The Maine Event
Wednesday, December 09, 2009 by Jason Oliver Nixon.
I am simply mad about the state of Maine. Crazy. Cuckoo. Over the moon. If you read my blog religiously—and those of you who do are saints—you know that I practically live my life in a Maine-made L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bag, the one must-have accessory that no one can be without. In fact, I have 47 Boat and Totes, but that’s an issue for a therapist and not for public discussion.
Speaking of Maine, did you know that I escape whenever possible to glorious Chebeague Island and its yummy Chebeague Island Inn; that I think Portland to be one of the most exciting culinary cities anywhere (Duck Fat!, Hugo’s!); that I went to college at Colby in the wilds of Waterville; and that Maine’s gourmet go-to source Stonewall Kitchen is a favorite spot for holiday gifting. And Maine’s seafood: Oh, la, la!
Well, now you know.
This past weekend I needed some by-the-shore satisfaction, and since a jaunt up the coast to Ogunquit wasn’t in the cards, I zipped into Manhattan to sample the recently opened Ed’s Chowder House, a high-brow lobster shack smack across from just-revamped Lincoln Center. The Ed in “Ed’s” is renowned chef Ed Brown who manned the stoves seemingly forever at Rockefeller Center’s Sea Grill before venturing off on his own. Partnering with China Grill Management (Asia de Cuba, China Grill), Brown has crafted a bastion of briny bounty that mixes a chic yet bustling dining room with tip-top surf selections.
The easy, breezy dining room at Ed’s channels the spirit of the shore with a gussied-up sensibility.
I sipped a zow-ee! Chowder House Bloody Mary before supping on a towering plateau de fruits de mer (“fruits of the sea,” I just love that term), divine crab cakes loaded with rich meat and a terrific lobster roll paired with slaw. Y-u-m.
I just love a color-packed tower brimming over with glorious seafood. So decadent, so briny!
Maine by way of Manhattan, divine!
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