Finding Stillness

What do you do when one of your oldest and most treasured blogging friends announces that she will be holding a still life photography workshop for three magical days at her brand new studio in Rivers, Manitoba . . . and another of your oldest and dearest blogging friends invites you to come stay at her house just twenty minutes from the workshop . . . and those two sweet friends also happen to be among your favorite photographers in the entire world?

If you're me, you thank your lucky stars, and you book a flight to Manitoba.  

In my post last week I mentioned that I've been a thousand miles away both literally and figuratively.  Really, I've been two thousand miles away, but the miles cannot begin to measure what my time at Kim Klassen's The Studio meant to me.  

Finding Stillness was much more than a workshop.   

It was a time and a place where we had the freedom to set up a shot, and to keep coming back to it as the sun moved across the sky over the course of the day--no distractions, no responsibilities, no other task than to play with color and focus and shadows and light.

It was a space filled with well-worn tables and chipped-paint chairs and shelves of cups and bowls and books for us to use as we practiced making magic.  

Kim Klassen giving a demonstration on how she makes her magic

It was also the place where after years and years, I finally got to meet my two incredible friends for real . . . and to watch them work . . . and to soak up their brilliance.

Aeleen Sclater setting up a shot

Barb Brookbank, Diana Foster, Kim Klassen, and Shelley Rounds out for a morning walk on the trail

And it was, perhaps most importantly, three whole days that I got to spend with ten inspiring and talented photographers from the United States, Canada, and the UK.     

Carol Hart and Diana Foster

We talked shop--lighting, cameras, lenses, techniques and tips--but we also talked life.  And we laughed.  A lot. 

Ilse preparing a gorgeous salad while Xanthe Berkley, Barb Brookbank, and Barbara Skrobuton shoot

We also ate the most delicious and nourishing food, cooked by Kim's mom as well as by Aeleen, and by Aeleen's friend Ilse, an incredible chef who graciously let us photograph her preparing our gourmet lunch on the final day of the workshop.  It was a relief to be in a room full of people who not only didn't roll their eyes when I grabbed my camera to take endless shots of a gorgeous basket of peppers or a bowl of fresh salad tossed with line vinaigrette, they grabbed their cameras, too, and we all happily snapped away.

And then there was the stillness.  I found it each day in moments both expected and surprising.  We all shared an hour a day of silence, during which we were free to keep photographing or to process shots, read a book, write, take a nap--whatever our hearts desired.  I treasured those hours, as I'm naturally a pretty introverted person who loves to spend most of my time working in silence.  

But I discovered many times of quiet stillness throughout the day, even working side by side with other photographers.  It was easy to simply be.  Kim created such a light-filled and welcoming space that I think we all felt at home, whether we were gathered around Carol Hart giving a shop talk on using studio lighting or watching Xanthe Berkley make one of her incredible stop-motion animations or learning the secrets to gorgeous top-down shots from Barb Brookbank.  

The feeling of home extended beyond the four walls of Kim's studio to the town of Rivers itself, where we took walks, went out for supper, and popped into some of the local shops.  Everywhere we went in this small prairie town, people welcomed us, asked where we were from, and swapped stories.  I can't imagine a more perfect spot for a photography retreat.

Kim's sweet dog Ben was our muse and companion.

For me, the retreat extended beyond Rivers all the way to Aeleen's beautiful house on the prairie.  There, I got to meet her husband and one of her sons, hang out with her in the evenings, and run out the front door, into the fields each morning with her sweet pup Zoe.

Morning light in the room where I stayed at prairiegirl's place

Everything in prairiegirl Aeleen's world is arranged with love.  The shots above and below were taken in her house.  I didn't have to set them up, because this is just how she sees things, how she crafts beautiful vignettes at every turn.   

me and beautiful pg (Aeleen)

On my last day in Manitoba, I got to roam around early in the morning, taking shots full of color and texture at Aeleen's like the one above.  And her gardens!  And her studio!  I think I need to save them for another post.  There's too much to share.

As if staying with Aeleen were not treat enough, on my last night there, she took me to her neighbor Willi's Octoberfest, where we watched the full moon rise over the fields, and I got to see the biggest, most impressive bonfire of my entire life . . . not to mention fireworks and a fire lantern being launched.  Fire was definitely the theme of the evening!  And Abba.  Did I mention Abba?  There was much dancing to Abba.  Perhaps there wasn't much stillness that one night, but it was a time I won't soon forget.

Spoons and leaves at prairiegirl studio ~ love

Since returning to my own life back on the coast of Maine, I've been swamped with work, but I've also been finding that my week in Manitoba is very much present in my mind in heart.  The people I met there, and the time we spent simply sharing our love for taking photographs, have helped me to see why I turn to my camera so often, why I set up corners all over my house, always chasing the light, always seeking to discover a mood, a moment of stillness that once I've captured it, will always be mine . . . and maybe someone else's, too.  

Ben

I found myself using one hashtag again and again on my Instagram account while I was in Manitoba: #feelingblessed.  Thank you Kim, Aeleen, Xanthe, Carol, Diana, Barb, Brenda, Dorry, Shelley, and Barbara for three days full of more blessings than I can count.  

Strawberries and Sunshine

I have lost count of the number of quarts of strawberries we've eaten so far this summer.  If it's true that you are what you eat, then I am on the verge of actually becoming a strawberry.  We grow beautiful strawberries in our garden, but the squirrels steal them, so I buy mine from local farmers, which is just fine by me.  Before we ate the last quart, I managed to stop munching on them long enough to do a still life shoot.  I could seriously take photos of these little gems all day.  I believe they are among the most photogenic of all foods.  The backdrop of the top shot is the inside of a vintage picnic hamper.  It's the loveliest shade of forest green--just right as a shadowbox.  The white berry basket is one I bought on sale at Anthropologie last week. Maybe they still have some left . . .

We have just been enjoying the berries fresh with Greek yogurt or a little light cream--or straight out of the box, but I do love them in baked goods, too, so I thought I'd share a link to one of my favorite summertime treats: strawberry-rhubarb crisp.  This one's from Ina Garten, and I've made it a few times.  Pure heaven!

And here's a recipe that I'll definitely be trying; this one's from Gena Hamshaw at Food52.  It's a vegan strawberry vanilla coconut ice cream.  I feel like I need to make it before the season is completely over.  Maybe it's time to invest in an ice-cream maker!!!  If you have one that you love, please let me know the brand. :)

If you live in the US, hope you've been having a joyous and relaxing Fourth of July weekend filled with firecrackers and, what else, strawberry shortcake.

Back with more summer treats soon, chickadees!  xo Gigi

Lemon Sunshine Cookies

Do you remember when I said that "sunshine in a bowl" was going to be the theme for me until the snow melts?  I wasn't kidding.  In fact, I've expanded my theme to include sunshine in a glass, sunshine on a plate, and sunshine in a jar.  As long as that sunshine ends up in my belly, I'm happy.

These butter cookies definitely fit the theme, plus they are a breeze to make with ingredients many folks are likely to have on hand.  Make them when you're craving shortbread with a little twist.  Mr. Magpie and I have been dipping them in our tea and coffee all week.

Lemon Sunshine Cookies

Yield: Approximately 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• Grated zest of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar for dusting

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg.
4. Add lemon zest and lemon juice.
5. Gradually mix in the flour until well incorporated.
6. Roll dough into one-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Using the back of a fork, mark the cookies in a crosshatch pattern.
8. Bake for fifteen minutes (I turn them once midway through the baking time) until the bottoms are just beginning to turn golden brown.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar (I use a small sieve to do this).
10. Optional: I love really lemony cookies, so I sometimes sprinkle a little more lemon juice over the top before step 11.
11. Allow to cool, then, if you like, dust with powdered sugar one more time.
12. Store in a cookie tin or other airtight container.

These really couldn't be faster to make, and you can freeze them as well, so you'll always have some around for tea time!

P.S. I wouldn't be opposed to dipping one half of each cookie in dark chocolate.  Just sayin'. 

Think Spring

Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and that soothing rays of sunlight are shining down upon you. Our reality here in Maine right now is the picture above.  And more snow is headed our way tonight.  

I say, screw reality.  

I'm about ready for mojitos, crocuses, open-toed shoes (or just shoes of any kind that are not fleece-lined, waterproofed, and lug-soled) and the sight of green, green grass.  Since I can't have any of those, I'm indulging in retail therapy and food therapy both, and I don't feel the least bit guilty. If you feel like indulging along with me, click on the links in the captions to visit the sites where I found these lovely images.   

Isn't it time for some flowers and bunnies, and maybe a recipe involving eggs and lemons and fresh herbs?  

Tulip Magnolia Branches and Hungarian Storage Jars from Terrain

Little Hopper Taper Holder from Anthropologie

Bunny Cupcake Stand from Pottery Barn

Bluebird Eau de Parfum from Olivine Atelier

Okay, so the perfume is maybe more summer than spring, but as we hit record-breaking cold temperatures here in Maine this week, I think a little summer would be perfect about now, too.

Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs from Smitten Kitchen

I'm going to make this recipe tomorrow for dinner.  Tonight I'm making blood orange and fennel salad. The theme for me until the snow melts is sunshine in a bowl.

Sending love your way . . .

xo Gigi

Beautiful, Delicious, and Funny Things

Hello, my chickadees!  I'm not gonna lie.  This winter is turning out to be one for the books.  Any of you who live here in the Northeastern corner of the US know exactly what I'm talking about.  This photo is one I took of the banks of the Fore River on a day when the temperatures were below zero degrees Fahrenheit and we had fifty mph wind gusts.  I processed the shot after the fact to make it feel more like a painting than a photo, but the blustery snow was very real.  Today, Mr. Magpie is down at his job in Lowell, Massachusetts, a place which currently bears the dubious honor of being the snowiest city in America, with 111" so far this year.  Here in Portland we're expecting a few more inches tonight.  I think we could deal with the snowbanks over our heads if it weren't for the bitter cold.  

For kicks, you can compare this photo of our house with the one a couple of posts ago.  We've had more snow since this shot, but we've raked as much of it as possible off the roof and broken as many of the icicle-daggers as we could.  When I look back over my gardening calendar of the last two years, I realize that we had our first crocuses in the back yard by mid March both years.  I highly doubt that will be the case this year, a fact which, if I were a pessimist, would make me very bitter, indeed.  Instead, I've decided to look on the bright side.  All this snow means my perennials are under a thick blanket of warm insulation during all this cold weather, so even my roses and lavender should be fine when spring finally does arrive in July.  Just kidding.  June.  It will be here in June.

Our backyard during a storm

As usual when the weather is this intense and we're all feeling a little stir crazy, I've been seeking inspiration everywhere I can.  I thought I'd share with you a few recent glimmers of beauty, inspiration, and/or joy.  My brother Mark once posed the following questions to me about the things we encounter in life: "Is it beautiful?  Is it delicious?  Does it make me laugh?" he asked.  He then went on to say that  if it doesn't meet one or more of those three criteria, he didn't want or need it.  Mark is one of the smartest and funniest people I know, and I've used his three questions many times since to help myself decide about making purchases, selecting films to watch, books to read, or even to make bigger life choices.  Somehow, many choices do boil down to these categories for me, especially since I think beauty can be found in a well-told story, a smart turn of phrase, a kind gesture, or the accomplishment of even the smallest of goals. 

So, in true magpie fashion, I offer this list, in no particular order, of a few beautiful, delicious, and funny things:

~ This story told by Bill Murray about Gilda Radner.

~ This recipe for Dorie Greenspan's chocolate World Peace Cookies 

~ This bike trainer, which I truly believe is the only thing that is keeping Mr. Magpie and me at all fit or at all sane this winter--and sanity is a very beautiful thing, indeed . . . as are muscles.  :)

~ This baking show, which satisfies my love of baking, my Anglophile tendencies, and, since its a competition, is the closest thing to watching sports on TV that I will ever willingly do.  In fact, I don't have TV.  I watch this on my MacBook.  I also watch The Great Allotment Challenge on YouTube, for all of the above reasons except baking.  Just replace that with gardening, and there you have it. 

~This mystery show.  More Anglophile tendencies catered to quite happily.  Plus mysteries to solve--yes!  Plus there's Robson Green and James Norton to watch.  A beautiful addiction.

~This book by Nancy Marie Brown about a Viking woman who sailed off the edge of the known world five hundred years before Columbus.  Fascinating and well written. 

And finally, just thought I'd add the latest issue of Artful Blogging to the list.  I have a little bit of writing and a photo featured in the Blogging Buzz section this time around, but I'd say take a peek for all the other gorgeous inspiration inside.  

I hope you are faring well, my friends.  As always, you can find me on Instagram and Pinterest, as well as those other crazy social media platforms listed along the right side of the blog.  Just click on the icons to pop over for a visit.  I'm now on Twitter, too, so if you are as well, please be sure to connect with me.  I love staying in touch with you.    

Orange Upside-Down Cake

Please forgive the lousy picture quality!  We were in a hurry to eat, so I snapped a quickie iPhone shot, and then we tucked in.  Sometimes the stomach wins over art.

What does a magpie do when she has a bowl full of oranges plus a container of Greek yogurt in the fridge that needs to be used pronto . . . plus a serious craving for something sweet to go with a cup of Earl Grey?  She makes a sparkling, bejeweled orange upside-down cake.  I used this recipe from Family Spice.  It's incredibly fast and easy to prep, and it bakes in just 30 minutes in a cast-iron skillet.  My cast-iron skillet happens to be my favorite pan; it's well-seasoned and well-loved.  And now that this beauty of a cake popped right out of it with zero sticking, my cast-iron skillet is loved just a little bit more.

If you like oranges as well as a very moist cake, you will adore this recipe.  I'll definitely be making it again before Christmas, only this time I might do blood oranges and cranberries . . . or I'll change it up completely and do thin slices of pineapple (and maybe ripe mango).  I will likely add some vanilla as well, as the current recipe doesn't call for it, and I think it would boost the flavor a bit.  A little orange extract in addition to the orange zest would be nice, too, although just a drop or two.  It's easy to go overboard.  The recipe calls for plain Greek yogurt, but I only had vanilla, and it was delicious.  I often use vanilla yogurt when making sweet baked goods, and it substitutes beautifully.  I just use a little less sugar than the recipe calls for in order to balance out the sugar in the yogurt.

Thanks so much to subscribers and readers of The Magpie's Fancy!  I love getting your comments and emails, and I love visiting your blogs, too, so if you leave me a comment and you have a blog, please be sure to link back to it.  

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More soon, chickadees!  xo Gigi

Thanksgiving Inspiration

The Beloved Peanuts Thanksgiving

I LOVE Thanksgiving.  Longtime readers of The Magpie's Fancy know that I'm not a fan of Black Friday . . . and that I am completely against the idea of going shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself.  I doubt that I have to explain why, but I will say that I am still an old-fashioned believer in devoting a day to giving thanks for all the blessings that we already have.  Period.  

I also think that the Christmas season has become so overblown and so darn long that it is about to completely obliterate Thanksgiving altogether.  This year, most of the stores in our area began putting their Christmas displays out before Halloween, and by now they are completely decked out in Yuletide finery.  I really love decorating for Christmas come December 1st or so.  Call me a Scrooge, but I need that month's separation between my candy corns and my candy canes.

Therefore, I'm slowing things down and taking one holiday at a time.  And I'm finding loads of Thanksgiving inspiration everywhere I turn, so I thought I'd share a few links that might inspire you, too, whether you celebrate American Thanksgiving or you just want to enjoy the beauty of autumn a little longer.

Photo Credit: Michael Graydon & Nicole Herriot from Bon Appetit

First, there's all that glorious food to consider.  And where better to turn for inspiration than Bon Appetit?  I picked up their Thanksgiving issue just before hopping on a plane in Pittsburgh this past week, and I found myself salivating as I turned the pages.  If the perfect mashed potatoes have always eluded you, check out their guide to making gorgeous and delicious potatoes.  Mr. Magpie makes them for us all year round, and he always uses Yukon Golds, as Bon Appetit recommends here in the guide.  Who knew he was such a brilliant cook?  I did, actually, because he makes my favorite potatoes in the world!

And this pie.  This is the one I'm dreaming of.  Luckily, Mr. M's birthday and Thanksgiving both fall in November, and Mr. M prefers pie to cake.  That means I have two excuses to make pie.  Maybe I'll also make this one . . . just for the sake of being thorough.  You know what they say: "a pie in the hand is worth two in the bush". . . or is it "a stitch in time saves pie?"  "You are the apple of my pie?"  "Pie.  It's what's for dinner."  That last one is what we say in this house.

I think this photo was originally from The Lexington Company.  If I'm wrong, please let me know!     

While it's far too cold in this part of the country to eat outdoors at Thanksgiving, I love the mood of the photo above.  Simple, elegant, and cozy.  A table to linger over long after the meal has ended.  Only inside.  With pie.

From Terrain

I'm also loving the colors and textures of the newest autumn offerings at Terrain.  Their catalog is always a wonderful mix of natural fibers and products inspired by forests and fields.  I have some of those Stargazer lights pictured here, by the way, and they are incredibly pretty!  No ugly cords, plus soft, warm light.  I have to admit, though, that I bought mine much cheaper.  Definitely shop around for the best price!  You can find ones that plug in or some that are battery powered, which would be perfect for table and mantle decorations.

Closer to home, I'm taken by the beautiful displays at some of my favorite local shops in Portland, Maine, especially this one and this one, run by wonderful friends with unerring eyes for beauty, function, and enduring style.  

And finally, this year, Thanksgiving comes after a particularly challenging election season.  Here in Maine, I was disheartened by the election results--and, perhaps more importantly, by the campaigns leading up to those results.  I was also disappointed to learn that on the national level, 2014 had the lowest voter turnout in any election since World War II.  Less than 40% of eligible voters went to the polls, and only 13% of voters ages 18-30 showed up to cast their ballots.  Like so many Americans, I am proud to live in a democracy, but a democracy is only as strong as its citizenry makes it, and I fear for the future of ours.  The Thanksgiving we celebrate here in the U.S. gives us an opportunity to reflect not only on our own blessings, but on what it means to us to be Americans, and on the legacy handed down to us by our forefathers and mothers.  Here is a brief exploration on poets.org of the history of Thanksgiving, as well as a few passages from poems about the holiday.  

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, how will you be celebrating this year?  Maybe with a little pie?  ;)  Do you have any recipe links or other Thanksgiving thoughts/inspiration you'd like to share?  Please feel free in the comments!

Apples and Obsession

Thanks so much, my friends, for the warm and funny emails and Facebook messages about the Portland restaurant series.  I had a fantastic time compiling the lists, and I now apologize for making everyone so hungry!  I made myself hungry, too.  

Fortunately, I'd just bought lots of apples at Sweetser's Apple Barrel, so much snacking has been going on around here.  The ones in the photo above are Stayman Winesaps (early 19th-century variety), which, I won't lie, I bought simply so I could photograph them.  I think they're just gorgeous little apples.  It turns out that they're also good ones for storing, so I'll be able to eat those, too, once I'm done taking their portraits.  In the meantime, I've been eating big juicy Snow Apples (a very old French heirloom variety) and  Cortlands (a 19th-century variety from New York) and Brocks (Maine heirlooms from the early 20th century that are a cross between McIntosh and Golden Delicious).  

I also made an apple crisp from my old standby recipe, mixing the different varieties together.  It was delicious, but I found that I had to bake it longer than I normally do, which is always something to keep in mind when baking with different varieties of apples for the first time.  Some, like McIntoshes, break down quickly when baked.  Others hold their shape and crispness for much longer, so pie, crisp, and  apple sauce cooking time can vary quite a bit.  The extra time was a small price to pay for the apple crisp.  It had a depth and complexity of flavor that I've never achieved in a crisp before.  I also upped the nutmeg a wee bit, which I wouldn't normally do, since nutmeg can be overwhelming, but I took a chance based on the flavors of the raw apples as I sliced them for the crisp.  I'm glad I did.  The nutmeg took on an almost ginger-y quality against the golden delicious characteristics of the Brocks.

Can you tell that I really, really love apples?  Yes, my love borders on obsession.  So much so that I wrote a poem about them several years ago.  That poem was later published in Soundings East.  It's been a long time since I shared one of my poems here on the blog, but all this talk of apples has me feeling nostalgic, so here's the poem, which is also a bit of a creation myth, I suppose . . .

SEARCH NO MORE

I learn apple before I am born:
my mother sits beneath a tree at Green Point Farm,
slicing crisp moons of McIntosh.
She teases them from the blade with her teeth,
filling her Rome Beauty belly.
A is for apple, she sings--
Sack and Sugars, Slack my Girdles,
Golden Knobs.
I kick in reply,
begin my hungry dance into life.

Over time we make pies, cider,
sauce.  Delicious, I learn,
aren't delicious at all, and crabs
are best for jelly.
When she reads me Snow White
I know why the girl craves the Queen's apple,
heart-red, white as her own skin--
biting in, she becomes a greater tale to tell.

A is for ask, appetite, apologize--
Eve and Aphrodite stand sorry before me
in the Children's Book of Ancient Stories,
apples in their upturned hands.
With a pencil I draw them: Eve's Incomparable,
Aphrodite's Perfection--fruits I will eat
until the basket is empty.

Brown snouts are bittersweet
for blending with Hangdowns and Golden Drops.
I can pare one in seconds,
say the alphabet while I twist the stem:
Who will I marry?  K or M?
I make a crust to catch him,
pack it full of Seek No Furthers,
bake it till the sugar runs,
wait for my prince to come.

A is for apple, answers, alone.
My mother shines Jonagolds with her coat sleeve,
teaches me to carve swans and crowns,
stud them with cloves, make tarts
from Grannys, butter from Ida Reds, dry
the Packhorses and Admirables
for apple dolls with black, beaded eyes
and the faces of wise
old women.

By Gigi Thibodeau

Supper and Dinner in Portland, Maine

"Unexpected Party" Illustration by David T. Wenzel.  Available here.

For the past several days I've been thinking and eating like a hobbit in order to list some of my favorite restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops here in Portland, Maine.  I've wanted to compile a list like this for some time now, as I'm often asked by friends for food recommendations in Portland.  It's never easy.  This place is foodie heaven.  I figured that breaking it down into the seven meals that Pippin lists in The Lord of the Rings would give me a chance to include more of the places I love as well as to be as specific as possible about what makes me love these places. Today I'm up to the last two meals, Supper and Dinner.  

"It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did" (The Hobbit, Chapter 12). 

I'm going to try to be brave as a hobbit as I attempt to list both meals in this post.  Supper will be restaurants that I tend to visit on the early side; Dinner will be places that are open later or that are perfect for a late-night snack.  Within each category the restaurants are listed in no particular order.  These lists are not all-inclusive.  If I were to list all my favorites, these lists would be at least twice as long!

A FEW OF THE MAGPIE'S FAVORITE SUPPERS IN PORTLAND, MAINE

1. Grace  This is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Portland.  Located in a former church, Grace is elegant and lively at the same time.  The perfect spot for a romantic dinner or for incredibly creative drinks at the gorgeous bar.  Go here if you want lovely food in a memorable atmosphere.
2. East Ender  I think this bustling two-floor bistro gets overlooked by some folks.  It is one of my favorite places to go for comfort food and a friendly atmosphere.  Mr. Magpie and I order the lobster nachos (think loads of lobster, avocado, cheddar, salsa, and sour cream) to split, and then I get a salad with calamari for dinner.  Perfect.  They also have fun house drink specials, like the strawberry-rhubarb pie martini.  Yum.
3. Schulte & Herr  Everything at this tiny German restaurant is homemade, including the delicious breads.  On a recent visit with friends, I tried the spatzle, with caramelized onions, emmenthal cheese, chives, & cucumber salad, which was hearty and filling, but with beautifully balanced flavors.  Another real standout for me is the zwiebelkuchen, a caramelized onion & gruyere tart that is simply one of the best things I've eaten at a restaurant in a long time.  If you like salmon, try the potato pancakes with house-cured salmon.  This dish will change any preconceptions some might have about German food being too heavy.        
4. Veranda Noodle Bar  This place has my favorite peanut sauce in town, so I always, always always order the fresh spring rolls here.  And sometimes a little extra peanut sauce.  :)  This is the place to come for fresh, Vietnamese food.  It's just off the peninsula on Veranda Street, so it's a bit of a hidden gem.  We go here for the noodle bowls.  The one I find myself ordering time and again is the grilled shrimp vermicelli bowl.  The shrimp are marinated in a tumeric-flavored sauce and then grilled until slightly blackened.  
5. Becky's Diner  I hesitate to include Becky's on this list, not because I don't love this diner, because I do love this diner.  This place has been featured on a certain Food Network show that shall remain nameless, and I have to say that shows like this kind of ruin places for locals.  I'm sure people all over the country share this same problem when their favorite diners--the places they've been going to for more years than they can remember--get featured on TV.  Suddenly, we can no longer get a table, especially during the summer.  Such is life.  We still go here, we just wait until the tourist season ends, and I usually get the broiled haddock or the broiled scallops for dinner.  This is simple, fresh, homemade Maine food.  Nothing fancy.  Mr. M and I sit at the counter.  Sometimes we even break our no soda rule and order a Pepsi.  Sounds crazy, I know.  We like to live dangerously.  
6. Green Elephant  After the guilty pleasure of a buttery grilled fish dinner at Becky's, Green Elephant is just what the doctor ordered.  Everything at this Asian-inspired bistro is vegetarian, but I promise, meat eaters will love it, too.  Definitely order the brussel sprouts appetizer for everyone to share.  These little gems are as close to candy as a vegetable can get.  If you think you hate brussel sprouts, give these a try anyway.  If anything will change your mind, these will. I've loved every main dish I've ever tasted here.  One of my favorites is the pineapple brown rice.   I also love the peanut curry.
7. Saeng Thai House  Our number one spot for take-out!  We also like to eat in at this tiny Thai bistro.  The food is reliably delicious, and I can't think of nicer waitstaff in town.  High up on our list of favorite items are the bikini shrimp appetizer--golden wontons wrapped around shrimp and fresh ginger, then fried and served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce.  My favorite main dish is the special pad thai basil.  It has ruined all other pad thai for me, as this is so much more interesting!    
8. Walter's  I liked Walter's back in the days when it was on Exchange Street in the Old Port, but since its move a few years ago to very different, decidedly more upscale digs, I think the food has improved dramatically.  My family and I go for the bar menu, which balances creative takes on comfort food with some truly inventive dishes.  The menu changes seasonally, and I especially love the warm ambience here after a chilly afternoon of Christmas shopping in the Old Port.
9. Back Bay Grill  This is the restaurant we chose to celebrate our anniversary this year, and it was absolutely the perfect choice.  This place was here long before Portland became a famous foodie destination, and I believe it will be here long after trendier places have closed.  The service is impeccable--the very best I've had in Portland--and the food is wonderful.  When you look up Portland restaurants online, this place always winds up very near the top of the list--and deservedly so.  
10. JP's Bistro  Our neighborhood bistro.  Hearty dishes and incredible homemade desserts in a friendly, warm atmosphere.  It's located well off the peninsula, so tourists never go here, which suits us just fine.  If you decide to be adventurous and go looking for JP's, don't let the fact that it's located in a tiny strip mall put you off.  You'll love the seafood dishes, and seriously, save room for dessert.  Holy moly.
11. The Front Room  I mentioned this place once before on another list, but I need to include it here, too.  Portlanders know and mostly love Chef Harding Lee Smith's "Rooms" restaurants.  For me, it's always the Front Room that brings me back (with occasional visits to the lovely Corner Room).  Think homemade everything in a noisy, darkened neighborhood bistro.  I crave mussels and gnocchi when I come here, along with lots of crusty bread.  I also crave cedar-plank salmon with pumpkin goat cheese risotto.  Oh, and white cheddar grits.  Pure comfort.  
12. Flatbread  Honestly, this is my favorite pizza in town.  I do love OTTO, but the spicy sauce at Flatbread wins me over.  Plus the big wood-burning oven, the funky-hippy vibe, and the views of the ferries as they come and go to the islands.  I know Flatbread is sort of a mini-chain, and I've been to nearly all their other locations, but the one in Portland happens to be my favorite.  Lucky me.  On Monday nights they've always got music, and the place just hops.  Plus, and this is huge for me, they make an incredible salad with mixed greens, carrots, celery, sesame seeds, and seaweed.  Sounds odd, but tastes divine.  I get it with local blue cheese on top.  Then I dip my flatbread in the light vinaigrette dressing. 
13. Caiola's  I've mentioned Caiola's once before, but it's worth mentioning again.  It's very neighborhood-y as in West End neighborhood-y, and the food's just fantastic.  Whatever else you get, please do order the polenta fries.  You won't be sorry.  

The menu on the wall at Otto

A FEW OF THE MAGPIE'S FAVORITE DINNERS IN PORTLAND, MAINE

1.  OTTO Pizza  I almost feel like I don't need to mention OTTO.  Everyone in these parts knows OTTO.  Incredible pizza with truly wonderful toppings.  I think their mashed potato, bacon, and scallion is probably the most famous.  I'm a fan of the butternut squash,  ricotta, and cranberry.  There are several OTTO locations now in greater Portland and Boston, but I still love the original best.  We go here for slices after seeing a live show at the State on a summer night.  They also make a good caesar salad, so Mr. M and I often split one and then each have a slice or two.  Perfect date night! 
2.  Boda  This is where Mr. M took me to celebrate my birthday recently.  Why?  Because I love Thai food, and Boda's creative, street-style Thai cuisine is consistently good, consistently fresh, and consistently fun to eat.  On my birthday, the standout dish was the curried mussels, with a rich, coconut-milk broth and a side of sticky rice to soak it all up.  
3.  Nosh  Yes, Nosh makes the list twice.  It's a great place for late-night eats.  Period.  Go to a show, then go here.  And, as I said before, you must order the fries.  You simply must.
4. The North Point  Delicious cocktails, sangria, and lovely cheese and meat platters.  That's what you'll find here, along with a wonderful, warm atmosphere.  Portland has many, many trendy hipster bars these days, but this isn't one of them.  Tucked into a little spot on picturesque Silver Street, this is a perfect spot for dinner and movie or for meeting friends after work.    
5. Great Lost Bear  I've been going here since my undergraduate days in the late 80's.  This is as local as local gets.  They have seventy-eight beers on tap.  No, that's not a typo.  They really do, plus great comfort food.  Try the chili.  They've got one with meat and one without.  I get the veggie chili, and it's the kind of stick-to-your ribs bowl of comfort that I often crave in the winter.  The Great Lost Bear is also famous for their burgers, and I love their fish sandwiches.  This place is dark, noisy, and just what Mainers need when we're feeling a little stir crazy in the dead of winter.  
6. Silly's with a Twist  Truth be told, we come here pretty much anytime of day or night, but it can't be beat for a late dinner or even and after-dinner slice (slab, hunk) of delicious cake.  Silly's and the newer Silly's with a Twist right next door are two of the funkiest spots in town, and it doesn't get much more local than this.  The menu is huge and incredibly creative; the food definitely leans towards comfort, with large portions (we always end up taking half our meal home) and lots of cheesy, melty, gooey goodness.  I love the fabuffel burger (falafel doused in buffalo sauce), but I've tried many other dishes here, and I nearly always leave incredibly happy. They've got a huge list of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, plus milkshakes (hello, chocolate-pretzel shake), and one of the nicest staffs in town.  
7. Local 188  Boisterous and bohemian, Local 188 is the perfect place to go after a film or for late-night tapas with friends.  I really think this is one of the restaurants that kicked off the huge wave of foodie havens in Portland, and it is still very much going strong.  Like so many of the other restaurants listed here, this is a popular brunch spot, too.  
8. J's Oyster Bar  Extremely local joint down on the waterfront.  Dive bar that also happens to have great oysters and chowders.  I know everyone is raving about Hipster Eventide, and I get it, but I'm still partial to some of the old school spots like J's and Port Hole.  It's the Mainer in me, and the townie girl.  I won't apologize for it.  
9. Gorgeous Gelato  Technically not a restaurant really, but still, this place is always in the number one spot for Portland restaurants on Trip Advisor.  And with very good reason.  The owners are from Italy.  The gelato is made fresh every day.  I was just in Italy for two weeks earlier this year, where I ate gelato for fourteen days straight.  Gorgeous gelato is as good as the best gelato I had in Italy.  For me, nothing is better than their wild berry, but I also love many other flavors, including, of course, pistachio, made with Sicilian pistachios.   
10. Gelato Fiasco  How can I mention the competition on the same list?  Because their gelato is also incredible.  I think that the recipe at Gorgeous is creamier, but the variety of flavors at Fiasco can't be beat.  My favorite?  Sweet Resurgam, named after Portland's motto and made with roasted almond, burnt sugar, chocolate chips, caramel.  I think there's a wee joke in the burnt sugar and roasted almond, as resurgam means "I rise," referring to Portland's resurgence after three major fires throughout its history.  In fact, in the great fire of 1866, one of the buildings that famously burned was a sugar factory.  Oh, those folks at Gelato Fiasco are rascals.  The really good news about these two gelateria is that they are located across the street from each other on Fore Street, and they are open late, so if you're out and about late in the Old Port on a Saturday night, you can do a little comparison with your friends at both shops.  

LINKS TO THE REST OF THE MAGPIE'S FAVORITE MEALS IN PORTLAND, MAINE

Breakfast

Second Breakfast

Elevensies

Lunch

Afternoon Tea