Grazing through Portland: Asmara

Hilary Nangle
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Grazing through Portland: Asmara

Asmara has been on my must-dine list for a long time, and I finally stopped by for dinner the other day. Now I didn’t dine in, as I had a long drive ahead of me and I was running late already, but I did pick up an appetizer and entree to go, after chef/owner Asmeret Teklu assured me it would reheat nicely in the microwave.

Asmara is hidden away on Oak Street, in the block between Congress and Free. It’s a small, storefront restaurant, quite unassuming, yet quite welcoming. Teklu is pretty much a one-woman show, and she greets visitors with a warm smile. The restaurant itself is quite pleasant, decorated with photos, baskets, and other artifacts complementing the Eritrean cuisine.

Did you raise an eyebrow on that one? Eritrea edges the Red Sea in eastern Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti. Once part of Ethiopia, it gained independence in the early 1990s after a prolonged struggle. Not surprisingly, the foods are similar. Asmara is the country’s capital.

Asmara (the restaurant) serves its dishes in the traditional way, on injera, a spongy bread made from unleavened teff flour. This bread is used as an eating utensil: You break off bits and use it to grab the main dish, which is usually a tsebhi, a stew of peas, lentil, and red pepper. It’s available vegetarian style or with chicken, beef, or lamb.

Each entree ($9-14) is accompanied by a salad and choice of vegetable (red lentil stew in red pepper sauce, collard greens and kale in a mild yellow sauce, or cabbage, carrots, and potatoes in a mild yellow sauce).

I ordered a beef sambusa appetizer ($1.95 each), which comprised ground beef, pepper, and onions wrapped in dough and deep fried, as well as the alitcha deho, (chicken stew), which came with three chicken drumsticks and a hard-boiled egg in a curried yellow sauce, accompanied by the collard greens and kale. Since I was taking it to go, the red lentil stew was substituted for the salad.

Three-plus hours later, I nuked everything, and the most enticing aromas, exotic yet familiar, filled the kitchen. Tom and I easily split this one dish, with enough leftovers for a generous lunch the next day. It was so delicious, Tom wanted me to figure out how to make it so we could have it more often.

If you dine at Asmara, beverages available include fresh-sqyeezed lemonade, mango juice, soft drinks, African sweet tea, African coffee, homemade iced tea, beer, and a homemade honey wine. Another possibility is a traditional coffee for four, during which coffee beans are roasted at the table.

Dessert choices are few, but the ligamat—fried dough balls seasoned with salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, and oil, and served with a maple syrup dipping sauce—definitely caught my eye.  Next time—and there definitely will be a next time—I’ll dine in and end with that.

A spring hike into Poplar Stream Falls

Hilary Nangle
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A spring hike into Poplar Stream Falls

April’s a great month to hike in Maine: No bugs, cooler weather, raging waterfalls, and few other folks along the trail. Today we hiked into Poplar Stream Falls, a relatively easy, roughly 5 mile round trip, from the trailhead in  Carrabassett Valley.

We parked in the Maine Huts & Trails parking lot (signed off Route 27), then began on the Maine Huts trail, but opting for the side loops, first along the stream and then to the falls. Yes, the trail’s wet and muddy in places, but nothing that forced us to stop, no long stretches or deep, wide puddles.

The reward? Poplar Stream Falls, site of actually two lovely torrents, and rated a 4.5 out of 5 by Greg Parsons and Kate Watson in New England Waterfalls. South Brook fall drops 24 feet; Poplar Stream Falls plunges a far more impressive 51 feet. A fallen tree, just out of the reach of Poplar Stream Falls’ spray, provided a perfect perch for scarfing down our picnic lunch.

Maine Huts’ Poplar Stream Hut is closed for mud season, but will open again in a few weeks (check with the organization for the date), and after a few weeks of self-serve operation, it will be serving meals again, so that’s a fine alternative for lunch in season. But go now, and have the trail practically to yourselves. On a bluebird Saturday, we ran into only two other people, and both were on the Maine Huts trail, on which we closed the loop back to the parking lot.


Plan now to attend Maine’s spring birding festivals

Hilary Nangle
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Plan now to attend Maine’s spring birding festivals

Both the Down East Spring Birding Festival and the Acadia Birding Festival are open for registrations. Maine’s location on the East Coast Flyway means it’s a stopover for feathered snowbirds winging their way northward after wintering in warmer climes, so it’s a great place and time to add a few species to your life list as well as enjoy the company of other birders.

Down East Birding Festival: May 28-31, Cobscook Bay Area

The American Bird Conservancy has identified Northeast coastal Maine and the waters around Machias Seal Island as “One of the important bird areas in the U.S.,” and Washington County has won the America’s Birdiest Atlantic Coastal County title annually since 2007. The three-day festival is jampacked with activities: walks, talks, demonstrations, presentations, social events, art programs, and more. A $60 fee covers almost everything, although you still have to register for individual events. Info on lodging and other local resources is on the site.

Acadia Birding Festival: June 10-13, Mount Desert Island

Roger Tory Peterson called Mt. Desert Island the “warbler capital of the world,” and the Acadia festival provides opportunities to see and hear these songbirds as well as sight puffins and pelagic birds at sea and observe peregrin falcons at an active breeding site in Acadia National Park. The program includes lectures, walks, and adventures, all led by notable birders and others and designed to introduce participants to Downeast Maine’s many bird species, diverse habitats , and local birding experts. Keynote speaker Paul Kerlinger will address “Migratory Birds, Wind Turbines, and Communication Towers,” on Thursday evening. Most events require registration ($60/one day, $125/two days, $175/three days + individual fees for special activities), but a few are open to the public.

I’ve had the good fortune to go birding with Michael Good, depicted right, who runs this festival, and he’s a fabulous guide. He operates Down East Nature Tours, and if you can’t make it to the island for this festival, book an adventure with him when you can, even if birding sounds like the least fun activity in the world. Trust me, he makes it fun.

Golf and sail the Maine Coast

Hilary Nangle
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Golf and sail the Maine Coast
Windjammer, Penobscot Bay © Hilary Nangle

You want to sail, partner wants to golf; not a problem: The Maine Windjammer Association has you both covered with three packages that add golf to any 3- to 6-day cruise this season. Cruises on one of the 12 member vessels start at $400 per person, which includes all meals, activities, and accommodations. To that, add one of these options:

• Samoset & Sail Package: A one-night stay at Samoset Resort, with a round on its 18 hole, PGA championship course complete with cart and club rentals, for $179-$234 per person.

• Lanyards, Links, and Luxury Package: A two-night stay at historic B&B in Rockland, including gourmet breakfasts, one round of 18-hole golf, cart and club rentals, for $250 per person.

• Travel-Light Sail & Golf Trail Package: Includes map and complimentary club rentals at participating courses around the State of Maine. Free!

Victory Chimes © Hilary Nangle

Never been on a windjammer? Let me tell you what to expect. It’s a few steps above camping on the water. Expect a cozy bunk and hearty meals. A few boats have roomier and more private facilities, but for the most part, you’re living in tight quarters with like-minded individuals. Bring good books, musical instruments if they’re portable, binoculars. You’ll sail by day, then anchor usually off an island or a small seaport, given a chance to explore it before returning for the night. It’ll be quiet, and if the weather cooperates, star-gazing provides the best free light-show for miles around.

Windjamming is not for those who need to be waited on hand and foot, who demand luxurious accommodations and fancy baths (most boats have shared heads and shower, but there’s usually a sink in your cabin), fussbudgets, or who can’t survive without being connected to the electronic world. Most—but not all—boats are historic vessels, built for freight and retrofitted for human cargo.

There are no set destinations; wind and tide set the daily course. You have to be willing to roll with the weather—sunshine, clouds, fog, rain, gales—whatever Ma Nature pitches, you deal with.

For the right people, though, it’s a vacation without compare.

Plan ahead: Maine Free Family Fishing Festival

Hilary Nangle
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Fishing for a good family getaway? Angling for a deal? The Maine Free Family Fishing Festival, June 5, in Bethel is just the ticket. The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance in co-operation with Trout Unlimited is hosting this free event at Angevine Park on the North Road, from 9 a.m .to 2 p.m, rain or shine. The weekend of June 5 and 6 is a free fishing weekend in Maine: Resident and Non-resident freshwater fishing licenses are waived each day

Maine Free Family Fishing Festival itinerary includes:

• free casting workshops and fly-tying instruction taught by local Maine guides and members of the Mollyockett Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Instruction will include both spin casting and fly casting for older youth and parents.

• free use of rods and reels, courtesy of Maine’s Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program.

• opportunity to practice newly learned casting skills in a one-acre pond, stocked with trout courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and a take home your catch.

In addition, there are a slew of kid- and family-friendly activities:

• each young angler will receive a mini-tackle box complete with bobber, sinkers, and hook courtesy of the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance.

• kids can learn how to tie flies with materials provided by local outfitters and fly shops. Children will be able to take home their hand-tied flies.

• families participating in the event will be eligible for door prizes from local outfitters and businesses as well as L.L. Bean and Kittery Trading Post.

And, of course, food: The Bethel Fire Dept. will host a barbecue of hotdogs and hamburgers, chips, and drinks and families are welcome to bring a pack lunch.

Need lodging: For those families wishing to stay overnight and fish or canoe the Androscoggin River on Sunday, special family packages are available for the weekend at local lodging establishments.

Note: The Family Fishing Festival is one many nationwide events that provide families with an opportunity to have fun on the water. The events are promoted by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.

Grazing through Portland: Breakfast at the Porthole

Hilary Nangle
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I love the Porthole, a retro, unfussy dineresque joint hanging over the Custom House Wharf: faded signs, more-faded linoleum, an old pot-bellied stove (replaced by a far more efficient gas one), an upright piano, hospital-green paneled walls, a counter full of salty character (and often, characters).

One neighboring table was spread with papers and Blackberries, signs of a biz deal in progress; at another, two middle-aged men were reliving their high school glory days; by the window, two women were holding a gab fest; a young family filled the street-side table; and a pair of bewildered, fearless tourists had snagged the aisle table between the front door and the deck door, in case they decided to make a quick escape. Still a bit too cool for the deck, but soon (somehow, I’m okay with inhaling diesel boat engine fumes and the pungent aroma of bait along with my blueberry pancakes).

And the food? Hey, it’s breakfast, and this isn’t a fancy schmancy place (well, except for the lobster Benedict or the creme brule French toast). Good, relatively cheap (you’re on the waterfront) basics—think biscuits and gravy, buttermilk pancakes, corned beef hash—outnumber those surprises. Yet even here, like nearly everywhere in the city, the menu touts that it supports local farmers and producers.

Waitress arrived at the table with a smile, menus and coffee pot in hand. I kept it simple with poached eggs and one of the homemade biscuits. Eggs were perfectly poached; that 75¢ biscuit turned out to be a gigunda masterpiece. Yeah, the Porthole is my kinda breakfast joint. One of these days I’ll have to return for the all-you-can-eat, Shipyard Beer-battered fish ‘n’ chips.

New edition of Moon Coastal Maine

Hilary Nangle
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New edition of Moon Coastal Maine

The new, hot-off-the-press edition of my Moon Handbooks Coastal Maine just arrived on my doorstep, and I have to brag: I’m quite pleased with it. I’m especially thrilled that my editor accommodated all my last-minute adds/changes/deletes, so that it’s quite current, a rare feat for guidebooks.

I’ve included plenty of new restaurants and accommodations, as well as new places to see and things to do. Of course, I’ve shared my finds, my favorite quirky places, my off-the-beaten-path discoveries. And yes, I’ve dished on dining, from take-out stands to clothed tables and detailed the best places to snooze, from tourist cabins to luxury digs. And so much more.

I maintain this blog to keep my readers up to date on opening, closures, and change, so you’re always in the loop.

Shortly, this blog will have a new look, too. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and if you or someone you know is contemplating a trip to the Maine coast, please purchase my book. And now, shamless promo over, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Osprey returns to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

Hilary Nangle
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Osprey returns to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

Most people go to Freeport to shop, the savvy make their way to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, an oceanfront jewel with hiking trails and picnic area. One of the biggest natural attractions is the osprey nest on adjacent Googin’s Island, viewable from the mainland. This week, Dick, an elder male osprey, returned to his summer home and began preparing it in anticipation of his partner’s arrival from their winter place in Brazil.

The ospreys return (there’s another pair nesting in a salt marsh in the park) coincides well with the park’s upcoming annual Wolfe’s Neck Birding Festival.

According to park info: Osprey are one of the largest birds of prey in North America and eat fish almost exclusively. Once an endangered species because of pesticides, they are found on all continents except Antarctica. Osprey build nests on high trees and man-made structures. They mate for life, though if a mate dies, the remaining bird will find a second mate. Osprey can live 15 to 25 years.

Dick is thought to be the older male of the two Wolfe’s Neck pairs,  according to according to Park Manager and naturalist Andy Hutchinson. The bird is mated to a younger female, and the mating is thought to have occurred nine years ago after he lost his first mate.

Photo: courtesy of Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands

Grazing through Portland: Nosh Kitchen Bar

Hilary Nangle
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First, apologies for the long absence. Since returning from Churchill, Manitoba (and gaining more than 100 degrees in the process, from 44 below to 70+ above), I’ve enjoyed a couple of days of stellar skiing at Sugarloaf (yes, there’s still plenty of snow in them thar hills), and working on a few assignments. Which is how I found myself in Portland for a few days. I’ve been grazing my way through the city, so I’ll begin to catch up on lost time and lack of posts with some quick restaurant notes. For the record, I’m currently on a Concord Coachlines Boston-bound bus that’s outfitted with power outlets at ever seat, has free Wifi, and is showing a movie (yes, free pretzels and water, too).

• Nosh: A delicious new Congress Street addtition to the Arts District. Very relaxed atmosphere, long slate bar on one side of the room, copper-topped tables on the other. Entry wall of windows opens to a small seating area with leather couch and chair grouping. Open prep area with blackboard menu at the back. Very contemporary vibe. Oh, and free Wifi, too.

Now let’s talk food: menu comprises sandwiches, burgers, and salads, then expands at night with themed plates. And let’s not forget the fries–I had the salt-and-vinegar version accompanied by the very chunky blue cheese sauce. Yup, these will definitely suffice if I can’t get to Duckfat. My sandwich, confit tuna with an avocado/red onion/tomato/caper spread, and a cuke, served with half a snappy dill pickle, was quite tasty and extremely filling. Service was friendly and efficient (really, what more does one want?) I can see this will be an especially popular spot during First Friday Art Walks. Prices begin around $8.

Northern light nights

Hilary Nangle
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Northern light nights

I’ve been negligent in posting over the past few days, primarily due to exhaustion. I’m in Churchill, Manitoba. Not for the polar bears, not for the beluga whales, but for the northern lights. And I haven’t been disappointed. The sky has been tripping the light fantastic until 2, 3 a.m. or so. But here’s a little peek, the result of a tundra buggy adventure with Frontiers North outfitter.

Churchill, Manitoba. Hilary Nangle image.
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