The Bar of Chocolate

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Bar-of-Chocolate/116495095042110

We like going to The Bar of Chocolate after a good meal at one of our favorite restaurants.  Today, we had dinner at the East Ender and had a nice walk to The Bar of Chocolate on a beautiful evening in Portland.

The interior is dark and lit with small lights.  Along one wall are long benches with high backs with tables and chairs.  There are also pairs of high back leather chairs giving the space a very comfortable relaxed atmosphere.  As you can tell from the name of the bar, they serve desserts, cocktails, and after dinner drinks.  Of course, chocolate is a popular ingredient. 

This evening we tried the chocolate torte with caramel and sea salt. It was very rich and dense and for true chocolate lovers only! I had to first show my Chocolate Lovers membership card to get a piece! (just kidding).  We had a Limoncello cocktail with the torte which was a great combination.  We also had the crème brulee paired with a port wine.  Wasn't sure it would go well but it did.  The brulee was a rich, creamy vanilla. Classic and satisfying.  Perfect end to the evening.

The staff is very friendly and can make suggestions on how to best pair a dessert with a wine of cocktail.  We highly recommend The Bar of Chocolate as a great way to start or end your evening.

 

chocolate torte with caramel and sea salt

 

Crème Brulee with a nice Port wine

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 4
Staff: 4
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 4
Parking: 1

Portland Hunt + Alpine Club

http://huntandalpineclub.com/

This was our second trip to the Portland Hunt and Alpine Club.  Both times were on the first Sunday of the month  which is Tiki Sunday at the Club.  They play tropical music. The music is more Hawaii 5-0 than Bob Marley.  Resident mixologist, John Myers serves up the drinks.  Tiki Sunday features 4 different drinks, each for $9:

• Corn + Oil - blackstrap run and falernum
• Viking Fogcutter - brand, rum, gin, orgeat, and citrus
• Yellow Bird. - rum, line and Galliano
• Montego Bay - rums, citrus, honey, allspice and bitters

If these drinks sound good, its because they are.  We recommend the Montego Bay.  As you would suspect, the drink menu is terrific.  Its why you go to the Club.  Wine and Beer selecting is limited.  But, last time we were there they did have Bissell Brother's Substance and Rising Tides Daymark.  The beer selection does change, always with good options. 

Food selection is simple but good.  We have tried the snacks but not the meals.  We have sampled the popcorn and the house pretzels.  Both options were addicting and satisfying.  The atmosphere has that clean and neat Scandinavian feel.  The location is on Market street with floor to ceiling windows looking out onto Post Office Park. 

Service was disappointing.  Not great but not bad.

In a coconut shell, we like the Portland Hunt and Alpine Club and we'll go back for the drinks.

  The bar

 

 

 The Montego Bay

 

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 3
Staff: 3
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 3
Parking: 3

Pai men miyake

www.miyakerestaurants.com/pai-men-miyake

Pai Men Miyake is a restaurant that you need to visit.  The focus of the restaurant is on ramen with broths rich in pork, chicken, beef & vegetables. We started with the pork buns.  The pork comes from the Miyake farm.  Its so much more flavorful than pork you get at the local store.  The cube of pork that comes with a pork bun is huge (golf ball size).  Try some of the pork without the bun so you can really taste the pork. The pork buns are delicious and I would image a great late night snack. We had the Paitan ramen and the Kimchee Beef ramen.  The Paitan ramen is pork belly in a chicken and pork broth.  The Kimchee Beef ramen was, as expected, spicy.  The chunk of beef was so tender that it easily pulled apart with chop sticks.
The beer menu has a least a dozen local selections.  The wine menu was limited with 3 reds and 3 whites.  But the options were satisfactory.  The service varied.  One day we went the service was excellent.  The next time we could not get a second beer from our server.
We really liked the atmosphere. The décor, the music.  With all the steaming in the kitchen the place can get quite warm so be prepared.  Speaking of warm, in the warmer months there are tables outside. 
In summary, delicious Japanese food, beautifully presented.

Brussels sprouts in a fish sauce vinaigrette

Shrimp gyoza

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff: 3
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 5
Parking: 4

MJ's Wine Bar

www.onecitywines.com
Between all of us we have been to MJ's almost a dozen times.  MJ's has a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. There is a wide wooden bar, long narrow table ideal for a large group, smaller tables and leather furniture. The wine selection must be the best in town. And, they are always changing the selection to reflect the season. They don't have the "standard" wines you'll find at other bars and restaurants but rather new and interesting wines. They may have a wine from a region you like but from a winery you have never heard of. If your not a big wine drinker you can describe what you like and they will make the recommendation so you get something you'll enjoy. Needless to say, the service is top notch. The menu includes nuts, olives and cheeses. The food selection is also routinely changed to reflect the season. If your not sure which cheese plate would go best with what your drinking ask because they will help you make the right decision.
Did I mention the outdoor seating in the summer!

Beer taps in the foreground, wine in the background.

The music selection.

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff: 5
Drinks: 5
Mount Gay rum: No
Food: 4
Parking: 3

Otto's Pizza

http://ottoportland.com/
We have been to both Congress Street locations. Pizza from both location have been equally satisfying. Otto's mashed potato pizza with bacon and scallion is as good as it sounds. We were told its their best selling pie. The location at the top of Forrest Avenue is interesting. There are three doors. The door on the right and left leads to small dining areas each with a bar. The inside is clean and neat. The middle door looks like it's dedicated to walkup and selling slices. The best part is they are open until 2am on Friday and Saturday night. They have a few outdoor tables. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Beer selection was decent. There were 5 choices including Rising Tide's Zephyr. They also had Uinta Hop Notch IPA which we highly recommend. Wine selection was basic.
You can't go wrong with Otto's.

From left to right: 3 cheese Tortellini, Marguerite and the Mashed Potato

View of upper Forrest Ave from the bar

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff: 5
Drinks: 3
Mount Gay rum: No
Food: 4
Parking: 3

Top of the East Lounge

http://www.westinportlandharborview.com/top-of-the-east
We were walking up High Street from the Little Tap House and saw the Top of the East Lounge. We took a quick vote and decided to go check it out. It was a good decision to change plans. When you walk in the front door of the hotel, walk straight to the back and take the elevator to the top floor. Very simple. Everyone we came in contact with were very friendly. We were there on a partly cloudy afternoon. But, the view was amazing. It's such a different perspective on Portland and the surrounding towns. The atmosphere is very comfortable. There are tables and couches. We sat on the couches. Some of the long tables have power outlets which is always handy. When you sit down the staff will bring over what our waitress jokingly call "Westin Crack". It was Carmel popcorn with wasabi peas. It was very addicting.
The wine menu is impressive. Excellent choices from all over the world. Some of the bottles are expensive but the wines by the glass are the same prices you would see anywhere else. The are many specialty drinks like the Pear & Brown Sugar Martini. The beer menu is all Maine beers. Menu consists of choices like Maine Beer Company, Allagash and Atlantic. For food we had the panko crusted goat cheese with crostini and the prosciutto, roasted red pepper and mozzarella panini. All the food was very tasty. The panini was sweet and salty and toasted perfectly.
Service was just okay. It seemed like our wait person had a large area to cover. But she was friendly and helpful. We are planning another trip back. We want to go at night this timer. See you there?

View of the lounge

 

panko crusted goat cheese with crostini

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff:  5
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 4
Parking: 4

Portland & Rochester Public House

http://www.118preble.com/
We went to Portland & Rochester for dinner on Saturday night. When you enter the restaurant you come into the bar. The bar is organized, clean and warm. However, they did not have all the usual local beers that we prefer (Bissell, Rising Tide, etc.). Wine selection, by the glass and bottle, were good. The kitchen is visible to the restaurant. Sometimes this means noisy. It was not. There are two semi-private booths on one wall and tables throughout the rest of the restaurant. We had the stuffed artichokes, the brussel sprouts and the deep fried cheese curds for an appetizer. All were cooked well. I would get the cheese curds again for sure.
Dinner was the Cassoulet with seared Duck which was excellent. The Hake with parsley purée, roasted potatoes and beets were good but the fish was a little overcooked and a somewhat small portion. The mushroom risotto was excellent. The burger and fries were excellent. The fries had rosemary on them which gave them a nice earthy taste. The fish and chips was undercooked and we had to send it back to the kitchen. The kitchen quickly responded with the squash soup while they made a new sandwich. These things sometimes happen and they handled it quickly and professionally.
Overall, we were happy with the service, food and drink. Were going back.

Foreground: Cassoulet with seared duck.
Background: Hake with parsley purée, roasted potatoes and beets

Burger and fries

Our ratings scale
Atmosphere: 5
Staff:  5
Drinks: 4
Mount Gay rum: Yes
Food: 4
Parking: 3