D. Taylor's Food & Travel

This is the fourth in my quest for a home meal delivery service. Home Chef is one of the best-known services.  Online With Home Chef, you select a Taste Profile: Calorie-Conscious Meals, Carb-Conscious Meals, or Vegetarian (I picked Carb Conscious). Next, you choose ingredients you would like to avoid. We avoid fish, so we selected that. You can avoid several ingredients, including peanuts, pork, and poultry. Like the other services I’ve tried, you select the number of people being fed, in my case two, then the number of meals per week you want from them (I picked four). It is straightforward to skip a week or two if you wish. Variety They have meal kits, which take a half-hour to 45 minutes to prepare. They also have “Easy Prep” kits which take 15 to 20 minutes, and oven-ready kits, which take about 30 minutes in the oven. Of course, they have a bunch of add-ons, such as breakfast frittatas, broccoli cheddar soup with sourdough demi loaf, lattes, smoothies, salads, and desserts. T...

“Hello Fresh” is the third of the Meal Delivery services we tried.  Ordering Online ordering is similar to other services. Very easy to accept the suggested meals and relatively easy to change them. The variety was fine; we could select weekly beef, pork, and chicken meals.  Health I like that the front of the recipe card shows the number of calories for the meal. Finding the number of carbs and net carbs requires diving into the website.  Receipt I particularly liked that all of the items for a particular meal were in the bag for that meal. (Some other services had the fresh produce loosely in the big box.)  The recipe cards for several of the items were missing. Going back online, finding the item in my received items, and printing the recipe instructions was frustrating, especially when the Hello Fresh website didn’t know our package was delivered until several hours after I received it and was looking for the recipes.  Quality All of the fresh items were fre...

For our second of the Meal Delivery Services, we tried Blue Apron. We found the service to be a mix of good and bad. Health I found it frustrating that you had to dive several layers into a selection to learn its nutritional value. I like to know the net carbs of a meal. There is plenty of room on the description page to include that information to compare items, but they make you dive several screens down on each item to learn about calories and carbs. Receipt Upon receipt, I always put the meats into a container. Every order has something leak leaving some blood or juice in the bottom of the container. I’m not sure if any of the items were leaking themselves or if they were once in contact with another package that was leaking. In any event, the apparent leakage was disconcerting.   Quality We had difficulty with some of the food quality. The prosciutto in the “Creamy Prosciutto & Tomato Pasta” was a terrible ball of stringy fat. I needed to crisp the prosciutto in a pan...

The “What to eat tonight” question is always an issue in our house. I like good food, and I’m growing to appreciate healthy food, but I’m getting tired of trying to figure it out and cooking the same old things. So, we decided to try a meal subscription service. I plan to try six different services and see what I like the best. I started with Green Chef, partly because they claim to be the  “#1 Meal Kit for Eating Well” and were the first service I received an introductory discount after deciding to do it.  Online First, you select a meal plan. Green Chef has 20 different preferences, including Vegan, Keto, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, and Meat. (I chose Meat.) Next, you select the number of people being fed, in my case two, then the number of meals per week you want from them (I picked four). It is also easy to skip a week. BBQ Pork Meatloaf & Cabbage Apple Slaw Photo courtesy Green Chef Variety Based upon your meal plan, they provide “preselected” meals. Typically, the meat ...

Background We were heading back from a visit to Bridgton along Route 302 and thought we’d stop for brunch. Kelley’s Sebago Diner was a perfect place to stop. An easy turn into and ample parking. Kelley’s is open seven days a week, 7 am to 2 pm every day except Sunday when they close a 1 pm. Arrival We arrived a little after noon and were seated quickly. We opted for the “sunroom” and found it cheerful on a beautiful summer day. Ordering With a name like “Kelley’s,” I figured that the Corned Beef Hash and eggs would be a safe bet to be great. Then I saw the “specials” menu and ordered a Chorizo Hash Omelet instead. My wife was in the mood for a BLT with the bacon well-done/crispy, and she thought she’d try onion rings. (We are still on the search for the world’s best onion rings .) Rather than order extra bacon on the sandwich, she ordered an extra side of bacon, which is usually more economical.  Food The BLT was amazing. It was thick-cut bacon, well done as she asked, and plenty o...

Tequilera’s Mexican Restaurant (Mexicantina) is the third restaurant to occupy this site at 183 US Route 1 in Scarborough over the past four or five years. I regularly enjoyed The Egg and went to the First Light restaurant that replaced it a few times. This was our second visit to Tequilera’s; the first time was shortly after they opened. Arrival We arrived just before noon for lunch and were seated right away. After a few minutes, we asked to be moved as the booth we were sitting at wasn’t nailed down and rocked whenever we moved. Also, the booth seats were extremely low and uncomfortable. There were only two other tables occupied at the time. Ordering The waiter took our order, a Chile Relleno and a Quesadilla Grande with Beef. He didn’t write it down. Sure enough, a few minutes later, he came back to ask, “was that chicken or beef?” My wife was happy because she wouldn’t have to return the plate as she did on our first visit. Food My Chile Relleno was quite good. More traditional th...

I wanted to surprise my wife with brunch at the Artemisia Café in Portland. She worked in the building 40 years ago when she taught the foundry course at the Portland School of Art. As such, it was a trip down memory lane for her as the Artemisia Café is in what was once the silver smithing studio.   Artemisia Café   ( Photo courtesy of Google Maps ) We arrived in the area about opening but couldn’t find a place to park. When we found parking, the restaurant was packed with no tables available and an expected 40-minute wait for a table.  Rather than waiting outside, we decided to sit at their bar.  Pre-ordering Erin mixed a great Bloody Mary; she was also fun to talk with. The drinks were excellent and priced nicely.  Ordering We ordered with the expectation we’d be eating at the bar; however, before our food arrived, a table opened up and we were able to relocate to it. I ordered the “Smash Burger,” and my wife ordered the Bene, served with home fries and extra...

We learned about Batson River B & D from an article in the Portland Herald, and we thought we’d try it for brunch. They have a separate menu for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Arrival We made a reservation online through OpenTable. The reservation process was simple. We arrived shortly after their opening time of 11:30 for brunch. There was quite a line outside waiting to get in. The line moved fairly quickly, and we were seated about 15 minutes later, at our reservation time of 11:45. Seating As a party of two, we were directed to a table for two, next to the bar and in the flight path of the servers bringing food out to other tables. The restaurant has high ceilings with no sound suppression, so the place is boisterous with many people talking loudly, particularly so because the restaurant was filled with many groups of six or more trying to be heard. Drinks Cranberry Mimosa, Beer Back, & Bloody Mary. We started with a cranberry mimosa and a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary came ...

We have been to a few restaurants recently and had good food and good service, a huge improvement from the peak of the pandemic where many restaurants had inexperienced cooks and inadequate service staff. Many of the restaurants I’ve eaten at recently have overcome many of those challenges. With that in mind, I decided to restart doing my food blog.

I suspended this blog in August 2021 because many restaurants were having issues with supplies and staff. I unsuspended this blog in May 2022 because I have had good experiences eating out, The Romano's Macaroni Grill in South Portland was the last restaurant I reviewed in 2021.

We tried stopping by the Dunstan Tap and Table once and learned they were closed both Monday and Tuesday. Finally, we were able to stop by about 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon.  Seating The hostess asked if a “hi-top” table was all right, and we said no, we’d prefer a regular table. She told us we couldn’t have one because they were reserved. We were aghast as we looked about and saw most of the tables vacant. She finally said we could have a table in the corner, but it was reserved for six PM, and we’d need to be done eating by then. It was apparent that the very young hostess wasn’t well trained in handling walk-ins. We were finally seated when we confirmed we wouldn’t take an hour and a half to eat.  Ordering Our server, Erin, was delightful and took our order. No onion rings for an appetizer, so we skipped having one. I ordered the Maple Bourbon Burger (8 oz. Prime Ground Beef, Smoked Pineland Farms Cheddar, Bacon, Fried Onions, Pickles, Maple Bourbon Sauce), medium well don...

We arrived at The Garage BBQ before the dinner hour, about 4:20 on a Friday afternoon. A pleasant young person met us as we came in the door and brought us to a seat. We asked to be put into a corner table with chairs with backs instead of a bench seat.  Pre-ordering They must have been short-staffed because we got the manager, Josh, as our server. He was excellent, and his knowledge of his bar was incredible.  Appetizers The table ordered an Onion Ring Tower. It included eight tempura-style onion rings and White BBQ and rémoulade dipping sauces. I like the tempura style and thought they were quite good. My wife thought they were a bit greasy. I noticed some of the rings had separation, and there was an inconsistent fry between the various rings. They were good, but not great. I thought the rémoulade was a bit bland, but I suppose I favor the hotter, more Cajun-flavored versions. Food I like sausages and had ordered the Spicy Sausage. It comes with cornbread, bacon mac’n’ che...

Background Because of COVID, it has been a long time since we have been out to a proper restaurant. We’ve done a lot of curbside and drive-thru pickup, but now that we have our COVID vaccinations and mask-wearing is becoming optional in Maine, I think we will be going out much more often. I also thought I’d start up this food blog again. This week, we thought we’d try The Garage at Pine Point. Unfortunately, we were eating about 3:30, and The Garage doesn’t open until 4 pm. So, instead, we went across the street to The Clambake.  Arrival The Clambake current hours are 11 am to 8 pm, seven days a week. We arrived about 3:40, and there were only a few people there.  Ordering Ordering is done in a line that leads to several cash registers. We placed our order for what we considered a “late lunch” and received our receipt with the call number. Then we walked across the hall to the bar. The bartender was pleasant and provided the drinks in plastic cups. My wife’s whisky soda was a ...

Today is National Oatmeal Day, and I thought I’d look at my wife’s oatmeal.  Hers is the most interesting and best-tasting oatmeal ever. Cinnamon Oatmeal with Cream & Bailey's First, she cooks Old Fashioned Oats with cinnamon. Sometimes in the fall, she might add ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves to make a pumpkin-spice like mixture. She uses enough water to cook it, but the oatmeal is still very stiff.   Next, she will put it in a bowl and create a lovely mountain, making the sides steep and create a divot in the center. She then fills the outside with cream to create a moat around the oatmeal. Then, she fills the empty volcano with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Adding a snowy mountain top of whipped cream adds to the charm. Finally, a gentle sprinkle of cinnamon sugar provides the finished product. It is impressive to watch her build one.   #NationalOatmealDay

Because of Covid-19, social distancing, and travel issues, I haven’t traveled at all or done much eating out. I’ve done curbside at several restaurants, but to review them just doesn’t seem right. They are doing the best they can. Because of that, I’ve decided to refocus this blog more on examining the food I’ve prepared than on restaurant foods and experiences. We’ll see how that goes and if it can motivate me a bit.  

Background – We spent the day before riding the Cog Railway and stayed in North Conway for the night.   In the morning we looked for a good place for breakfast, and a very good place we found. Arrival – We arrived at about 9:30 on a Sunday morning and they were busy.   We had about a ten-minute wait before being seated. Pre-ordering – The server arrived quickly with cups and a pot of coffee right away. We sais yes to the coffee and ordered "waters with lemon," and a Mimosa. The arrived quickly--about the time we were ready to order.     Ordering – There were so many luscious sounding items available.   My wife struggled between the traditional Eggs Benedict and Florentine and Irish versions. I wrestled with several omelets and "biscuits and gravy."   I ordered the Biscuits and Gravy and my wife chose the traditional Eggs Benedict. Traditional Eggs Benedict at Banners   Food – The food arrived quickly and without incident and was...

Restaurant Review: Nonesuch River Brewing Don Taylor It is rare that I think more of something isn’t better, but that was the case at lunch at Nonesuch River Brewing. Thin Onion Rings at Nonesuch River Brewing My wife and I arrived at an off time, about 3 PM, and were two of about eight customers in the restaurant. To get things started, we ordered drinks and an appetizer of thin onion rings. The onion rings came with a chipotle aioli drizzled on the top along with fresh slivered scallions.  I liked the scallions; they were flavorful. The chipotle aioli was tasty. I wish it had come on the side rather than on the onion rings because the aioli did an excellent job of off-setting the greasy onion rings – and they were greasy. It was one of the few times that we didn’t eat the entire order of onion rings. Backyard Farms Tomatos BLT at Nonesuch River Brewing Before we finished our appetizer, our sandwiches arrived. My wife got the Backyard Farms Tomato BLT with a mixed...

While I was in Minnesota, one of my good friends suggested G’s Café in Anoka for breakfast. It was a bit of a drive (about 10 miles) from Ham Lake to Anoka, but the food and service were well worth the trip. Arrival We arrived a bit later than the typical breakfast time and the Café only had a couple other patrons so seating was easy. We ordered coffee and began reviewing the menu.   G's Cafe - Interior G’s has an Irish theme to the restaurant. Because of that, I decided to try the “Irish Skillet” – Fried corned beef with hash browns, onions, green peppers, and tomato. Topped with two eggs and Hollandaise. It was served with toast, but I opted for the English muffin. My companion settled on 2 eggs over easy with bacon and a pancake. Food My skillet was one of the better skillets I’ve ever had. Clearly, the hash browns were started, then the corned beef was added. Then the onions and peppers, finally the tomato was added to warm them but not make them sog...

During my recent visit to Minnesota, I was able to try the breakfast at the Ole Piper Inn in Blaine. We arrived at the end of the breakfast rush and before the lunch service began (about 10:30) . We were seated quickly and were able to order coffee right away.  I was surprised to see that a spoon was not included in our silverware set, which consisted of a knife, fork, and a smallish paper napkin. After the coffee was brought, I used my knife to stir my cream into the coffee. The waitress didn’t ask me if I wanted a spoon for my coffee, finally, when she refilled the cups asked for one. I was hungry and ordered the Chicken Fried Steak with eggs, I added the cheese and onions to my hash browns and substituted “biscuits and gravy” for the 3 pancakes. My friend ordered a sausage omelet (actually, it was a “Ham and Cheese” omelet with sausage substituted). As a side, he too opted for the “biscuits and gravy.” Food arrived in a reasonable time for breakfast. Food ...