Kon Asian Bistro - Portland Maine

Entertaining, Unique and Tasty

Jen Peavey



In the same strip of Portland’s Brighton Avenue with seedy hotels and forgotten gas pumps, sits a diamond in the rough – Kon Asian Bistro.  “Exotic dancers?” I questioned as I passed in my car when I first spotted it. 



Some positive feedback from friends gave me the courage to try out Kon – a bistro/sushi bar/ hibachi restaurant that also has a hip and sizeable bar.  My motivation (in addition to the obvious hope of good food) was two-fold:  entertainment and value.  Who can beat flying utensils and vegetables for half price on Mondays and Tuesdays? 



The décor is very striking when you enter – it is lavish, unique and unexpected.  The backlit bar, the ornate light fixtures, and the giant Buddha statue poised at the far end of a long shallow pond give a trendy night club feel to it.  

Portland, Maine — Maine craft brewer Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Company (www.grittys.com) announced today that its seasonal favorite, Vacationland Summer Ale, will be hitting store shelves throughout New England by the end of March. 

 

“Every year, Gritty’s Vacationland Summer Ale is released just about the time we New Englanders all start to need a strong dose of warmer weather,” said Gritty’s Vice President and Master Brewer Ed Stebbins.  “Springtime coming at the end of a long, cold winter is reason enough to celebrate with an excellent, warmer-weather brew.”

It’s about time I wrote about some of my favorite Portland food:  Haggarty’s Brit-Indi.  Brit-Indi is Indian food that has a more western appeal, and, like the name suggests – very popular in Britain.  Haggarty’s is located at 684 Forest Avenue in Portland and is predominantly geared towards take-out (which we did on this occasion), but there are a few tables if you prefer to eat there. 

According to Haggarty’s website, Peter, the owner of Haggarty’s, is an Indian food veteran, and he has definitely refined the flavors of his dishes to near perfection.  The menu is straightforward – 5 appetizers and 8 sauces, to which you add vegetables, chicken, beef, lamb, paneer (like cottage cheese), or channa (chickpeas).  Each entrée comes with jasmine rice.  Also offered are fries and naan bread (garlic or plain).

Satisfying and Popular – Grill 233 is a Good Choice for Date Night



Why am I a sucker for white Christmas lights, awnings and wood signs?  Who knows?   But the exterior of Grill 233 at 233 US Route 1 in Yarmouth sports all of these, so they scored extra points before we were even in the door.  Inside, the rich burgundy and yellow walls, white tea lights, and dark wood gave the dining area warmth and class.



The initial wait for my Mojito was a bit long but, admittedly, I’m probably the only one who orders this summer cocktail in January, so they probably had to go hunt down someone who remembered how to make it, or dig through permafrost to cut some fresh mint leaves.  I’ll cut them some extra slack because when we arrived at 5:35 and I wondered, “who eats dinner this early anyway?” the place filled up within ten minutes.  And this is January – not exactly tourist season.  Glad we got there early.



The waitress announced the specials as lobster ravioli and pork tenderloin in a veal demi-glace with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  Grill 233 says they are “All American Cuisine,” which, at the risk of sounding like a snob here, sometimes leaves me with images of giant hamburgers, enormous uninspired “smothered” portions, and “pieces of flair” decorating the wait-staff and walls.  I bring this up to point out that I was proven wrong.  In the case of Grill 233, I think that “All American Cuisine” means a wide selection of chicken, steak, fish and pasta- and the menu is certainly extensive.

Portland, ME – In recent good news for health-conscious consumers, Health magazine has named Wild Blueberries high on its list of “America’s Healthiest Superfoods for Women.”  The feature, running in the magazine’s January/February 2010 issue, singles out Wild Blueberries’ impressive variety of potential health benefits, including preventing memory loss, improving motor skills, lowering blood pressure, and fighting wrinkles (see http://tinyurl.com/yzrsndg).

“If berries are nutritional treasures, Wild Blueberries are the crown jewels…truly one of nature’s ultimate antiaging foods,” according to the feature, which gave Wild Blueberries the #2 slot on its Superfoods list.  Health editors recommend that readers mix in Wild Blueberries with their daily berries servings “as much as possible” for their many health benefits, and point readers to the frozen fruit aisle of supermarkets for the healthy frozen version available every season of the year.

CHEF/OWNER RICK HIRSCH OF DAMARISCOTTA RIVER GRILL NAMED “CHEF OF THE YEAR” BY MAINE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

 

Chef Rick Hirsch to accept award at March 30 MeRA awards ceremony

 

Damariscotta, Maine – Chef Rick Hirsch, owner of midcoast Maine’s Damariscotta River Grill (www.damariscottarivergrill.com), has been named the Maine Restaurant Association’s 2010 Chef of the Year.  Announced by the Association’s chairman of the board, Mary Dysart Hartt, the award will be presented to Hirsch at MeRA’s Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, March 30, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland (http://tinyurl.com/ykta95n).

“Rick Hirsh exemplifies what is so great about Maine’s restaurant community,” said Hartt.  “He is an innovative chef who owns and operates his own successful restaurants, he consistently supports local community efforts and charitable projects, and he gives Maine hospitality a great name.  This award is certainly well deserved.”

 

Chef Hirsch along with partner and wife, Jean Kerrigan, have a long history of involvement with their Maine community.  The Grill was recognized as a state winner of the National Restaurant Association’s 2008 Restaurant Neighbor Award in recognition of the team’s many contributions to the community they call home, including support of the annual Boy and Girls Clubs Wreath Sale and Chocolate Fest, an annual event that supports Healthy Kids!. The Grill also offers a number of ongoing and innovative programs, such as the Wine Club and the Art at the Grill series, that help keep Maine’s food scene on the local, regional and national map. 

 

“The Maine Chef of the Year award is certainly a career highlight,” Hirsch said.  “It is a distinct honor to be recognized by my peers in the culinary industry, and I am very grateful to receive an award for something I enjoy doing so much.”