Portland's Old Port has a great many wonderful stores for your holiday shopping needs -- you might consider planning a trip downtown on Merry Madness night Dec. 17, when the shops stay open till 10! Even on a quiet Monday, though, it's possible to spend an afternoon browsing, then venture into one of the city's fine restaurants to warm up with drinks and dinner.
My current favorite Old Port spot is Vignola, an Italian bistro owned by Lee Skawinski, who spun it off from his successful Italian restaurant Cinque Terre. Vignola is a little more casual and goes for a wine-bar sort of atmosphere, with lighter dishes and an emphasis on appetizers. The two restaurants share a dessert menu and Skawinski has focused on building relationships with local farms and food suppliers, so that there's always something fresh and delicious on the menu.
On a recent visit we started with a selection of cheeses -- my favorite was Beemster from the Netherlands -- and a delicious, piping hot Pizza Vignola. The cheese were served with sugared walnuts, apple chutney, greens and thin slices of crisp bread.
There was only one meat dish among the entrees -- a fettucine with lamb and pork meatballs -- and my companion and I both ordered it. It was the perfect thing for a cold, dark night, with perfect al dente pasta and a sauce that complemented but didn't overpower the flavorful meats.
Exercising restraint, we ate only half our entrees in order to have room for dessert -- well worth it! The Cioccolata -- you know I'm not going to order anything WITHOUT chocolate -- was a rich, dark, creamy filling in a chocolate graham-cracker crust, topped with two pieces of buttercrunch candy. (At this point my companion and I reverted to childhood, each trying to cheat the other out of some buttercrunch.)
Vignola is located on Dana Street near the waterfront. Because it's a cobblestoned street and a historic building, it may be difficult for people with disabilities to get in the door. I'll give the owner and managers credit for not cramming the tables too close together -- even though it's a small place, we had enough personal space that we didn't feel we had to share our conversation with the rest of the clientele. Our server was attentive and welcoming without being over-friendly.
We only notice a couple of small things to mar the perfection of the experience -- some light bulbs were out, and our table was slightly unstable. The food and service, though, were excellent. Our total was $106.95 -- not a cheap meal by any means, especially given that I'm on a grad-student budget, but oh, so very worth it as a splurge. I'll go back when I can.
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