Harvest on the Harbor Part I

Before I begin with all the deliciousness let me say this: I was not paid or otherwise compensated by any of the establishments or vendors mentioned below. I was not given free tickets to the event.  I was there as anyone else would be - as an observer (with a camera and notepad) and food enthusiast. I am happy to pass on the information here just because I love local food and I think we are lucky to have so many wonderful choices.
It was a spectacular late fall evening when the crowd was ushered into Ocean Gateway Terminal on Portland Harbor. In exchange for our tickets, we were each handed a wine glass with the Harvest on the Harbor logo and a small program listing the restaurants and wine vendors present. So much beautiful food! So much wine to taste!
Where to begin?

I headed first to a set up by Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea, because the display was so appealing. Tiny wafer cones filled with Maine Peekytoe (what a funny name!) crab and topped with a bit of red caviar. Two quick bites and it was gone. Very mignardise-like. Our next stop was at the table of another hotel restaurant, Eve's at the Garden, which is located in The Portland Harbor Hotel. Chef Jeff Landry had created a chilled Maine lobster parfait with fall corn and chive mousse in a little shot glass.  Hard to say for sure, but this may have been my favorite bite of the night, with its mix of textures and tastes.

But I also loved The White Barn Inn's beet-cured salmon with wasabi caviar and a spicy-sweet sauce, served up on a tiny black spoon. The spicy wasabi, then the hit of sweetness at the end of the bite made it really special.

Time for something to drink. I will be the first to tell you that I don't know much about wine. I tend to find one I like and stick with it for a while, until I find another one I like. I was happy to see one of my current favorites, Menage a Trois, a white table wine from Trinchero Family Estates.  A few sips and I was off in search of more food. I didn't have to go too far to find Back Bay Grill's squash soup with duck confit, Marcona almonds and truffle cream. Yum - rich and creamy, a little salty (in a good way) from the duck and almonds. On a cold night, this would be warm and soothing.

Last summer, we ate at Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, a wonderful restaurant in an old meetinghouse in the town of Georgetown. It's off the beaten path for sure, but definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere near there. They offer some interesting wines by the glass, matched to each dish. The food and service were incredible and they treated our eight year old daughter like a queen. So I was glad to see chef Michael Gagne serving miniature ham Meetinghouse biscuits with mascarpone pepper jelly.They are known for their biscuits, which you can actually buy frozen at some supermarkets. I plan to serve them at Thanksgiving.

It was great to see so many restaurants using local produce and meats. I know some have been doing this for a while, and those are the places I like to eat at when I can. If you are trying to buy more local foods, you'll appreciate the wines from Cellardoor Vineyard, in Lincolnville, Maine. I tasted their Vino diVine and Casa Blanca. Could be my new favorites. Owner John Tynan tells the story of how he and his wife came to be winemakers in Maine on his blog, with some lovely pictures of the place.

There wasn't much in the way of desserts at Harvest on the Harbor. The Cliff House did bring these pretty candied Lady apples, with coconut. And  Sweet Marguerite's, a local candy maker, were offering a rich, dark chocolate flavored with espresso. I hope next year the organizers will add more dessert samplings, or maybe do a separate event during the festival with just sweets.  

Check back soon for more about HOH, including Saturday's marketplace and cookbook authors the Brass Sisters.   'Til then, try to stay out of the Halloween candy.