Farewell, Oolong. Greetings, Portland's Restaurant and Bar
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By Meredith Goad Portland Press Herald Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Restaurant Oolong on Commercial Street closed its doors after one last dinner on New Year's Eve, but -- this being Portland, after all -- a new establishment has already opened in the same space.
"Portland's Restaurant and Bar," a steak, seafood and chops place four months in the making, opened last Friday. The owner is Paul Russell, the same restaurateur who was behind Oolong and its Asian fare.
Russell said he hopes to re-open Oolong in a couple of years, in a venue with perhaps 70 or 80 seats as opposed to the 120 seats at the Commercial Street space.
"It seems to me that while food is my passion and my love and it's what I do best, as a business, you have to make some determinations based on the feedback that people give you and the numbers that you're generating," Russell said. "Oolong was a terrific success, and I think it will be fantastic when I reopen it a couple of years down the road in a little bit smaller venue. I needed a menu here that has broader appeal. Oolong is a terrific niche restaurant, but a (with) niche restaurant you immediately eliminate some people."
Russell said the name of the new restaurant is intended to be a celebration of the city. He's working to develop sources for local meats and produce, and all of his seafood will be sourced by Browne Trading Co. Local artists' work will hang on the walls.
The executive chef is Joseph Boudreau, formerly of Mims.
"We're not technically a steakhouse per se, but we do feature prime aged steaks, center-cut chops, filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip, and we also do a top sirloin," Russell said. "While some of the prices are a little bit higher -- for the New York strip, for example, which is a very expensive cut of meat -- we've tried to make it fairly attainable for people who want that level of quality."
A 14-ounce New York strip is $36, while a 10-ounce top sirloin is priced at $19.
There are lots of other options on the menu besides steak, such as a 14-ounce pork loin chop ($17), braised beef shortrib ($21) and a plate of crispy gnocchi ($15) tossed with roasted tomato-vodka cream sauce, smoky anchos and cremeni mushrooms. Starters include an onion ring tower ($6.50), Rhode Island calamari ($7.95) and French onion soup ($6.50). There are also daily specials, including meatloaf ($14) on Tuesdays, a sliced filet mignon sandwich ($15) on Wednesdays and crispy New England skate wing ($16) on Fridays.
Russell said old favorites from Oolong will pop up occasionally on the menu as well.
Diners who loved Oolong's cucumber cocktail -- gin, cucumber, mint and lime juice -- will be happy to see that it's still available along with the Hemingway daiquiri and Oolong's other classic concoctions.
The space itself won't change much, Russell said, although he is adding curtains so that people on the street won't be able to see directly into the restaurant.
"One other thing that we did was we made our other dining room just a little bit smaller so the room doesn't appear as big," he said. "We used to get some comments about the room being cavernous, and so I'm reacting to that."
Portland's Restaurant and Bar currently is open only for dinner, from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. In May, the restaurant will start serving lunch and Sunday brunch.
RETURN OF THE WRITERS
If you're a fan of food writing, mark Jan. 25 on your calendar. Last year, Slow Food Portland hosted a writers' evening that was such a success it's being repeated this year.
Four well-known food writers will be coming to Portland to read their work from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Space Gallery, 538 Congress St.
You'll have the chance to listen to and meet Ed Behr, publisher of the journal "The Art of Eating"; Kathy Gunst, author of "The Parenting Cookbook," "Roasting," and numerous other titles; Leslie Land, author of "The Modern Country Cook" and "The 3,000-Mile Garden: An Exchange of Letters Between Two Eccentric Gourmet Gardeners"; and Molly Stevens, author of "All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking."
Tickets are $25, or $20 for members of Slow Food. Tickets are available at Longfellow Books, Rosemont Market, Aurora Provisions and Standard Baking.
FOR GROWN-UPS, AND FOR KIDS
There are two food-related events coming up tomorrow, one for adults and one for kids.
# Rob Bower of Taylor Fladgate and Fonesca Wineries of Portugal will be conducting a port tasting at Browne Trading Company, 262 Commercial St., from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. This event is free.
Bower, the seventh generation of his family to be involved in the port trade, will start with a short presentation on the different styles of port. Hors d'oeuvres that complement the ports will be served as well.
For more information, contact Adam at Browne Trading at 775-7560.
# Lots to Gardens, a program of the Sisters of Charity Health System, is hosting a "New Year's Snack Extravaganza" for children at the Lewiston Public Library's Children's Department from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday. Kids will be able to sample Thai food and play food-related games.
The Snack Extravaganza is also the time to sign up for a new weekly cooking club geared toward children age 8 to 14. Kids who enroll in this free club will learn to cook healthy foods from around the world. The club meets from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. every Monday at the B Street Community Center.
For more information, contact Denise Dill, the food and nutrition coordinator for Lots to Gardens at 753-6944, or David Moorhead from the Lewiston Public Library at 784-0135, Ext. 4.
Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332, or at
mgoad@pressherald.com
