Layne’s Wine Gig Presents
LITTLE LISTS
By Layne V. Witherell
I adore restaurants. Especially the ones with carefully thought-out, well-priced, drink lists. Not the price gouging, precious, and curated ones. Especially not those.
Please don’t use that word, “curated” for your drink lists. “Curated” is for your collection of Goya prints – not wine, beer, ciders, or the latest cilantro/jalapeno infused seltzer. Your price per bottle jumps $20.00 or more when that magical word appears.
We like to support local restaurants, using our own money, and cringe when that $15.00 retail wine (yes, you can look it up on your phone) magically leaps into the $50 plus world. Precious means just that. Be wary of “precious” anything.
There is faux local, then there is real local. Here are some real locals.
SOPO SEAFOOD
171 Ocean St. South Portland, ME 04106, Knightsville neighborhood
Closed Monday. Tue-Sun: 11AM to 7PM
Guardian Rkatsiteli White, Republic of Georgia, $10.00/bottle
You can’t do a better job of posting thirteen wines on a board than this. I can start with a glass of Guardian’s Rkatsiteli, a very old school grape from the Republic of Georgia at $10.00 a glass. A refreshing citrus, lime, herb opener. This gives us a chance to sink into the list with their crème fraiche caviar dip, and to not feel hurried. A good strategy whether the list is 13, 300, or 3,000 wines. You have bought time from making a hasty decision. Usually, the good news with a small list is you can jump right in.
Ant Moore Pinot Noir, New Zealand, $25.00/bottle
The beauty of New Zealand wine is that most of their 100,000 acres of grapes are planted in that “gooseberry splashed by cat pee” style of Sauvignon Blanc that we have come to not be able to live without. Well, their Pinot Noir is a semi closely guarded secret as you don’t see a whole lot of it around. The cool climate produces a Burgundian lookalike at a third of the price! A perfect accompaniment to their tuna tartare rice bowl at $18.00. Tuna and Pinot Noir with its earthy, dry, fresh berry-like essence is an ideal match.
Roots Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon $22.00/bottle
PINOT GRIS IS NOT PINOT GRIGIO, PEOPLE. GET OVER IT, AND MOVE ON.
Gris is a mutation of the famed Pinot Noir grape. It is co-mingled with the ultra-expensive Pinot Noir in some great, uber-expensive vineyards in the Burgundy region of France.
Peaches, pears, spices, and the flavor of their Lobster roll (mayo, please) at $25.00 are a perfect match (market price for lobster is determined via Ouija Board). My wife is partial to the Kelp martini paired with the spoons of delectable seafood crudo.
There you have it. A newish neighborhood with parking, walk-in and sit-down convenience, and bottles of wine that are both delicious and affordable. It is but a short jaunt across the bridge. There are two confluences in action here: “the WashingtonAvenueization” (you know what I mean) versus THE WINTER. Only the heartiest will survive. We will still be here.
NOSH (the “new Nosh”)
551 Congress St. Portland, Arts District
Tuesday-Saturday: 4-11p (kitchen closes at 10p)
The old Nosh was a famed local food icon in its own way. Best if you frequented this spot with your cardiologist as your dining partner. There was nothing like their “Arteriosclerotic Burger Special.” To us, this place was the cavern of excess, and a well-documented one, having been featured on the television show “Man vs. Food”!
One of our fondest memories was a dinner complete with all-you-could-eat delicious grub and all-you-could-drink local craft beer, with a substantial house wine chaser, followed by a leisurely crawl across Congress Street to see the premier at Space Gallery of the latest Joe Ricchio produced episode of Food Coma TV. It was a food coma night alright!
Under new ownership, the delicious (and seemingly saner caloric count) pub grub and drink offerings have been envisioned by the creative cocktail bar owners of CBG (nee Congress Bar and Grill at 617 Congress Street). It is worth checking out. New owners Michael and Kevin, serious pros, have presented us with delicious and approachable food (that will not require you keeping a defibrillator handy); a comprehensive beverage selection; and a model, budget-sensible, eight item wine list featuring the likes of:
- 2 Copas Spanish white, $7 glass/$25.00 bottle
- Simply Chardonnay, Washington, $7 glass/$25.00 bottle
- Verdigal Portuguese Red, $7 glass/$25.00 bottle
- Two by Sea Cabernet Sauvignon*, Washington, $7 glass/$25.00 bottle.
*A personal fave with their BLT Club at $14.00 or Burrito at $14.00.
They have included a creative cocktail list featuring high quality drinks at, by Portland standards, very reasonable prices – like $10-12.00 each. This is not a typo. They ARE $10.00 and exceptionally good.
BREAD AND OLIVE
935 Congress St., Portland, Parkside
Thu, Fri, Sat: 2p – 11p
Talk about emerging neighborhoods! This is it. Sarah Martin, owner of Bar of Chocolate on Wharf Street in the Old Port, has completely re-invented the old 5 Spot space (former home of “the world’s best Philly Cheese Steak”).
For those of you Portland newbies, here is a little history. The last occupant of this space, the 5 Spot was a little calmer than Popeyes and a lot nicer than Sangillo’s . But there was a mancave in the basement with a bar, couch, a stage, and beer taps. It fortunately never reached its full potential. In antique Portland lore, the former incarnation was reputed to have been a gambling den. The new space is clean, serene, and orderly. The basement is now storage.
After decades in the biz, Sarah is still an esteemed presence behind the bar. The list is small, good, and reasonably priced. Also, she can both concoct an absinthe cocktail and talk stories about the “green fairy” with the best of them. Ask her about the legendary rabbit sighting. She was the first person to bring absinthe into Maine.
Her list is small, well-chosen, and her by the glass pours are generous.
DoZoe Albarino, Northwestern Spain, $36.00/bottle
DoZoe Albarino, that aromatic grape from Rias Bais in Northwestern Spain, is like a lime centric lychee with a touch of melon. $10.00 a glass, $36.00 bottle. A deal for Albarino. Always a treat. The shrimp ceviche app at $9.00 is ideal as its accompaniment.
Corte Giacobbe Soave, Veneto, Italy, $28/bottle
Corte Giacobbe Soave, that slightly almond tinged white from the Veneto in Italy, clocks in at $28.00 a bottle. Try the Edmeades Zinfandel from California at $32.00 a bottle to wash down her caprese. Also, after decades of tending bar, you can rest assured she does mix a serious Manhattan or Martini, as my wife will attest.
Real Local Deserves Real Support
I get it. Portland can be too precious at times. But if you know where to look there are hardworking, caring, local people who aren’t vulturing it up with tchotchkes waiting for the cruise ships to come in. You can still eat and drink well in this town without spending a fortune.
The more I go to these neighborhood places the more it becomes apparent that they are there for us – the local customer. They deserve our support. And we will be here when all the cruise ships and snowbirds are long gone.
Layne has been a professional in the wine business for many decades as a teacher, importer, writer, competition judge, and winery CEO. He was awarded the Master Knight of the Vine for his pioneering work in the Oregon wine industry. He can be reached at lvwitherell@gmail.com.
