Memorable Meal at Local 188 (and drinks at Grace!) for Memorial Day

I've been looking forward to Memorial Day Weekend for a while for two reasons. 

One reason being that I have Monday (today!) off, and it's been over a month since my last full day without working.  I'm going to treat myself to good food, a good sweaty workout, gardening and spending time with Andrew.

The other reason for looking forward to the weekend was that Andrew's mom and aunt (Madeline and Roberta, who we call Bert -- they're twins!) came to visit.  They drove up to Portland from MA Saturday morning, and I got to spend Saturday night with them and Andrew, when they treated us to an amazing dinner at Local 188.

One of the reasons we chose Local 188 is their support to local farmers, fisheries, and foragers.  We also went there because they have gluten-free and vegetarian options, which are hard to find beyond the salad list at restaurants.  Classy and filled with art, the atmosphere at Local has brought Andrew and I there for drinks since we first started dating.  We hadn't had the pleasure of eating there until this weekend.  The menu is divided into tapas, raciones, salads, and entrees.  The waitress was a rockstar for writing down my food preferences to give to the chefs in the kitchen to make sure that what I ate wouldn't make me sick. 

Since Madeline and Bert ordered bread to start off with (which Andrew suspects is the lovely olive bread from Standard Baking Co., drizzled with some olive oil) the waitress was thoughtful enough to bring Andrew and I a dish of spoons filled with goat cheese mousse, kissed with truffle mushroom powder.  It was like eating fluffy clouds of bliss.  The touch of truffle powder gave the whole spoonful a earthy and sweet taste. 

There were so many things Andrew and I wanted to try, that we decided to share three dishes.  We started off with a colorful salad filled with local greens, beets, onions, and pecans.  The dressing was creamy and Andrew was tempted to drink it straight from the cup, but refrained.  The nuttiness and crunch of the pecans paired nicely with the sweet softness of the beets, and having fresh greens was so refreshing to my palate, as I've been eating lots of cooked food lately.

After studying abroad in Spain, and later taking a vacation with Andrew there (which is where we got engaged!) when I saw a tortilla del dia option on the menu, I knew I would have to try it.  I've been slowly reintroducing egg back into my diet, and couldn't pass up this dish when I heard what was in the tortilla -- mushrooms and pine nuts.  The entire top of the tortilla slice was coated in warm toasted pine nuts, with added bursts of flavor to every bite.  Andrew thought the tortilla would have been a bit plain without the pine nuts (which he loves) but it reminded me so very much of the tortilla that my host mother would make for dinner sometimes twice a week.  Drizzled with olive oil and served with a side of fresh greens and dried cranberries, I know I'll definitely order this again.

The star of the night, however, was this dish:  A squash roasted to perfection and filled with saucy garbanzo beans, spiced in a mix of Indian-style spices with Italian-style tomato flavor, served with the garnish of coconut-cilantro chutney.  I couldn't talk while I was eating this.  Every bite I ate with concentration on the flavors and textures of the dish.  I couldn't get over the sauce, the softness of the squash, or how the chickpeas were just so darn lovely.

Madeline and Bert both got the same dish -- house-made gnocchi served over a bed of red cabbage and onions, and topped with what I believe is either goat cheese or ricotta.  I didn't try their dish because of the gluten, but it looked lovely and they seemed to enjoy their first gnocchi taste experience.

We continued the evening in style by heading over to Grace, a former Methodist-Episcopalian church that was smartly renovated into a happening restaurant and bar.  The first floor has a bar in the center, surrounded by dinner tables.  The second floor has another bar, and a lounge.  We chose to go to the lounge upstairs, where we enjoyed the view and our drinks.

Madeline tried the Crianza Tempranillo, a full-bodied but not overwhelming red wine from Spain.  Bert had the locally made dry mead, and Andrew and I shared a cocktail made with gin and cucumber-infused vermouth.

It was such a treat to be able to go out to eat like this -- Andrew and I usually don't order food out, because we like cooking so much and it's difficult to find good food that's gluten free, vegetarian, and made with fresh ingredients.  It also was nice, since I've been working non-stop since Easter, to sit, relax, and feel like I was pampering my taste buds and stomach.  Thanks Madeline and Bert for dinner!