Joseph's by the Sea

I thought it was about time I took Kate to one of my old favorites: Joseph's by the Sea in Old Orchard Beach.  So off we went on Saturday night!

If you've never been to Joseph's (and yes I'm a little partial to that name), the view is spectacular from every table as this veteran restaurant is located right on the ocean on West Grand Ave in OOB.  I walked in with a few old memories of what I recalled as great meals and wine consumed here in the past and was prepared to leave with yet another fond memory.

I decided early on that I was going to select a white wine tonight as our seemingly automatic affinity for reds has been brought to my attention recently.  The list of wines at Joseph's by the Sea is full of labels on the lower end of what is readily available and very few that are commonly known for that matter.  I hope their staff is knowledgeable about the list as the average guest will have a hard time finding anything they will recognize other than the name of a varietal perhaps.  After scouring the list I chose the 2009 Champalou Vouvray, France.  This wine had great notes of melon and cantaloupe and a fine balance of acidity with a long finish.  I couldn't help thinking that I'd be wanting more of this in the upcoming summer months.

For our first course we chose the following: Kate had a salad and I had to try the Lobster Potato Pancake (having had such good ones elsewhere recently ...for comparison).  The Pancake, pan fried in olive oil, was on the large side which made it a very good value and was accompanied by a delicious chipotle cream sauce.  The large pieces of lobster meat within the pancake left nothing to complain about either.  The heavy use of freshly chopped green onions in the pancake however was a little too overpowering for my taste.  The delicate balance of the potato, lobster and the wonderful flavor of the chipotle sauce were overshadowed by the sharpness of the onion which kind of took this dish down a couple of notches for me.  Kate's comment of her salad was that it had too much dressing on it and was otherwise unremarkable.

...The Vouvray on the other hand went rather well with this course as well as the next!

I think it's important as a "foodie" that service should always be crisp and the best available, especially when a restaurant has the reputation of being a reader's choice award winner and openly displays reviews that have been published in the past for its' achievement in excellence.  Our server this evening was a tad more inexperienced and unpolished than I expected.  Not his fault perhaps, but I did expect a greater level of professionalism and table side etiquette for a restaurant of this stature.  And, tell me if this doesn't just fry your fancy:  Nothing is worse than when a waiter says that common, simple and singularly grating word "enjoy" after dropping off your food.  ...Enjoy what?  Life?  Each other's company?

For our main courses I had the pepper crusted Filet Mignon and Kate had the "Best of both Worlds": tenderloin medallions and fresh lobster.  I asked to have my filet prepared sans pepper crusting, which was readily agreed to by our waiter and demonstrated the willingness of the kitchen to accommodate special requests.  My meal arrived cooked to a perfect medium-rare as requested on a bed of fresh greens.  What was strange was the arrangement of the plate itself: the kitchen actually spaced every single piece of vegetable out evenly apart from the other around the filet like a sun dial, and I couldn't tell if the veggies were served luke-warm or if they simply got cold by the time they reached the table because of this.  Additionally, our waiter asked me after he served our plates if I'd like to have the Gorgonzola cream sauce that came with it (as stated on the menu).  Kate's Tenderloin medallions and half a lobster was served as she requested without the garlic brandy demi-glace as she has recently found that garlic doesn't agree with her like it used to.  (Perhaps that was the confusion that our waiter was suffering from.)  Both our plates had the same veggies and roasted red bliss potatoes with rosemary.  When we ordered we were told the starch accompaniment was going to be mashed potato and while we weren't disappointed, we were surprised at the last minute substitution (especially since these obviously needed some time to roast in the oven before being served...)

Have I mentioned that the Vouvray went exquisitely well with the meal?

All in all, we found the whole experience to be a bit of a disappointment.  The music was more suited to an elevator in town than a dining room and the intermittent Sirius XM commercials that were part of this stream were annoying to say the least and not what should be played in this kind of environment at best.

I'll let Kate expand here in her own words for a bit...

My first impression when we entered the restaurant was that they were trying not to look like a beach town eatery.  They were trying (a bit too hard) to look urban or at least look like something that doesn't live near  sand, salt and cocoa butter.  The decor was a bit dated and looked like they ordered everything from the Lillian Vernon catalogue. (those who get my reference can picture what I am talking about).  I have to say the one decorative item that I LOVED was the trio of vintage black and white photographs of Old Orchard Beach from the 1920's and 30's.  I loved them because (besides loving black and white photography) they were relevant. And that made them special.  We were taken past the main dining room and up a flight of stairs. When we got to the top, we were greeted by an oddly placed rug that was too ugly for me to even describe. (Joe referred to it as being "interesting" which is what he says when he doesn't know if he should like it or not).  It looked like it was supposed to look modern and funky but it missed terribly. Perhaps it was from the catalogue I mentioned.  Inches away began the wall to wall carpeting that was completely different in style to the area rug.  What a terrible combination.  Seated, we felt like we had been banished from the party downstairs: punished like two kids sent to their room.  It was very quiet and empty.  The walls were dark, the lighting was dim and it made me feel a little depressed quite honestly.  I felt like I was in a hotel lobby in Anywhere, USA.  Within a few moments I found myself getting a bit anxious.  And I realized it was because the music was not only horrendous, it was also too loud in this empty room.  Plus, as Joe said, it was streaming from Sirius Radio so we had to listen to the announcer in between bad songs from the adult instrumental channel.  I don't get it.  Kenny G? Really?  It was grating on my nerves to the point I was distracted from the conversation.  I can only describe the atmosphere as un-sexy.  I didn't feel pretty in that environment at all.  And Joe didn't seem his usual hunky self as I looked at him against the backdrop of brown walls and contrived stenciling.

My meal was fine.  Fine.  Just fine and no more. Presentation was poor. Maybe that's why they dim the lights so much, so you can't see the lack of artistry.  The lobster was in its shell, shell side up.  Shell that has cooked and then dried has a blotchy finish to it. Not pretty. The meat was cooked nicely. The roasted potatoes (I really was looking forward to the mashed potatoes!) were also "fine" but nothing special.  The vegetables were a bore. The plate was not nicely arranged. There was a lot of white space between food items.  And the china was that ordinary food-service, off-white china that had seen better days. When it came time for dessert, I asked Joe if he might be interested in going back to civilization for that last mouthful of sweetness to end our day. So off we went to Back Bay Grill where we listened to the QUIET background harmony of well chosen music, and where we gobbled up both the sweets on our plate and the sweetness of the atmosphere that greeted us with open arms.  Now THAT is one sexy place.

We give Joseph's by the Sea a 2.5 out of 5 stars this visit.  I will likely not rush back again unless I hear some very solid, consistent reviews coming from here again in the future.

Until next time, Cheers!

~Joe and Kate

Zapoteca

As I have stated in previous blogs here, there are numerous restaurants in Portland that offer lunch menus worth seeking out.  Kate and I decided to try out Zapoteca's this past Saturday while we were out doing some shopping in the Old Port.

The environment is clean and appealing inside, situated in a classic brick building on the corner of Fore and Cotton St.  One of the very first things you will notice upon entering is the incredible assortment of Tequilas on display at the bar.  (My understanding is that it takes weeks on end for the waitstaff to learn about even half of them!)

I ordered a glass of the Garnacha, Lo Brujo, Spain from the menu but as they were out was instead offered a glass of the Garnacha Old Vine 2008, Sierra de Viento, Spain.  This was a big, full bodied, well balanced, inky, jammy, complex and absolutely delicious glass of wine!  In fact, once Kate had a sip from my glass (she said she was not going to have any wine with lunch....cough, cough..) we wound up ordering another so she could have her own....I am now in search of an outlet for this label locally so we can enjoy some at home!

Kate and I decided to share an appetizer and save room for dinner later in the evening, so our choice here today was the Guacamole: freshly made with chunks of jalapenos, avocado, tomato and cilantro and served with home made crisp tortilla chips.  There is little better than freshly-made guacamole (unless it's done table side) and chips to whet one's palate.  My only comment on the guacamole today was that it seemed to be lacking in acidity, as if the chef didn't use any lemon (or lime) juice to balance out the wonderful flavors of the freshly diced jalapeno, tomato and the flesh of the avocado.  Otherwise, it was truly delicious and not worth complaining about as the portion was generous enough and satisfying overall.

For our main luncheon courses today, Kate and I each chose Tacos.  Kate went for the Carnitas and I the Wild Mushroom variety.  Both were served with warm soft taco shells on the side.  My Wild Mushroom Tacos came plated with the components served neatly on the plate as follows: Buttery wild mushrooms prepared in truffle oil, Mexican Creme, Queso Fresco, watercress, Arroz Rojo (which is a traditional Mexican style of rice in tomato sauce) and frijoles (traditionally a baked/re fried bean compote made using pinto beans but apparently made with black beans at Zapoteca).  Need I tell you how wonderful all of these flavors were together?  Of course I do!  Kate's Carnitas Tacos (Slow roasted chipotle pork) were served with pickled red onion, avocado, tomato chile sauce, lime and also with Arroz Rojo and frijoles.  I knew almost immediately that there was something wrong with the Carnitas based on Kate's facial expression.  A small bite of the Carnitas confirmed that is was ill-prepared today tasting so heavily of salt from the brine it was cooked in that there was little left to discern on the palate for several minutes after chasing down an entire glass of water.  To the credit of the ownership, they took the cost of this dish immediately off the bill and apologized for the obvious mistake in preparation.

It was unfortunately a bit of an anti-climactic visit for us.  But we will visit again as we have heard so many good things about Zapoteca from friends' previous experiences here.  The service was truly wonderful and attentive, the atmosphere was pleasant and visually appealing and the offerings that they have for lunch are more than sufficient.  The value is also on the better side for one's money here.  Do not plan on a quick visit if you have a limited time to dine for lunch as is the case for so many working people today.

On this visit, we give Zapoteca 3 stars out of 5 and look forward to coming back for dinner.

Cheers!

~Joe and Kate