Layne’s Wine Gig Presents
LOCALS’ SEASON
By Layne V. Witherell
Thank you DiMillo’s for the title and inspiration. Sure, it’s cold, snowy, wet, and very windy. But THEY – the tourists – are mostly gone and this place is still here for all of us. Here are some holiday wintery thoughts on how to enjoy Locals’ Season.
DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant
25 Long Wharf, Portland, ME
You know them. They are right where the buses, faux fire trucks, duck boats, and Ubers all hang out during the summer. Along with the jewelry hawkers and makers of adorable lighthouse and seagull prints, who are surrounded by the map wielding gawking tourists. It’s Vacationland for us.
But now, Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. is all Happy-Hour-Wintery-Us.
“Wine down” on house Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet, Merlot, and bubbles at $6 a glass. Decent stuff.
“Can I get a…” Lone Pine, Cushnoc, Bissell Substance (deal!), Freedom’s Edge Cider, or High Noon Selzer are available. Lots of selfies happening around the seltzer world. All for six bucks (selfie not included).
Martinis, Manhattans, or Cosmos at $7, and that classic “One Bourbon, a shot, and a beer” deal is also $7.
Gotta have some munchies to absorb the alcohol. Classic fried calamari along with a dozen other tasty treats including Korean style crispy pork belly bites for ten bucks. And don’t forget the free parking.
Show up early to see your neighbors and leave a good tip.
Local 188 Rides Again
685 Congress St., Portland, ME
The much beloved spot for food, cocktails, wine, the art of Pat Corrigan, and a great local vibe closed, but has been revived for pop-ups and events by Big Tree Catering (the Eventide and Honey Paw people).
A mysterious listing for an event appeared on social media that we simply had to book.
Cherie & Big Tree Catering Present an Ala Carte French Dinner
Woo, Woo! We had just attended the very last night of Petite Jacqueline, our French dining outpost, and were chomping to experience local French dining once again. We simply had to check this out.
THE problem: When you list an event as “Wine Dinner $100 Bucks” this tells me absolutely nothing. There is a chapter in my memoir “Wine Maniacs: Life in the Wine Biz” on page 151, titled “Finding Great Wine Dinners,” that clearly explains what you need to know. The prices, courses, and list of wines are essential so that you can find out whether it will be sublime or you will be screwed.
Fortunately, this pop up was not about relying on faith alone. We’ve enjoyed Big Tree’s work going back to the great days of Hugo’s and are looking forward to more collaborations in this wonderful space.
THE MENU: ALL CLASSICS
Leeks Viniagrette $12. Poached Leeks, tarragon, chopped eggs.
Pate de Campagne $18.00. Pickles, mustard, “Bread and Friends” Baguette.
Boudin Blanc $27.00. Pumpkin, roasted apple, mustard jus.
Roasted Monkfish $29.00. Salsify, maitakes, celeriac puree.
THE WINES
This is the scary part for me. There was no listing of food course prices on the social media post and absolutely no wine list whatsoever. For us, this is a booking in pure faith. My worst scenario is a wannabe sommelier trotting out a couple of experimental biodynamic wines made by “hobbits with unwashed feet” (Ray Isle), that have absolutely nothing to do with what we are eating.
But lo, a little wine list appeared, unpriced but all the real stuff.
A hint: Double check the wines and list glasses and bottles. A real French Chablis at $45.00 a bottle! Give me two! It was, actually, a Petit Chablis, just a step down the ladder but a mouthful of minerally greatness, nonetheless. We wound up enjoying the bottle immensely with our entrees.
The glasses of Blanc de Blanc from the Loire Valley and Corbières from the south of France at $14.00 were spot on with our starters.
The dinner was beyond our expectations despite our having to roll the dice on wines and prices. Other high points were the off-season local vibes, being in one of our favorite spots, saying “hi” to a staff we have known for years, and meeting new friends who share our passion for wonderful food, wine, and conviviality.
After this trial run, I sincerely hope to see Cherie open a brick-and-mortar spot in this part of the world. We long for a French restaurant of this caliber.
Scallops, Scallops, Scallops
I GET IT. This is the moment for scallops. In the dark recesses of Portland foodie history, a French wunderkind chef named Jean-Louis Palladin landed in the U.S. in the 1970’s and taught us all major things about food.
In the words of a contemporary writer, “Mr. Palladin made me understand that a leek or a salmon plucked from the earth or the sea is not an inert object. That inside every good thing we eat there is a life force.”
He teamed up with Ross Browne Mitchell (Browne Trading Co.) to source the best products that America could offer. “While all these French chefs were busy bullshitting about how their butter was better, he was here sourcing American products,” noted Drew Nieporent.
They championed the brilliant concept of diver scallops. You get into diving gear and go all the way down to hand harvest the best scallops. Then there are dayboat scallops, harvested on smallish vessels that return to shore within 24 hours. It’s all about freshness. Compared with mass-caught, frozen scallops, the difference in flavor is sensational.
With fresh scallops in hand, my wife Judy decided to make a quick lemony pan sauce for some zip since it was snowing outside, and it is time to experiment. The sauce included cornichons, chopped parsley, and a splash of white wine.
Sure, we could have a Napa Valley Chardonnay, or a French Pouilly Fuisse, or even a Sancerre. But these are no brainers and regularly appear on good local wine lists. Our local wine pairings unfortunately haven’t caught up to the brilliance of those scallops. The sommeliers are busy doing what those French chefs were crowing about with their butter.
Death by Semillon, 2023, Usher Tinker Wines, Hunter Valley, Australia, $24.99 bottle retail.
We simply don’t go out on a limb and look for this deviously difficult grape to pair with foods. After five decades of a food and wine pairing life you sometimes simply have to run to the books for guidance. Enter” Daring Pairings” by Evan Goldstein, University of California Press, one of the most creative sources for wine pairings… Ever.
Semillon is a versatile grape, appearing in the world’s greatest dessert wines. Most notably one Chateau d’Yquem (very pricey), but ranging to a dry, tasty beeswax character house wine that is much less pricey.
The problem is sorting it all out. While totally dry, it still exhibits brioche, honeyed flavors. The honeyed flavors work with sweet scallop meat while the vibrant acidity is a dance with lemon sauce.
It’s us, it’s winter. Dare to be different.
There are wines that are so distinct that you remember them from decades ago. One such was a dry Hunter Valley Semillon from McWilliams that was bottled, binned, aged for 10 years, and then recently labeled and released. A masterpiece of whirls of complexity.
Whether at home with loved ones, hanging out at that midweek tourist free happy hour, or getting to experience a favorite old haunt with a new vibe, this is truly the best time of the year.
Individual Wine Gigs
Small groups or large groups. Pick the place and theme, and I will provide the entertainment. E-mail me at lvwitherell@gmail.com.
