maine

We attended our fourth wedding this past weekend over the last three months.  This was up in Portland, Maine.  The small community of Prouts Neck is where all the festivities took place.  It is an incredible spot only a mere 20 minutes out of Portland.  I can only imagine how perfect it is in the summer months.

We went up a bit early to eat our way around Portland.  Of course, the first stop was Eventide.  How this restaurant puts out delicious food all day long turning tables constantly is impressive.  Someone who has true skills is in the kitchen.  Damn.  We had oysters to start.

Toro Carpaccio perfectly sliced with small dots of an intense sesame paste, hints of yuzu with long crunchy slices of cucumber over the top.  We were speechless while eating the dish.

There are always a few specials and the way they serve the brussel sprouts changes season to season.  We had a bowl and I don’t remember what was in it but I do remember how good they were.  You had to get the brown buttered lobster roll.  They make their own buns that remind me of a really good pork bun bread with pieces of lobster lightly tossed in brown butter.  It is simple and perfect.

Roasted sword belly with pickled cubes of squash, a very slightly sauce of pepitas and crushed pistachios on the side was one of the specials of the day.  Insanely creative and oh so so good.

We drove to the Black Point Inn where we were staying.  It was a crisp New England weekend.  There is a calmness to this part of the world that feels good.

The next day we ventured back into Portland for breakfast.  We hit up two places for breakfast.  The first being Tandem Coffee and Bakery that has taken over an old gas station.  The buttermilk biscuit sliced in half and stuff with strawberry jam and butter was one of the best things we had all weekend.  Simple, buttery and the right texture.  We had a full breakfast down the street at Hot Suppa which was good but nothing compared to the simplicity of the biscuit.

Strolling through town we stopped at the Portland Art Museum to see the Noguchi show.  Noguchi had been commissioned to do playgrounds and I believe some had been made but I know others were not.  This was his answer to an architecturally designed slide.

We got dressed for the wedding that took place in the St. James Church founded in 1890.  That date sums up the place.  Very New England with roots from way back when.

Across the road is Winslow Homer’s house where he painted Prouts Neck out his window.

There is something about getting older that makes me appreciate the beauty of places more and more.  This photo captures the magnificence of the area.